Tires Rubbing

[Viprjoe]

It’s about $900 to your door in two weeks.

 

[Viprjoe]

You can just replace that spacer. The original is too thin.

 

[Kkr-JAY]

Thanks. I'm really new to this, so I don't really know what to look for. Do you have a link by chance? Sorry, I am not a mechanic and learning as fast as I can about Trailmanors. Seems I got to deal with something major the first month of ownership.

 

[Viprjoe]

Get a flashlight and crawl under it. Jack it up by the stabilizers if you need to. Some will say don’t do it but these shorter models are not as heavy. In between the axle and the frame is a piece of square tubing. It will have two bolts going thru it and welded on the end. More than likely that square tubing is starting to crush. I think it’s 2-1/4 inch. Replace it with 2-1/2 heavy wall tubing.

 

[Viprjoe]

As far as not being a mechanic your going to get a crash course owning a rv.

 

[Kkr-JAY]

Thanks, yes indeed! Did you order the axle from trailmanor directly or do you have a recommendation on where to order? The square part doesn't look crushed to me. I think the angle has just decreased due to axle being worn. I think the previous owners had quite a bit of equipment in the trailer, plus solar panels. They probably overloaded the axle, so that now, even dry weight is too much for the axle to keep the proper angle (and lift), hence, tire rubbing at the top of the wheel well when the trailer bounces. Just standing in the year, the distance between to of the tire and the wheel well is less than 1/2". I can even see wear on the wheel wells, both outside and inside the trailer (took drawers out to look). So this needs to be fixed before we venture out on our first trip!

 

[Viprjoe]

I pm you

 

[Bill]

Here in the Forum's TM Technical Library, Bill Miller posted a really good article (with photos) on replacing and upsizing the Lift Kit 's square tubes. Although it won't help with a faulty axle, perhaps it would help with gaining some clearance. As others have pointed out, if you replace the axle, you should get one with a higher initial angle, and be done with the issue.

Retrofitting the lift kit - in words and pictures

This turned out to be fairly easy but I encountered a few hiccups along the way. So, in the spirit of helping out the next guy, here is how it went. I wanted to do the job in the garage so that I could do it over a span of days and leave things half-done (I wasn't comfortable leaving it that...

www.trailmanorowners.com

 

[Kkr-JAY]

Thanks Bill! I'm talking to Lippert right now. So far, I've only got a quote for replacing the current axle as it was. It says 22 degrees down angle. Is "down" correct? Maybe I'm thinking of this backwards. Next step is the extra angle, as well as a 5000lb axle. Can anyone check their 2021 (or newer) 2518KB trailer for the axle label and send me a picture, please? It would be really helpful talking to Lippert to get the right configuration for the 5000 lb axle that is currently used by Trailmanor. It sounds like there was a switch from 3500lb to 5000lb axles, but it appears it's unclear when the change happened. I do want to try and change to the 5000lb if I can. One thing I'm thinking about is whether having a bigger angle would mean that the axle has to be moved slightly back (or forth) to stay centered in the wheel well? I'm just too mechanically challenged to figure this one out .

 

[Kkr-JAY]

There is already a lift kit - at least that's what my untrained eye says. I've attached some pictures of what I'm seeing. It is the same on both sides.

 

[Bill]

The Lippert web site has a lot of good info on torsion axles, including the meaning of Up vs Down angle. I googled "lippert torsion axle angle" and found a lot. At first glance, at least, it appears that they still make a 3500 pound axle, but the 5000 pound axle is now rated 6000 or 7000 pounds. I would be awful careful of this because the rating reflects not only weight-carrying capacity, but also the spring stiffness. If the axle is too stiff, the rock-hard suspension will shake a 3000-pound TM to death.

Your best bet would be to load your TM up with everything you would take camping, including EVERYTHING, and then get it weighed. No matter where you are, there is a CAT scale within reach. For about $10-12 it is an easy drive-on-drive-off experience. The attendant will tell you what to do.

 

[Kkr-JAY]

Thanks Bill. Yes, I did take it to a CAT scale already when I brought it home. It did have a tiny bit of water in the fresh water tank and a bit of gray water, plus the gas tanks were full. It weighed about 2800 - 2900 lb (not exactly sure if my helper accidentally got weighed with the trailer ), which is close to what the sticker from TM says (2780lb as manufactured). I think I would probably end up somewhere around 3500 lb with our camping stuff. So literally at the weight rating of the axle. Though from reading a load of posts here, it sounds like the tire and axle weight doesn't count toward the axle rating? Given that the original 3500 lb axle died after just 3 years of use (sold 2021, not used in 2025, I'm the second owner), I am hesitant to just replace the original axle.

 

[Kkr-JAY]

I can weigh our usual camping stuff and add it up. I don't feel comfortable taking it to the scale loaded right now due to the tire rub situation.

 

[Kkr-JAY]

Sorry for the many questions! One more - you say 5000lb axle will be too stiff. I think I saw someone mention that TM puts 5000lb axles on the 2518's now. Maybe I misread.

 

[Kkr-JAY]

Here are the specifications for the newly quoted 3500 lb axle as is. I can tell that the label on my current axle matches these specifications exactly. Clearly, the "lift bracket" that is currently on the axle is original, because the quoted axle would otherwise not have enough clearance. This is just how it was originally manufactured per TM's order to Lippert and TM must have added the lift bracket. So, if I were to ask them to increase the angle (i.e. more than 22 degrees down angle), I wonder how much to increase and if this would cause the wheel hubs (and hence the tires) to be in a slightly different (i.e. not centered) position.

 

[Viprjoe]

If that trailer is only three years old that axle is still under warranty.

 

[Kkr-JAY]

I'm not the original owner, though. Would it still have warranty?

 

[Viprjoe]

I just looked at your pictures and there is definitely something not right. I would contact Trailmanor and request the serial number for your axle that way lippert can give you the factory specs. Either your axle has failed and someone put the super tall spacers in it or it was done at the factory to compensate for an axle with insufficient angle. It’s hard to believe an axle failed this quick and equally hard to believe the factory did this. The original spacers were 2-1/4 I think.

 

[Kkr-JAY]

Hi Viprjoe, thanks - I did give the SN to Lippert, that's how I got the quote. Everything matches up. The series of letters and numbers on the axle are actual dimensions, etc. Matches what's on the trailer now. My next step is calling TM with the VIN of the camper to find out if maybe the axle is original to the trailer. I can't imagine in such a short time that it isn't the original. But who knows.

 

[Viprjoe]

You will still have to have to have spacers if you go back with original setup.