Getting ready and found this!
I endlessly prepare to leave on a big trip--and occasionally actually do go. So yesterday I started thinking about checking my suspension and slid under the rear axle--just for a look. I was startled ...
Forum Discussion
It is an Alpenlite Portofino Villa. A very heavy trailer with a very beefy frame. The hangers are from the factory, but around four or five years ago two springs broke on the same side after hitting a terrible pothole on I10 in Sulfur Louisiana. I replaced all four springs and last year put on the Kodak discs (the best thing I've ever done to the trailer). All spring bolts have been replaced with Dexter wet bolts. They are 8000 lbs Dexter axles. The trailer travels right at 16000 lbs. Tows very stable. Apparently on backing up and jack knifing the trailer to get it on somewhere in the last year, too much lateral force bent and then cracked that hanger. It's travelled many many miles in fourteen years and never had this happen, even through broken springs and Dexter electric brakes disintegrating and jamming the axle hubs. It's at the shop now, and we are going to do some serious welding with additional cross members from side to side on the hangers and big angle iron going up the hangers themselves. Then we will put triangle braces from the bottom of the hangers to the new heavy duty cross braces. It took fourteen years for this to happen, but I'm not planning on it happening again.
