BigSkyFamily wrote:
I bought a new '13 260BHS this spring and like it so far. No major issues in about 2,000 miles of towing. After I bought it I read about the axle problems. My trailer has 3,500 pound axles under with a loaded GVW of 7,540 pounds. Subtract 10% tongue weight and it's under the axle weight rating by a couple hundred pounds. I view this as too damn close to the limit to have a good safety margin.
My trailer is at the dealer right now to see if they can get the manufacturer to send us the larger axles for it.
The service guy said that the 2012 models with the white front were a nightmare and they had a lot of them with bent axles. He said they have had zero problems with the 2013 and up trailers with the grey colored front.
My tires are wearing evenly, and I'm sure that the manufacturer is going to tell me to get lost. But it is worth a try.
I like our Shadow Cruiser so far, but it just "feels" cheaply constructed.
The slide out motors seem like they work awefully hard to get the slide in and out. The electric awning motors also seem like they barely have enough power to get the job done.
We bought a 5 year extended warranty so we'll keep it long enough for the warranty to run it's course. After that I think we'll trade it in. Bottom line is I don't think I'll buy another Cruiser product.
I'm curious if you have actually weighed it ? If so, how many pounds on the axles ? If I read that right, you really are loaded to 7540 pounds.
The reason I ask is, I looked at the specs for your trailer. They show a dry weight of 4855. If you are typical of many folks, that means it likely weighs approx 6000 pounds ready to go camp. A 13% tongue would leave about 5220 on the axles, which is about 75% of the axle capacity. Sounds like a reasonable reserve to me, and since you are getting even tire wear, that indicates normal operation.
Manufacturers typically state a gross vehicle weight rating ( GVWR ) on trailers as a max number based largely on the axle assemblies ( axle, tire and brakes ) can carry. For instance, my gooseneck equipment trailer has 7K axles, so it is "rated" for 14,500 gross.
