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Hank Outdoors

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I am looking into building a trailer for my RTT and I am looking for advice on what those of you who have built trailers used for an axle. Did you go with a trailer axle from a Tractor Supply type store? Did you have to narrow the axle? How big of a weight rating did you go for the axle?

Thanks in advance,
Sean Hank Haney
 

Art

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Depending on how much weight and size of the trailer will decide on how much load it'll need to handle. Most 4x6 tend to go with a 3500lb axle that are just simple and sized to the trailer width. There are other options like timbren axles which give you more clearance but usually cost a lot more.
 
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ohiowrangler

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I went with the dexter 3500# axle with electric brakes, no E brake, with the bolt pattern matched to my jeep. First reason was to be able to control the 35" tires and the brakes so it wasn't pushing me down a hill. I haven't regretted not having an E brake, yet. Probably will later, Ron
 

Caddis

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Im using the Dexter 3500# axle without brakes. I also got it with the same bolt pattern as my Tacoma 6x5.5. Dexter is a well known manufacture. Remember, you have your load on the axles, so you might not want to find the cheapest. Timbrens are nice to upgrade to.
 
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Bala Sakthivel

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Also when i built mine, i ordered extra spring perches and welded in. so that i can go spring over or under easily when needed / to try out different setup. usually these axles can't be flipped to go other way.
 

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Order the axle to your specs (width, bolt pattern, brakes, suspension, etc.). If you are thinking you might go over some pretty rugged terrain, you might want to consider a 5k axle with 3,5oo springs. It will give you the same ride as a 3,500 but a little more beef on the axle.
 

Caddis

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The nice thing about bumping to the 5200# axle, it'll come with brakes. I flipped my axle on my trailer. It'll add about 6" of lift.20180315_173212.jpg
 
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Road

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Anyone using a torsion axle?
@Hank Outdoors

I have a torsion axle on my XV-2 and am very pleased with it. Didn't build the trailer myself, though did play with a couple 1/4 ton military trailers before going this route and did some extensive research on axle ratings and axle types. It's what holds everything up, so I wanted to get it right. I kind of get compulsive about researching and learning shit like this.

I'll be honest and say I think a lot of people building up 1/4 ton military trailers like I have, or Harbor Freight frames, or starting from scratch building their own put too heavy of an axle underneath. Sounds good, sounds more beefy and rugged for off-road, so we think yeah, that's what I need!

Too heavy an axle, and too stiff of a suspension for the typical camping load almost 100% of us carry, and you'll end up with a trailer that will transfer road shock, act stiff, won't absorb bumps, and will bounce hard along trail or highway even when fully loaded. It'll jerk you around in the tow vehicle. That stiffness transfers to your cargo when loaded and creates worse behavior when empty or lightly loaded. I've talked with more than one guy who started with a heavy duty 4200# or 4500# rated axle and springs under a light trailer who later swapped down in rating or swapped down in rating and changed axle type.

I want a trailer I can load to the max with camping, photography, and off-grid gear--which is actually all light stuff compared to most trailer loads--but that I can load up with things like building materials and landscape timbers as well, when needed.

I pestered Schutt Industries--the Wisconsin-based manufacturer of over 55,000 military trailers for governments around the world and industry standard commercial trailers--for info on axle ratings they use under their XVenture off-road trailers. Schutt is the most experienced trailer builder I know. I mean I pestered them, convinced I needed a 4200# rated Dexter axle. After long conversations with them and others, posting on ExPo for advice from builders, crawling around under trailers at cargo trailer places and any homemade trailer I could find, I realized I had stars in my eyes and that I should go with a torsion axle rated for 2300#.

My XV-2 is 1200# empty and is rated with this axle to carry 2375 lbs, for a gross vehicle weight of 3575#. I've included an image below of the load I had on last long trip.

After hauling my trailer around the country for more than 10,000 miles through all kinds of terrain and on all kinds of road, from dirt to gravel to macadam, with a full load of camping and photography gear, I'm super pleased with its performance and its torsion axle rated for 2300#. The way it handles road shock on the highway and bumps and rocks and uneven terrain when back country is terrific. I hardly know it's there. The thing I notice most is how my trailer stays level when hitting a dip, bump, or obstacle on one side or the other. That wheel and its end of the torsion axle absorbs the difference, but my trailer stays more level and my cargo is less affected than it would be with a straight axle.

I have no hop or stiffness when under-loaded, and no struggle or extra bounce from being over-loaded and bottoming out--for lack of a better term--the torsion ends of the axle. Oh, I've had the trailer airborne a couple times from going over desert trails too fast and coming up and over an obstacle unexpectedly, but she calms right back down into rolling smooth and tracking straight. It really is something to see.

Here's an interesting and informative short vid on how torsion axles work:


You can see how the wheel moves and would absorb road shock while the axle stays calm.

Here's an interesting thread at ExPo on Dexter Torsion Axle or Timbren Axle-less with a very illuminating post #16 by Schutt Industries. In his post he says:

The trick to get this design to perform optimally for civilian use is to ensure you are at least at 75% of the axils (sic) capacity.

What we see more times than not in the civilian market is that users rarely load more than 1200lbs of cargo into their trailer. Tents, Awning, Fridges, ATV's (if you have an XVENTURE), Photographic Equipment, Food, Cooking Gear, etc., are all fairly light. 1000lbs of cargo is quite a lot of stuff.

The trailer itself is usually around 800-1200lbs empty, which brings the total GVW to 1800-2200 LBS fully packed. So even with a 3200lb axil the total payload is barely over 50% of the axil rating.
He follows up on axle types best for camping type trailers in post #18.

Hope this helps in choosing an axle type and rating for your trailer, @Hank Outdoors - let us all know what you end up doing and how it works out, so others can learn from it here and so OB can become a good repository for well-researched solutions for off-road trailers.

Dry roads and open skies, buddy, looking forward to what you put together!

Road

xv2-gear-aerial_2223-700.jpg

All of the cargo above, with the exception of the bike, went in or on the trailer.

roaddude_bbnp-0035.jpg
 
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Hank Outdoors

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Robertson County, Tennessee, United States
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Sean Hank
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Haney
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@Hank Outdoors

I have a torsion axle on my XV-2 and am very pleased with it. Didn't build the trailer myself, though did play with a couple 1/4 ton military trailers before going this route and did some extensive research on axle ratings and axle types. It's what holds everything up, so I wanted to get it right. I kind of get compulsive about researching and learning shit like this.

I'll be honest and say I think a lot of people building up 1/4 ton military trailers like I have, or Harbor Freight frames, or starting from scratch building their own put too heavy of an axle underneath. Sounds good, sounds more beefy and rugged for off-road, so we think yeah, that's what I need!

Too heavy an axle, and too stiff of a suspension for the typical camping load almost 100% of us carry, and you'll end up with a trailer that will transfer road shock, act stiff, won't absorb bumps, and will bounce hard along trail or highway even when fully loaded. It'll jerk you around in the tow vehicle. That stiffness transfers to your cargo when loaded and creates worse behavior when empty or lightly loaded. I've talked with more than one guy who started with a heavy duty 4200# or 4500# rated axle and springs under a light trailer who later swapped down in rating or swapped down in rating and changed axle type.

I want a trailer I can load to the max with camping, photography, and off-grid gear--which is actually all light stuff compared to most trailer loads--but that I can load up with things like building materials and landscape timbers as well, when needed.

I pestered Schutt Industries--the Wisconsin-based manufacturer of over 55,000 military trailers for governments around the world and industry standard commercial trailers--for info on axle ratings they use under their XVenture off-road trailers. Schutt is the most experienced trailer builder I know. I mean I pestered them, convinced I needed a 4200# rated Dexter axle. After long conversations with them and others, posting on ExPo for advice from builders, crawling around under trailers at cargo trailer places and any homemade trailer I could find, I realized I had stars in my eyes and that I should go with a torsion axle rated for 2300#.

My XV-2 is 1200# empty and is rated, with this axle, to carry 2375 lbs, for a gross vehicle weight of 3275#. I've included an image below of the load I had on last long trip.

After hauling my trailer around the country for more than 10,000 miles through all kinds of terrain and on all kinds of road, from dirt to gravel to macadam, with a full load of camping and photography gear, I'm super pleased with its performance and its torsion axle rated for 2300#. The way it handles road shock on the highway and bumps and rocks and uneven terrain when back country is terrific. I hardly know it's there. The thing I notice most is how my trailer stays level when hitting a dip, bump, or obstacle on one side or the other. That wheel and its end of the torsion axle absorbs the difference, but my trailer stays more level and my cargo is less affected than it would be with a straight axle.

I have no hop or stiffness when under-loaded, and no struggle or extra bounce from being over-loaded and bottoming out--for lack of a better term--the torsion ends of the axle. Oh, I've had the trailer airborne a couple times from going over desert trails too fast and coming up and over an obstacle unexpectedly, but she calms right back down into rolling smooth and tracking straight. It really is something to see.

Here's an interesting and informative short vid on how torsion axles work:


You can see how the wheel moves and would absorb road shock while the axle stays calm.

Here's an interesting thread at ExPo on Dexter Torsion Axle or Timbren Axle-less with a very illuminating post #16 by Schutt Industries. In his post he says:

The trick to get this design to perform optimally for civilian use is to ensure you are at least at 75% of the axils (sic) capacity.

What we see more times than not in the civilian market is that users rarely load more than 1200lbs of cargo into their trailer. Tents, Awning, Fridges, ATV's (if you have an XVENTURE), Photographic Equipment, Food, Cooking Gear, etc., are all fairly light. 1000lbs of cargo is quite a lot of stuff.

The trailer itself is usually around 800-1200lbs empty, which brings the total GVW to 1800-2200 LBS fully packed. So even with a 3200lb axil the total payload is barely over 50% of the axil rating.
He follows up on axle types best for camping type trailers in post #18.

Hope this helps in choosing an axle type and rating for your trailer, @Hank Outdoors - let us all know what you end up doing and how it works out, so others can learn from it here and so OB can become a good repository for well-researched solutions for off-road trailers.

Dry roads and open skies, buddy, looking forward to what you put together!

Road

View attachment 51725

All of the cargo above, with the exception of the bike, went in or on the trailer.

View attachment 51726
Thanks for the great info! I have a trailer now that I use for hauling my fishing kayak that I want to put my RTT on top of. It has torsion axle rated for hauling a jet ski. I may get adapters and try the larger tires on it as it is because it tows great!

Yak Trailer.jpg
 
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Caddis

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I contemplated torsion axles. They are an upgrade for sure. Who knows, it's still an option for later on. The one reason I chose the leaf spring is due to the fact, it's easy to fix if something breaks in the outdoors. As for torsion you're looking at replacing the axle. Though, I have heard that they are making replacements for torsions. I do like that torsions are, for the most part maintenance free. Cost did play a factor in my decision also.
 
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Road

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Thanks for the great info! I have a trailer now that I use for hauling my fishing kayak that I want to put my RTT on top of. It has torsion axle rated for hauling a jet ski. I may get adapters and try the larger tires on it as it is because it tows great!

View attachment 51738
Interesting trailer, Hank. Find out what the rating is on that torsion axle. Hopefully it is enough to handle larger wheels and more load. You may be able to swap out the hubs, too, instead of just adapters, though I'm not sure.

If you can get the wheels you want on that trailer, and it's not too long because of the tongue for the kayak, I'd play with convertible designs to change it from kayak hauling to cargo hauling for camping, with removable bolt-on panels at each end and bolt-on sides that conform to the bend in your uprights. RTT on top, and it'd be a pretty nifty little off-road trailer. Tho, like I said, the tongue may be way too long for off-road use. The frame may not be sufficient, either, to hold a typical camping load, if it's meant for light kayaks.

If building a whole new trailer from scratch, frame and all, you can get a torsion axle with brakes for around $712, looks like. Still probably too heavy, though, and I'd look for a 2300# or similar. That's me, though; you'll have to best judge your own situation.

Also, you may be interested in the thread I started about kayaks: Kayaks - Inflatable, Rigid, Folding ... whaddya have and how do you like it? I'll be interested in your input and opinion.
 

Road

Not into ranks, titles or points.
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On the road in North America
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Road
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Dude
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I contemplated torsion axles. They are an upgrade for sure. Who knows, it's still an option for later on. The one reason I chose the leaf spring is due to the fact, it's easy to fix if something breaks in the outdoors. As for torsion you're looking at replacing the axle. Though, I have heard that they are making replacements for torsions. I do like that torsions are, for the most part maintenance free. Cost did play a factor in my decision also.
Absolutely. Definitely easier to fix and find replacement parts for in most cases. Though a whole new axle is not cost-prohibitive (see link in previous post), it would be more than a typical straight axle repair.

I actually contemplated getting a heavier rated torsion axle and keeping both. Something that would handle two tons instead of one, and swapping them out when needed depending on purpose. It wouldn't be often, probably less than once a year and isn't hard to do on the XV-2, but have the 2300 for camping and off-roading, and the 4200 for off-grid home building and hauling heavy loads of gravel, sheet goods, and timbers, etc. It's one thing I love about my XV-2, it's versatility in cargo types.

I don't think I'm going to need it, though, the extra axle, and will spend those pesos on solar panels or something else.
 
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