Bottom damage

downtheroad wrote:
Did you replace your tires and go from maybe 15" to 16"?

Good point. My local tire shop replaced the original 15" factory chinese tires with GY Endurance ST225/75R15. Originals were 205/75R15. I just measured the difference of about 1" bigger diameter on the GY. Spare, on the back bumper, is original.

However, given the amount of "intrusion", especially on the left front, I'm thinking the OEM tires would have done nearly the same thing.

The camper was loaded heavy for the trip, waste tanks empty and water tank with about 255#, which I cut in half before departure. Vietnamese-made wheels rated at 1780#. Axles rated 3500#. GVWR 7600#.

Local Flying J scales: 1080# tongue wt. 6780# on the axles. 7860# gross.

So about 7750# gross after I drained fresh water.

Heavy, but I don't think unreasonable?

Did you replace your tires and go from maybe 15" to 16"?

There is IMHO to little tire clearance. Either it was built with to little clearance, or the tires are larger than the OEM tires, or the springs have lost the arc.

If it was my trailer and fixing it correctly isn't covered under warranty, I'd find a shop that can do an axle flip to get proper clearance.

Sounds like the TT got a good workout! :) Unfortunately, TT manufacturers typically use the lowest rated and least substantial components possible. 5K miles on a TT is nothing...

I would suggest RV scrim tape there. It's a lot thicker than gorilla tape and should be tougher for a location like that. Wash the darco fabric with soap and water then use alcohol to get it good and clean so the tape adheres well.

Tires look way too close. Original size tires I assume? The usual cause of this is springs that have flattened out and isn't uncommon. Hard to tell in the photos but one set of springs does look flattened. What is the TT GVWR and what are the axle ratings? There should be a white sticker on each axle that will give you the rating. Have you ever taken the TT through a scale to get it's weights?

Do not use a 2" lift. Need to determine why so little clearance. This is a standard frame, axle, spring and tire setup and nothing unusual.

The damage to the darco fabric looks different from front to rear tire. Is the TT level to slightly nose down when hooked up?

While in there inspecting things:

I would inspect the plastic spring bushings because they can wear out in as little as a couple thousand miles. Check spring hanger holes because they can get ovalized. Perhaps check the axle tubes to see if they still have the correct camber/arch. Check for unusual tire wear as it could be an indication of a bent axle or misalignment. A pair of Dexter EZ-flex equalizers would be a good idea (along with their wet bolts).

*IF* it turns out the axle tubes have lost their camber (not unusual either), you might look at using the optional 3" dia. tube instead of standard 2-3/8". Al-ko has good tech. info. here on what's available. Stronger springs might be a good idea but don't know if they're directly interchangeable.

A set of shock absorbers can help prevent this. We installed them on our TT and help a lot.

I'm not sure of the best way, but obviously more clearance is needed. Gorilla tape would probably work for a while and is already black. I've used Eternabond for similar repairs, and it's still holding after over 10 years. Yeah, it's white, but who's gonna see it? I think I would want something a little more substantial than darco fabric in my fender wells. I've heard of people spraying truck bed liner in there.

Stronger springs with more arch

Reinforcement of my TTs tire areas is at the top of my list. Your experiences are another reason I rarely exceed 55 mph.