Adding brakes to Scamp

[Pete Dumbleton]

Most recent axles have an aluminum tag on them, or stenciling, with the axle manf, the axle plant ID (in the case of Dexter for sure) and the order number. Using these numbers, the axle manf can be queried and a replacement ordered that matches all the specs and variable measurements that are on the original.

A COMPETENT axle shop knows how to reference the Dexter materials and make the proper measurements.

Scamp worked up a particular code to describe the axle to their various suppliers, but unless your supplier deals with Scamp, they may not even understand the code (that includes a Dexter plant that Scamp may not deal with. I believe Redneck Trailer Supply can translate the code.

Craig, check with Redneck regarding an axle -- I believe they are in your neck of the woods. BTW, the way you stated it, sounds like you are wanting the full 3,500 lbs -- Is that what Casita uses? The axle have a range (#9 is somthing like 600-2,200 lbs) and can be "rubbered" at 100 lb intervals during assembly by cutting the rubber to length. I believe the "3,500" axle has a range of 2,300 - 3,500, but I'm not sure. There is an awful lot of tech info in PDF form on the Dexter site.

[Craig Nold]

Chris,
It shouldn't be too hard to determine the manufacturer of a Scamp axle. We have already established that there are two possibilities. Dexter axles have a square tube and Al-Ko uses a hexagonal tube.
If you determine that you have a Dexter Torflex axle, you can tell by the tube size.
#9 - tube size = 2.17"
#10 - tube size = 2.62"

You can tell what size brakes you have by the color of the wire that sticks out of the backing plate. The green wire on my Casita indicates that the brakes are 10X 21/4. There may be some correlation between brake size and axle capacity but it so, I haven't found it yet.

[Roger H]

Good info, Craig! From looking at Dexter's website, it appears that the #9 axle has 7x 1 1/4" brakes that are rated for up to 2200 lb loads (the max for the #9 axle) and the #10 axle uses the 10" brakes.

Roger

[Craig Nold]

Roger H,
There is a correlation between brake size and axle capacity and the clue can be found in the Scamp parts list. http://scamptrailers.com/parts/partslist.doc

Axle 2200 Lb. For 13 Foot Trailer with 7” brakes 410.00 Installed 575.00

[Joe MacDonald]

for anyone who is looking this link is for a complete 2000lb axle with brakes. the brakes should fit no problem, maybe the whole axle will.

[Benny K]

I was pricing an axle from a company near Winnipeg and they were ball parking me a price of about $465.00 with brakes for either a 2200# or a 3500# Dexter axle and if they had to cut off the old axle it would be about $150.00 to install....these prices are Canuck bucks...this is a place that manufactures various trailers and if I wasn`t replacing it myself, I would have a manufacturing place like this one do the replace rather than an RV shop or garage or whatever! .......Benny...... oops, forgot to mention that this axle was a Torqflex.

[Craig Nold]

I called Croft Trailer Supply in Kansas City for a price on a Dexter #10. I was told that the cost for that size is $389.00 plus shipping. That is in US dollars.

[Joe MacDonald]

I had a 3500 lb axle built for me last year using Dexter Parts, from one of their distributors Cerka in Milton Ontario
5 bolt, e-z lube with electric brakes to fit on my Trillium 5500 for $348.00 CAD, taxes included.
Since I had leaf springs, it was just a bolt on set up.