We just got back from the RV show in PA and I have a couple questions I hope you folks can answer.Is a torsion suspension any better than a leaf spring type for a TT? Of all the TTs we saw only two manufactures used torsion suspensions. I did notice that the torsion suspension carried a 10 year warranty vs a 5 year on most of the leaf spring.Is one type or manufacture of leaf springs better that another or is there one to avoid?I also noticed that some TTs had larger spacing between the wheels. Some people (not sales people) told us the further apart the better. Is that true? I would think that further apartmight add stability but wouldn't it also make turning harder causing more wear on the tires?Lastly I'm not sure that this is the correct forum for my questions. Thanks

We bought a double axle trailer with leaf springs and an equalizer between the wheels. The equalizer allows the tire to still stay in contact with the surface when one wheel falls into a dip. The equalizer lifts the other wheel by the same distance as the deflection. So, the load on each tire stays about the same. The contact patch for each tire stays about the same. That seems safer.Last month, we towed the trailer on a four mile "shortcut" back to the campground that was a road where the pavement disappeared and they quit grading it five years ago. The "beast", as we call our half ton Silverado towed the trailer well. I could tell that the trailer was staying where I put it and it didn't move left or right. Everything was in good shape when we got back to the campground.I have a hunch that the rubber inserts in torsion axles would degrade after a long period of such harsh treatment. I suspect that there would be slop and backlash in the handling since the suspension is based on rubber that is always preloaded.

Torsion suspension is usually found on lighter weight trailers, Airstream being the exception. They’re also usually lower to the ground. Leaf springs are actually an antiquated design, cheap to produce in numbers, and can be used on heavier rigs as they have been for years. They do make torsion suspension for heavy rigs, but I don’t know of any RV’s that use them. Our first TT was a Jayco with torsion suspension. It actually towed very well. To use torsion suspension on larger heavier trailers, Lippert and Dexter would have to redesign the frame mounts which they’re not going to do as it costs money and they can’t justify the expense as leaf springs do the job now.

BeerBrewer wrote:Is a torsion suspension any better than a leaf spring type for a TT? Usually better quality, but performance is different.Is one type or manufacture of leaf springs better that another or is there one to avoid?All are cheap marginal parts.I also noticed that some TTs had larger spacing between the wheels. Some people (not sales people) told us the further apart the better. Is that true? NO! I would think that further apart might add stability but wouldn't it also make turning harder causing more wear on the tires?YES! And harder on springs and related parts.

Some things are still around simply because they do the job at a certain price point. That's why you still see leaf springs on new trucks: they do the job and don't cost a fortune. Being antiquated doesn't mean they don't work well.

Whether torsion or leaf is better is a matter of opinion. The torsion is a more independently articulating suspension. Is that better on a trailer? Is it worth the extra money? You have to decide that for yourself.YouTube has videos from Dexter explaining how the torsion is built and why they believe it is better. Keep in mind, anything can be made to look better for sales.My opinion is, I want leaf springs. Tried and true, easy to repair or replace, and easy to understand.Regarding spacing of axles, greater spacing helps balance the load across the axles, which basically means it is more forgiving of how the trailer is loaded, and possibly less apt to sway if loading is less than ideal. The downside as you surmised is added scrubing of tires in a turn, added side load on axle hangers. Like most things, it is a compromise.

TT suspension questions? | Good Sam Community

13 Replies

Lynnmor
Explorer II
Sep 18, 2018
BeerBrewer wrote:

Is a torsion suspension any better than a leaf spring type for a TT?

Usually better quality, but performance is different.

Is one type or manufacture of leaf springs better that another or is there one to avoid?

All are cheap marginal parts.

I also noticed that some TTs had larger spacing between the wheels. Some people (not sales people) told us the further apart the better. Is that true?

NO!

I would think that further apart might add stability but wouldn't it also make turning harder causing more wear on the tires?

YES! And harder on springs and related parts.
amxpress
Explorer
Sep 18, 2018
Torsion suspension is usually found on lighter weight trailers, Airstream being the exception. They’re also usually lower to the ground. Leaf springs are actually an antiquated design, cheap to produce in numbers, and can be used on heavier rigs as they have been for years. They do make torsion suspension for heavy rigs, but I don’t know of any RV’s that use them.
Our first TT was a Jayco with torsion suspension. It actually towed very well. To use torsion suspension on larger heavier trailers, Lippert and Dexter would have to redesign the frame mounts which they’re not going to do as it costs money and they can’t justify the expense as leaf springs do the job now.
Brassica
Explorer III
Sep 18, 2018
We bought a double axle trailer with leaf springs and an equalizer between the wheels. The equalizer allows the tire to still stay in contact with the surface when one wheel falls into a dip. The equalizer lifts the other wheel by the same distance as the deflection. So, the load on each tire stays about the same. The contact patch for each tire stays about the same. That seems safer.

Last month, we towed the trailer on a four mile "shortcut" back to the campground that was a road where the pavement disappeared and they quit grading it five years ago. The "beast", as we call our half ton Silverado towed the trailer well. I could tell that the trailer was staying where I put it and it didn't move left or right. Everything was in good shape when we got back to the campground.

I have a hunch that the rubber inserts in torsion axles would degrade after a long period of such harsh treatment. I suspect that there would be slop and backlash in the handling since the suspension is based on rubber that is always preloaded.

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TT suspension questions?

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