Another lift kit question

06-03-2009, 07:37 PM

I looked on the trailmanor site and could not see anything about a lift kit. It could help with me bottoming out front or back on my steep driveway at times. I assume the lift kit would help with this? Again where would you buy this kit and is it something the RV shop installs or you do it yourself.

**ShrimpBurrito** · 06-03-2009, 07:55 PM

Yes, it would help with your exact situation. Very helpful. Note that your stairs and stabilizer jacks will also rise 2.5 inches -- not a big deal for us, but FYI.

Call up the factory to order it...it's about $50 delivered IIRC. It's just 2 pieces of tube steel, each about 6 inches long, with 4 bolts. You can get a shop to do it, but I did it myself. Jack up the frame, remove 2 bolts per side to drop the axle, slip in the lift kit, and put the 2 new bolts in. Tighten up, and you're done.

The attached pic shows the lift kit installed. It is the tube steel with the exposed bolts going through it. You'll note the lift kit is a grayish color whereas the rest of the frame is now "rustic red". The factory ships the lift kit painted, but I scruffed it a bit and applied some spray galvanizing on it. Looks just as it did when I applied it a few years ago, and there is zero rust on it.

Dave

06-03-2009, 10:04 PM

Thanks. That perfect. I did not think it would be so cheap and it looks so simple that I could easily install it with my 3 ton floor jack. Much appreciated. I would have to have done quite a bit of digging to find this out. Barry in Vancouver.

**ShrimpBurrito** · 06-03-2009, 10:20 PM

My pleasure. Don't forget to inspect your ball mount on your TV after you're done too. You may need to raise the ball as well, probably about 2.5 inches.

The nuts are a kind of lock-nut I'd never seen before. No nylon insert, and they look like ordinary nuts except they have small indentations along the ID. Anyway, point being, once you start tightening them, keep tightening them. If you loosen them, they supposedly will gradually lose their locking ability.

Dave

**Bill** · 06-04-2009, 07:40 AM

Barry -

Dave has it pretty well covered. Before you start, let me restate a couple things that you have probably read before. First, make sure that your axle is bolted to the frame. Most TMs are built this way, but some of them are welded, and that makes the job tougher unless you are a welder. Second, before you unbolt anything, make sure that you carefully mark the location of the axle on the frame - use a square and a metal scribe or scratch awl on both sides. When you put the axle back (with the lift installed), make sure to line it up very closely with the marks. Otherwise the wheel alignment will be off, which wears tires, and may cause the TM to "dog track" down the road. And finally, make sure that the lift tubes are aligned exactly with the frame member that they sit on, and not hanging out even a little bit to one side. As the suspension flexes, the clearances are quite close, and some of our members have found that the pivot arm on the axle bangs into the lift tube if the lift tube hangs off the side at all.

Good luck - and please post your experience.

Bill

**ShrimpBurrito** · 06-04-2009, 11:33 AM

Good point, Bill. And not only might the axle be welded, but it is my understanding that the factory installed lift kits on later model years. It looks like he has a later model, but I don't know what model years that change was made. I forgot about that.

On my TM at least, there is no space for adjustment of the axle. The bolts go though the holes on the axle bracket and the frame bracket with literally no extra room to move around. Perhaps manufacturing changed at some point where there is some wiggle room. I actually wanted to move my axle slightly on one side to correct its misplacement, but wasn't able to do so without doing some welding.

Dave

06-04-2009, 01:26 PM

Our '08 is lifted, which has become factory standard as I understand it. Don't know if you can add an additional lift. Check with your dealer...mine said 'no'.

06-04-2009, 08:38 PM

Following your comments I checked under my trailer and took a picture and found that my 2007 2720SL already has a 2.5 inch lift that is tack welded top and bottom so I guess that changes the picture and maybe I have to live with what I have unless going to a higher lift would make any sense. Thanks for the other advice on that it may already have the lift and being welded.

**ShrimpBurrito** · 06-04-2009, 09:02 PM

If your home driveway is the primary problem, you can simply lay down some lumber or a piece of plywood reinforced with some 2x's across the dip.

Is your TM parallel with the road when hitched to your TV?

Dave

06-06-2009, 07:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barry C Anderson

I checked under my trailer and took a picture and found that my 2007 2720SL already has a 2.5 inch lift that is tack welded top and bottom

???..... Now I Find This Strange.... I Have A 2008 2720, Ask The Dealer About The Lift He Said Yes, All The New Tm's Have Them Factory Installed. Took His Word For It (yeah yeah i know). Never Bothered To Even Look Until Now. Going Out Of My Driveway I Just BARELY Make It I Have To Creep Out And I Won't Scrape. Figured Maybe I Could Swap A 2.5" Lift For A 5" Lift. Crawl Under My Tm And What Do I Find.......

Hmmm.... Looks Like I'm Liftless...... Or Am I Missing Something???

Tm Is A 2008 2720 Built In September 2007

Guess I Need To Call The Factory And Order A Lift Before I Go To My 15" Tires