Thread: more height- raising your trailer

Good work! I wish it was as easy to lift my pop-top.

I wonder if it might work for you Graeme. The pop top might have a higher centre of gravity but bet the axel is above your springs as well. It really comes back to where we tow them of course. Wonnangatta and Victorian Alps is my preferd play ground. Ground clearance is need front and back.

Sounds like a great job done well. I have done my own research on this issue and have found a great camper with independant suspension on air bags. So if you want more height you just pump up the air bags. The independant suspension also helps with rock filled creek crossings as sometimes a bar axle can get caught up after you get the diffs of the car through. The down side, they are more expensive and in my case the wife doesn't always understand the logic of spending the extra.

My van has independent suspension with inboard mounts so the wheels would have inappropriate positive camber. I might in future duplicate the chassis and mount a trailing arm setup if its warranted.

The trouble with independent suspension is that when the wheel lifts up to go over a bump there is a corresponding and equal downward movement at the pivot point. A solid axle (cart type) always follows the the wheel movement, therefore increasing axle clearance and not reducing chassis clearance as on independent suspension, i.e. "every action has an equal and opposite reaction", Regards Frank.

Originally Posted by Tank

The trouble with independent suspension is that when the wheel lifts up to go over a bump there is a corresponding and equal downward movement at the pivot point. A solid axle (cart type) always follows the the wheel movement

I don't see your point. The independent pivot is only used to locate the wheel on a horizontal plane so has no impact on vertical movement. Why do you say there will a downward movement when the body will actually be moving upwards if anywhere?

Originally Posted by Graeme

I don't see your point. The independent pivot is only used to locate the wheel on a horizontal plane so has no impact on vertical movement. Why do you say there will a downward movement when the body will actually be moving upwards if anywhere?

The chassis must move down, unless there is no pivot point and the spring is solid, why do you think solid axle 4wd's have better ground clearance off road, you know, equal and opposite reaction, Regards Frank.

I still don't understand your view. In what way does the chassis go down when the wheel goes up? I'm obviously not looking at suspensions the same way that you are so perhaps we should just leave it there.