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AlexFromCanada's avatar
AlexFromCanada
Explorer
Sep 02, 2016

Help with upgrading to handle offroad

Hello,

I am fairly new to RVing. We recently bought a 2005 Jayco Jay Feather 23b Travel Trailer in pretty good condition, with all factory parts and no upgrades. Weighs 4000 lbs dry, 5000 lbs GVWR and is dbl axel. I was wondering if you guys could help me to upgrade my trailer so that I can handle a lot of non paved roads. I go fishing a lot and live in BC, Canada where there are hundreds of lakes to explore. A lot of the lakes I want to go to have bumpy gravel roads that have a lot of pot holes and sometimes a mud pit or two that isn't very deep. I would obviously stay away from the harsh 4x4 roads. I am concerned that my trailer, over time, will experience a lot of problems due to the constant rattling and impact that these roads have on the RV and would really like to upgrade it to absorb impact, get a decent amount of extra clearance and be able to safely take the trailer at slow speeds over sloped, uneven grounds or even be able to go over small boulders. Also, I'm not looking to increase the weight capacity since I'm towing with an Explorer that has a 5000 lbs limit.

Recently, I watched a guy towing a 28-30' come out of a gas station and he wanted to turn left but there was a 10-12" median preventing that so he just road right over it and his trailer didn't rock, lean, shake or shutter in the slightest. I thought to myself, man something similar to that would be great for the roads I want to drive and the terrain I need to traverse in order to park my trailer at some of these lakes.

Could you guys advise me as to what I need to do to achieve my goals specified above? I'm not wanting to go on a spending spree, just the bare minimum. Thanks so much!

Alex.
  • myredracer's avatar
    myredracer
    Explorer II
    Sep 05, 2016
    AlexFromCanada wrote:
    myredracer wrote:
    If it were me and I didn't know a whole lot about TT frames, I'd take it to a frame & axle shop that is also a BC gov't certified inspection facility. I know a very good one in Langley.


    Thanks Red. Could I get the name of that shop you know out in Langley?


    It's Coast Spring & Axle, 6030 196th street, Langley not to be confused with Pacific Spring & axle also in Langley. They're on the west side of Willowbrook mall. The owner there has been in the biz a long time and really knows his stuff. They're also a gov't. designated inspection facility. Have used them twice and also had them make up some brackets for me.

    There are good frame shops and not good frame shops around. When we first got our current TT from the dealer new, they installed shocks for us. They used a nearby frame shop that totally botched the work and eventually had to be all redone. One of the brackets fell off due to really bad welding. We had Coast Spring & Axle redo the work. Coast has a good certified welder on staff.

    If you want a durable frame and setup, it's all got to be properly done and durable. If you end up choosing someone else, make sure to check lots of references, the BBB, etc.
  • goducks10's avatar
    goducks10
    Explorer
    Sep 05, 2016
    Looks like the 23B comes with 15" tires and Torsion axles. Be hard to lift it higher but possible. The torsion axles will help immensely with rough roads. Problem is the frame is light weight. Not sure how it will hold up to a lot of off road driving.
    I know they make lift kits for torsion axles so you may need to look at what you have and contact Dexter to see if they make a lift kit for yours.
    Of course depending on the condition of the roads you may not even need a lift kit. With the torsion axles you shouldn't have any trouble going down the average gravel road.
    http://library.rvusa.com/brochure/2005_Jayfeather.pdf
  • profdant139's avatar
    profdant139
    Explorer II
    Sep 03, 2016
    Alex, one more thought about off-road trailering in BC -- logging trucks! There are times when you might have to back up, and other times when clearance will be tricky. The trucks have radios -- not exactly sure what channels they monitor, but sometimes the frequency is posted on the logging roads.

    Several folks on the Canada forum (such as Gary Haupt) have a lot of experience with this issue. (I don't.) Maybe come on over to that group and ask a few questions? I will be reading the answers!
  • AlexFromCanada's avatar
    AlexFromCanada
    Explorer
    Sep 03, 2016
    myredracer wrote:
    If it were me and I didn't know a whole lot about TT frames, I'd take it to a frame & axle shop that is also a BC gov't certified inspection facility. I know a very good one in Langley.


    Thanks Red. Could I get the name of that shop you know out in Langley?
  • myredracer's avatar
    myredracer
    Explorer II
    Sep 03, 2016
    If it were me and I didn't know a whole lot about TT frames, I'd take it to a frame & axle shop that is also a BC gov't certified inspection facility. I know a very good one in Langley. A shop could inspect existing welds, any damage and defects and recommend upgrading/strengthening work. I would recommend strengthening of the frame in the area around the spring hangers. If you have the type of Lippert frame that is made from 3 pieces of 1/8" sheet steel and welded together to form an I-beam, those frames are not a good foundation for off-roading. You might go to a dealer that sells Arctic Fox, Nash or Outdoors RV TTs and look at their frames for ideas. They all share the same basic frame that is built in-house and certified for off-road use.

    You'll want shocks, Dexter or Mor/Ryde equalizers and wet bolts. It might be a good idea to replace the axles with higher rated ones as axles can be bent from rough use. LT tires to replace the standard ST type would likely be a good idea. Choose tires that have decent reserve load capacity - min. 15 percent and for off-road use maybe should be a fair bit more than that. Stiffening the spring hangers may help. Mor/Ryde has a kit for tying the spring hangers together from side to side, but you can build your own setup.
  • profdant139's avatar
    profdant139
    Explorer II
    Sep 02, 2016
    Alex, I had my dealer make these changes when we bought our trailer. I am guessing that the major stuff (the axle, the leaf springs, the shocks) was about $1500, but I am not sure. I would shop around to get competing bids.

    A really handy person could do all of these mods him or her self. I am semi-handy but do not have the equipment or the know-how to do the big jobs safely. As you can see from the blog entries in my signature (above), I have made quite a few mods, mostly because we do a lot of remote boondocking. I hope you can make use of some of them.
  • braindead0's avatar
    braindead0
    Explorer
    Sep 02, 2016
    Wet bolts and shocks on the suspension if you don't already have that. Flip the axle and swap out entry step with a longer one if needed. After flipping you can probably go to a slightly wider tire, at the least get tires that have a load rating high enough that you can safely air them down a bit (20 PSI vs. 60 PSI can make a huge difference).

    All of these mods can be done pretty easily if you're handy and have tools, if not a shop should be able to do it. I think an "E-Z Flex Heavy Duty Rubber Suspension System by Dexter Axle - 5-5/8" Equalizers" or something similar will cover the tandem axle equalization AND wet bolts.

    All that being said, people have been hauling trailers off road for a long time. Other than the axle flip, these upgrades will just allow you to do it a bit faster..
  • AlexFromCanada's avatar
    AlexFromCanada
    Explorer
    Sep 02, 2016
    profdant139 wrote:
    We have upgraded our trailer for very gentle offroading...


    Thank you for your reply! Did you do the work yourself or have a professional do it? Do you remember how much this cost to do?

    Also I was looking at Mod #77: Leaf Spring Equalizer. Do you think this is worth it? It apparently absorbs a lot of the shock which I hear can be a source of a lot of headaches, parts and wiring rattling loose over time.
  • profdant139's avatar
    profdant139
    Explorer II
    Sep 02, 2016
    We have upgraded our trailer for very gentle off-roading (actually on road, but they are rocky dirt roads). We flipped the axle for greater clearance, installed upgraded leaf springs, and added heavy shocks with neoprene bushings. We put on 14 inch tires, rather than the original 13 inch. All of the cabinets and doors and drawers have locks.

    And we go very, very slowly -- rarely over 5 mph on really rough roads. The trailer has as much axle clearance as our truck does.

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