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funlover's avatar
funlover
Explorer
Sep 29, 2015

BALANCE 'drag/skid' WHEELS

My RV drags when coming our of community driveways and some campgrounds.
Have been told to install wheels. Question is swivel wheels vs. stationary wheels? Which one would be best?
  • Keep in mind, adding something to the back may add stress to whatever you are bolting it to that wasn't designed for that stress. End result could be that you bend something or pull a back wall away from a sidewall. Evaluate be before you operate.
  • Maybe the best approach would be to solve the problem rather than add something that will be even closer to the ground.

    What RV? Is this a trailer? Motor home?

    Put your RV information in your profile or signature so we know what we are discussing.
  • What's dragging? My skidplates would drag so I replaced them with RV casters that swivel. Mine are not any lower than the factory skidplates were. If you buy ones that don't swivel, they will bend if they touch while you're turning. I was scraping and digging into the pavement. Now it just rolls. They mount to each side of the hitch.
  • Hi,

    I added a single 4 inch wheel to the trailer hitch. It works well. Nice big thick steel.
  • We had skid plates on our 1992 TT which sat a lot lower than the new TT. The skid plates work great for us.
  • Yes, Corkey's suggestion is better than the wheels. They do make a very small diameter steel wheel that is more like a roller than a wheel. It only sticks down about 1.5"

    The longer / taller the wheel is, the more leverage there is in play to rip it off considering you're going to be hitting bottom more often.

    Bill
  • Keep in mind whatever wheels you add will lower the distance from the bottom of your coach by the dimensions of the wheels. If the wheels are 4 inches ... you'll be 4 inches closer to the ground. That means you'll be hitting a lot of things you never hit before.

    Many add a 1/4 - 3/8 steel skid plate about the size of your hand to the area that drags. That limits dimensional issues and still saves the hitch or whatever is dragging. On one coach I had to have two skid plates welded to the hitch at both corners. Yeah they drag, but so will wheels. The plus side is no damage is being done to the coach if they hit, not any closer to the ground, and no wheels to replace that get torn off (and sooner or later they will).
  • funlover wrote:
    My RV drags when coming our of community driveways and some campgrounds.
    Have been told to install wheels. Question is swivel wheels vs. stationary wheels? Which one would be best?


    MUST be swivel so they will work when you backup. I have had both type. I know. . . . :M

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