1989 Nuwa Hitchhiker II axles

[KSSteve]

I'm stuck in a campground in Hugoton Kansas. I've got a 1989 Nuwa Hitchhiker II 29 foot 5th wheel and one of the tires/wheels/hubs/drum fell off as I was pulling into the campground. The bearings are completely gone and the hub/drum is ruined. I think the problem was that the brakes somehow stuck and it all melted down.

There are no RV stores in Hugoton, but my impression is that these are pretty common axles, and parts might be available locally if I knew what they are. I could not find a tag on them. The only paperwork I could find says 10 inch brakes.

[padredw]

In case KSsteve is not around--hope he is on the road! I can tell you that he has been active on the NuWa forum.

He has shown good form in that he has kept both forums informed with updates about his axle problem and solution.

I am a member of that forum. I had no experience to be of any value to KSsteve, but I followed his posts here and there with interest.

And thank you for a good suggestion. You are exactly right about the helpfulness of the NuWa (HitchKiker) forum. We are a good bunch of folks.

[JIMNLIN]

Great.
For your HH II unit I would join the http://nuwaowners.org/forum/. Great bunch over there and it will help you maintain your HH II unit.

[KSSteve]

Young Welding couldn't get me an off the shelf new one, but could arrange to have one fabbed in a couple days.

Yesterday I found a new axle at an agricultural trailer dealer in Dodge City that was 1/2 inch wider on each side and will fit, but which needed the spring mounts moved, which the dealer easily did. A bunch of people in the campground helped me put it on and wire it up. and even fed us dinner.)

I'll check the bearings on my old axle and be on my way today.

[Rvpapa]

With 10" brakes you are covered with a 5200# axle. The two critical measures are the distance center to center between the spring perches, and the distance from the spring perch to the mounting flange for the brake back plate.
Art.

[KSSteve]

Thanks. I will call.

[Denny___Jami]

KSSteve wrote:
I'd certainly be willing to spend the money to buy two if I can find ones that will fit relatively quickly. The one I took off was easier than I expected since it's below the spring, so it wouldn't be a huge project.

I'm headed to Garden City tomorrow where there's several agricultural trailer dealers. I worry that since the ones on my camper were apparently fabricated by Young Machine in Chanute, KS, that they may be nonstandard in some way. But I'll call and find out.

The axles weren't fabricated by Youngs Welding they were Dexter axles supplied by them when they built the frame my 1987 HtH II had Dexter axles.
Call them and they will send your exact replacements with new brakes.

Denny

[KSSteve]

I'd certainly be willing to spend the money to buy two if I can find ones that will fit relatively quickly. The one I took off was easier than I expected since it's below the spring, so it wouldn't be a huge project.

I'm headed to Garden City tomorrow where there's several agricultural trailer dealers. I worry that since the ones on my camper were apparently fabricated by Young Machine in Chanute, KS, that they may be nonstandard in some way. But I'll call and find out.

[Duck]

TXiceman wrote:
Rather than a temporary repair or questionable quality, I'd find your axle ratings and get two complete new axle assemblies with new brake assemblies, drums and bearings.

Ken

X2
Don

[TXiceman]

Rather than a temporary repair or questionable quality, I'd find your axle ratings and get two complete new axle assemblies with new brake assemblies, drums and bearings.

Ken

[drfife]

Southwest Wheel Company Complete Axle Assemblies

I broke a spring a few years ago and Dexter helped find a mobile repair technician to come to the campground and replace the broken springs.

The same axles on your trailer are used on farm and ranch equipment. It would be cheaper and easier for you to buy two complete axles and replace them. They can ship them to you or to a nearby service center like Hawleywood RV in Dodge City.

[KSSteve]

I agree its a temporary fix. But it's going to take time to find a new one.

[JIMNLIN]

KSSteve wrote:
Unfortunately, I'm stuck about as far west in Kansas as you can get. What three RV repair shops have told me to do is go to any good trailer dealer (need not be RV--cattle trailers, horse trailers, equipment trailers) and they will most likely have an identical replacement spindle, hub/drum etc. The major challenge will be finding a machinist willing to cut the old spindle off and weld a new one on. That's my goal Monday.

Perhaps oddly, I'm actually kind of enjoying it here. There's worse places than Hugoton, Kansas.

Yeah your off the beaten path in that area. Very laid back.
I'm familiar with cutting off the old spindle and welding a new one on. I bought a used tandem axle 34' GN equipment trailer/8k axles. I did the trailer inspection before being put in commercial service and found both right side axle stubs had been cut off a new ones welded on. I had a big rig spring shop in my area that did all my trailers frame/suspension repair. They found both stubs way out of alignment. If I had a new axle stub welded back on it would be to get me on down the road to find new axle assys.

[RVcrazy]

If possible. I would stay with Young's welding. They have worked with Nuwa for years. We had them put spacers on our coach for more bed clearance with our new truck.

[KSSteve]

Unfortunately, I'm stuck about as far west in Kansas as you can get. What three RV repair shops have told me to do is go to any good trailer dealer (need not be RV--cattle trailers, horse trailers, equipment trailers) and they will most likely have an identical replacement spindle, hub/drum etc. The major challenge will be finding a machinist willing to cut the old spindle off and weld a new one on. That's my goal Monday.

Perhaps oddly, I'm actually kind of enjoying it here. There's worse places than Hugoton, Kansas.