How Much Does It Cost to Flip Trailer Axles

mark2011 Member

Messages:

78

Likes Received:

0

Joined:

Jul 19, 2011

So I've been reading about axle flipping.
Is it necessary?
Is it more for off-road camping?
Why would you do it?

Yellowkayak Popups.....when sleeping on the ground gets to you

Messages:

2,198

Likes Received:

10

Joined:

Mar 13, 2007

I can only give you the reason why we did it.
1) give us clearance for tanks and plumbing
2) give use clearance for stabilizers (I ripped one off on a 4 inch tall mound of dirt)
3) give us clearance from htting a curb when backing up (almost tore off plunbing)
4) give us 5 - 6 inches more clearance so we can go on laoggin trails, and semi-off road conditions

Thats it, and worth every penny. Less worrying I have to do about ripping things off the bottom of the pup, and allows me more access to boondocking sites.

CONS - Have to ahul along 4X4 inch pieces of lumber to put under the stabilisers at times, and I had to build a wooden step to reach the metal steps on the pup.

JJ
TX_F2 New Member

Messages:

1,041

Likes Received:

7

Joined:

Mar 30, 2008

Location:

Texas

Does flipping the axle change the way the pup handles when being towed ?
I ask because it seems like an awful lot of "pros" and wonder why the manufacturers would not make it like that from the factory ? It's not like it would cost them anything to give the customer added clearance so there must be a reason.

mdigby New Member

Messages:

279

Likes Received:

3

Joined:

Sep 9, 2007

Sure there are many reasons.
Cons

Higher profile = reduced fuel economy
higher profile makes camper appear bigger when closed Some people buy popups because they don't want to tow "a big camper."

"taller camper" blocks more of the rear vision (at least for some vehicles)

Stabilizer jacks need to reach further to get to ground

tongue jack needs to crank down more to reach ground

need step to reach camper entrance (YMMV- my Coleman has a stepper door, and I didn't need another step)

The TRUTH is that it is a trade-off. It has some advantages, but there are also disadvantages. Examine both and then decide what is best for you.
Yellowkayak Popups.....when sleeping on the ground gets to you

Messages:

2,198

Likes Received:

10

Joined:

Mar 13, 2007

Mine actually tows better than factory set up. The cons are minor compared to the pros in my opinion. As far as gas mileage...mine DID NOT change, until I added a topper on my truck, now I get 2 MPG better towing the camper, because the air flow goes over the entire rig smoothly now instead of over the cab of the truck and coming down hitting the tailgate and the front of the pup.

The only reason I could see doing it is for ground clearance. If you need more ground clearance then it would work great for you. If not then I would leave it stock.
Some manufactures do have axles under the leaf for more clearance, it just depends what the trailer is set up for. Here in Vegas a lot of people take their toy haulers to the dunes so flipped axles is a pretty common thing.

I don't need to have anymore ground clearance so my torsion axle is staying right where it is
TIDE-HSV New Member

Messages:

34

Likes Received:

0

Joined:

Jul 16, 2011

One pro which I haven't heard is, that as I get older, it gets harder and harder to do anything meaningful under the trailer, even jacked up. Mine is an 89 Coleman Williamsburg. Before that, I had a Palomino and then, for an interval, a travel trailer (wife didn't like it). The Palomino had been something like a late '70s model. When I picked up the Coleman, I was astounded at the lower profile, but then I started picking up on the cons. The Palomino's sides had actually been high enough that, when you sat at the dinette, you could actually lean back against the side - not so with the Coleman. Also, the undergear on the Coleman tended to catch on very small obstructions, if you could call them that. Then there was the problem mentioned first, of actually doing anything under the trailer. At this point the low profile tires have become hard to find, so I'm flipping and upgrading the axle and moving up to tires with a larger diameter...
JBousselot Member

Messages:

216

Likes Received:

11

Joined:

Apr 2, 2011

I wanted to put better tires on my PUP, and I read others here who went with Carslile radials for higher load rating and better freeway safety. I needed to flip the axle to give me tire clearance in the frame. Apparently among the coleman models, the construction of the frame is not consistent, and the stock tires were running pretty close tolerances in load capacity as well as frame clearance.
The cons for me are minimal. I had to flip the draw bar over on my TV. The tongue jack is just barely long enough to make the pup level. The leveling feet will now need blocks if the ground is even slightly sloped. I made a wood box to use as a first step to the step door because it is now 15" high and my little kids appreciate it. My TV is seven feet tall, so even after the flip I can still see over the pup.

It was worth it.
joet Well-Known Member

I think that mines tows better also. I
The flip did not change fuel mileage, and I can still see over the rear. sure I had to add a two step unit. My scissors jacks extend 30 inches so the height did not make any difference there
I know this thread has long since been dead, but...
By chance, do you know of any shops in Vegas that would flip an axle, or is it just easier to do on your own?
mavirg New Member

Messages:

11

Likes Received:

2

Joined:

Feb 26, 2017

If you have the right tools and jacks it's pretty much straight forward. Are you flipping the axle to put larger wheels and tires on.I was thinking about doing this but it will increase the height about 6 in.then you got to think about stabilizer bars.Good luck.
Arruba Well-Known Member Gold Supporting Member

As mentioned if you are moderately handy and have tools it's straight forward. The decision point is the axle itself. Some have their camber established by curving the tube. If your axle looks slightly curved or "humped" in the middle then you have a cambered axle. These axles require new spring perches be welded to the top of the axle to accept the springs and keep the proper camber.
The good news if you are unequipped, the perches are readily available. Any reputable fab shop or trailer shop should be able to do the work for a fair bit less than a new axle.

Good Luck.
I must also mention that the axle "flip" that is being suggested is commonly confused with a SPOA, or spring-over-axle conversion. There is a big difference. The SPOA is more likely what people are thinking about. It places the axle on top of the springs for extra ground clearance and does not change the bend in the axle. Actually flipping an axle changes the camber of wheel alignment and can ruin bearings and tires in a hurry with additional weight and loads placed on them. A SPOA does not do this, but merely changes the physical location and mounting point of the axle. Its a safer way of gaining lift. Besides, flipping a straight axle doesn't provide lift. It would need to be a drop-axle in order to any lift.

Jwwiff and Woo like this.
f5moab Retired from the Federal Government

I have a "spring over axle," and as the name implies, the spring is taken from below the axle to over the axle to lift the trailer up higher. I agree if the axle has a bend you should not flip it or you will set off the camber.
My axle has a bend so as the photo shows, a new set of spring mounting brackets were added 180 off from the original lower set.

However, if you have a straight axle and flip it so that the springs now mount on the top vs. the bottom of the axle, you will add life to the trailer box.
is this switch easy enough for a girl to do?
Depends. Air tools help. I used hand tools and wound up having to cut off the old u bolts because of the rust.
theseus Living the Darkside... Silver Supporting Member

Soak the bolts and nuts with PB Blaster and let it sit. I did and was able to get my ubolts off. The hardest part is raising the camper high enough to do the job...
I thought about pb blaster, but considering that the u bolts can't be reused it was faster to cut them off. Definitely need to get creative with a jack!
CampStewart Member

Messages:

63

Likes Received:

36

Joined:

Nov 3, 2017

If you have the desire to do it and the time and access to the necessary tools and jack stands than it is pretty easy and doesn't require much muscle. First of all I would ask why you are considering it and have you thought about if the stabilizer jacks, tongue jack, and steps will be affected?
Then as for tools you will need two jackstands, some kind of jack, cribbing for the tongue jack, a set of wrenches, and a socket set.

I would consider it a great beginner project.