Trillium 4500

[nick c]

Hi. I've decided i really want brakes on my Trill 4500. Thanks to posters here i now know its cost effective to buy axle with brakes. I live in Brantford Ont. Could anyone recommend a good shop here, or in London, Kitchener, Hamilton area. My axle is welded to frame so I'm not going to touch this job.. thanks in advance for your help.

[Phil H.]

Hi. I've decided i really want brakes on my Trill 4500. Thanks to posters here i now know its cost effective to buy axle with brakes. I live in Brantford Ont. Could anyone recommend a good shop here, or in London, Kitchener, Hamilton area. My axle is welded to frame so I'm not going to touch this job.. thanks in advance for your help.

I would recommend at least getting a quote from Andy Thompson at Can-Am RV in London. You may find someone cheaper but I doubt you'll find anyone with more experience and expertise.

[Brian B-P]

I would recommend at least getting a quote from Andy Thompson at Can-Am RV in London. You may find someone cheaper but I doubt you'll find anyone with more experience and expertise.

This is the same business and same guy who advocate towing trailers which weigh more than double the rated capacity of the tow vehicle. Thompson seems like a bright guy, and applies some valid physical reasoning to his choices, but has a complete disregard for manufacturer's ratings. Personally, I wouldn't let him or his staff choose a mechanical component for my trailer, or do the installation.

Can-Am RV Centre might have a good price for an axle, but I doubt any RV dealer is the best source; out here there are two better types of business:

• truck and trailer suspension supply and repair shops (a.k.a. "spring shops"), and
• trailer specialists (who build and fix commercial and cargo trailers).

I'm guessing there are both options in southern Ontario; certainly there are in Hamilton, but that's further than it should be necessary to go.

[Al POGUE]

Have you given any thought to having the work done here in Buffalo N.Y. ? Some of the trailer axles are made in Buffalo and there are dealers that would do the job for you there. Plus you would have the exchange rate working for you. A friend of mine just put a new axle on his 13 ft. Casita and I think it was less than $350.00. It might be worth looking into seeing you live so close.

[Joe MacDonald]

Cerka in Milton might be able to help you out, that's where I had the axle made for my 5500

Joe

[Phil H.]

This is the same business and same guy who advocate towing trailers which weigh more than double the rated capacity of the tow vehicle. Thompson seems like a bright guy, and applies some valid physical reasoning to his choices, but has a complete disregard for manufacturer's ratings. Personally, I wouldn't let him or his staff choose a mechanical component for my trailer, or do the installation.

Can-Am RV Centre might have a good price for an axle, but I doubt any RV dealer is the best source; out here there are two better types of business:

• truck and trailer suspension supply and repair shops (a.k.a. "spring shops"), and
• trailer specialists (who build and fix commercial and cargo trailers).

I'm guessing there are both options in southern Ontario; certainly there are in Hamilton, but that's further than it should be necessary to go.

You'll have to take Brian's comments with a grain of salt as he seems to have a personal vendetta against Can-Am Rv because they question manufacturer tow ratings as being too conservative - of course they are - the less people tow with a vehicle the fewer lawsuits and warranty costs a manufacturer will bear. My father has purchased many parts for his airstream there over the years and while he did most of the maintenance himself he has had a few specialized jobs done there with excellent results - on one occasion the owner was even nice enough to deliver his 28' Airstream back to Toronto for him just because they happened to be coming that way - a two hour journey - not many places would do that.

[Steve L.]

You make Brian's point so you seem to be saying the same thing but differently. Lawsuits and warranty do increase because the vehicles aren't designed for the loads. It probably occurred to you as well that it voids warranties, potentially invalidates insurance claims by the tower and if I were a victim of someone losing control of a tow/trailer overloaded I'd at least investigate legal action.

[John Perry]

This is the same business and same guy who advocate towing trailers which weigh more than double the rated capacity of the tow vehicle. Thompson seems like a bright guy, and applies some valid physical reasoning to his choices, but has a complete disregard for manufacturer's ratings. Personally, I wouldn't let him or his staff choose a mechanical component for my trailer, or do the installation.

Can-Am RV Centre might have a good price for an axle, but I doubt any RV dealer is the best source; out here there are two better types of business:

• truck and trailer suspension supply and repair shops (a.k.a. "spring shops"), and
• trailer specialists (who build and fix commercial and cargo trailers).

I'm guessing there are both options in southern Ontario; certainly there are in Hamilton, but that's further than it should be necessary to go.

From experience I have to agree with Brian!
About 2 months ago I did a a complete brake job on my Trillium 4500 and just 2 weeks ago I did a complete brake job on my 96 13' Scamp.
I bought the brake components from a spring shop that I have done business with in the past. The cost was much less , for the same components, from the spring shop that it was from an RV dealer. The other added convenience was they had them in stock as brakes, springs and axles are their only job.
As for an axle, I would rather have it installed by a person that does it on a daily basis for his or her living instead of a person that one day installs a Fantastic Fan and a fridge the next.
In all my years of owning RVs I have found that if you find a competent company or person to do your RV maintenance or repair, other than an RV facility, you will find that you will save money and receive as good or a better job.

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!

John

[Joseph Olajos]

Hi. I've decided i really want brakes on my Trill 4500. Thanks to posters here i now know its cost effective to buy axle with brakes. I live in Brantford Ont. Could anyone recommend a good shop here, or in London, Kitchener, Hamilton area. My axle is welded to frame so I'm not going to touch this job.. thanks in advance for your help.

Hi Nick
Last May,I had my 73 Trillium axle w/10" brakes done at a trailer shop just S. of Lindsay, called "English's Service"I went there on the recommendation of Joe, at Cerka, in Milton.
Never again...many delays to get axle in, and when it was finally done , owner, "Bob" called to say there was a problem !!! Trailer was not level on new axle ! Did not know why; so, on the phone, we agreed he would add a "riser" on the low side to correct the lean.
The lean was corrected, alright, but now I had less than 2 inches clearance to the wheelwells, both sides. I had more than that on the good side of the trailer, when I took it in for axle repl't, but only 1inch or so on low side, and solid, no travel in suspension at all on that side.
I did not want to go back to his shop for increased clearance...he'd already got over$800 from me for the questionable job.
Oddly enough, the tires did not contact the wheelwells even after trailer was loaded fairly heavy for a long camping trip into N. Ontario last Fall thru' several Hwy construction projects...its a 3000lb rating axle... maybe that's why !

Joe O.
Peterborough

[nick c]

Thanks everyone. I was sceptical about truck and trailer suspension supply and repair shops and trailer specialists as they do not work with fiberglass trailers and the replacement axel brakets will have to be welded on right beside the fiberglass. Brian and John make good points but i'm very nervous about that much heat right by the glass...a good welder should be able to cope with that right????

An R.V. shop will cost more, and not install axels every day, but I think should have experiance with a broad variety of trailers. and definitly will be accustomed to working beside fiberglass & stick and tin.

I actually would prefer to use a trailer shop but am afraid of the heat. Am I making a mountain out of a molehill?

[Alf S.]

Thanks everyone. I was sceptical about truck and trailer suspension supply and repair shops and trailer specialists as they do not work with fiberglass trailers and the replacement axel brakets will have to be welded on right beside the fiberglass. Brian and John make good points but i'm very nervous about that much heat right by the glass...a good welder should be able to cope with that right????

An R.V. shop will cost more, and not install axels every day, but I think should have experiance with a broad variety of trailers. and definitly will be accustomed to working beside fiberglass & stick and tin.

I actually would prefer to use a trailer shop but am afraid of the heat. Am I making a mountain out of a molehill?

Hi: Call Mr. Paul Neumeister 519 393-6410 @ 345 Huron Rd. Sebringville Ontario... He has worked on and sold more Bolers and Trilliums than we will in our life time!!! If he can't change out your axle he sure knows the best place that can. Check his web page at www.fibreglass-rv.ca (note the re) but he prefers to do business over the phone. Regards Alf S.
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

[John Perry]

I actually would prefer to use a trailer shop but am afraid of the heat. Am I making a mountain out of a molehill?

I think you are making a mountian out of a mole hill! You will not have any less heat at the RV facility. You will have the benifit of a person that has much more experience in both the replacement of axels and welding at a trailer or suspension shop.

Happy Holidays,
John

[Joe MacDonald]

I'm sorry to hear you had trouble Joe, I feel really bad as I recommended cerka.
I had them make my axle, as it was a bolt on, perhaps that's why I had no troubles.
Joe

[Joseph Olajos]

I'm sorry to hear you had trouble Joe, I feel really bad as I recommended cerka.
I had them make my axle, as it was a bolt on, perhaps that's why I had no troubles.
Joe

Don't look at it that way, Joe, don't assume any of the resposibility whatsoever, since I was already headed for Cerka anyway. They were the closest distributor for TorFlex axles, as I found out on the TorFlex website. Cerka actually gave me the names of two shops that could do the install, one of which was right here in Peterborough, but Cerka recommended Englishs' shop since they did more business with them, and
seemed to have the least amount of negative comments filter back !
I'm satisfied with everything about the axle, except the clearance to the wheel wells; it has good buffering, with little or no scattering of the trailer's contents to clean up at destination, and the 10'"brakes are very efficient, and smooth in operation....
but just under 2" clearance bothers me, as it won't stay at that for too many years, I suppose. Increasing clearance by raising the frame is an option, but would involve more welding, and I'm conscious of the fact that the frame on one side, anyway, has undergone: cutting off the orig. welded-on axle...welding on new axle...cut off new axle...weld on "riser"...weld back new axle to riser. Surely all that application of heat can do no good for the integrity of the frame in that area.

-anybody care to venture an opinion on that ?

BTW...I'm running P185X75 R14 tires, and I've done the math to go to 13 Inch series rubber, but then I lose load rating, after gaining only about 3/4 " in clearance.
I've even gone and measured o/all diam. of 13 inch Carlisle ST tires at the CTC store, and they were almost identical to my 14 inchers, at about 24 inches diam. top to bottom.
Joe O.