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09-04-2018, 12:19 PM
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#21
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Senior Member
Name: John
Trailer: Escape 21, behind an '02 F250 7.3 diesel tug
Mid Left Coast
Posts: 2,940
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yes, re the above pressure discussion, use the TRAILER recommended pressures even if you're using higher load range tires. a D tire is probably rated around 65 PSI, a E tire 75-80 PSI, but if you use these on a trailer designed for range "C", stick with the 50 PSI the range "C" tire used.
same thing on my truck... my Tacoma came with P series tires, which I replaced with LT all terrain tires that were load range "E", max pressure 80 PSI. the Tacoma inflation sticker says 29/32 PSI, I know I was overloading that Tacoma some, so i would run 32 (front) / 35-40 (rear) PSI when towing but nowhere NEAR the 80 PSI range E, thats the sort of pressure my F250 diesel expects at max load. 80 PSI on the 5200 lb GVWR Tacoma would rattle your teeth loose.
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09-04-2018, 12:31 PM
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#22
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Senior Member
Name: Fredrick
Trailer: Escape 21C
Tennessee
Posts: 322
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shaky
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lynn Eberhardt
Two years ago, I replaced the tires on my '06 with new "D" range and inflated to the sidewall marked 65 psi rather than 50 for the "C"s. Everything shook apart as you described. I deflated the new tires to 55 and all is well. I may not have the full benefit of "D" range tires, but our Scamp no longer self destructs.
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,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
WE have the "D range" tires and 1.5" suspension lift kit on our 2018 Casita 17'..we get a decent ride w 55 lbs COLD pressure..so far.
Interestingly we had a wire come loose this last trip..the all-important "igniter wire" for our propane water heater popped loose. It wd not have been an issue but we were in VT where NO state park has water OR welectric hookups!!
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09-04-2018, 12:53 PM
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#23
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Senior Member
Trailer: 2004 13 ft Scamp Custom Deluxe
Posts: 8,520
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Quote:
Originally Posted by widgetwizard
I cannot agree with the above. Take a look at the chart attached. It comes from the ST tire manufacturer. The amount the tire can carry is determined by the pressure. So for lighter loads you need nowhere close to max pressure.
Jim
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Read your own chart. Those are load LIMITS at the pressures shown, below which the tire must be dismounted and inspected for damage.
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09-04-2018, 12:55 PM
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#24
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Senior Member
Trailer: 2004 13 ft Scamp Custom Deluxe
Posts: 8,520
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Quote:
Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz
yes, re the above pressure discussion, use the TRAILER recommended pressures even if you're using higher load range tires. a D tire is probably rated around 65 PSI, a E tire 75-80 PSI, but if you use these on a trailer designed for range "C", stick with the 50 PSI the range "C" tire used.
same thing on my truck... my Tacoma came with P series tires, which I replaced with LT all terrain tires that were load range "E", max pressure 80 PSI. the Tacoma inflation sticker says 29/32 PSI, I know I was overloading that Tacoma some, so i would run 32 (front) / 35-40 (rear) PSI when towing but nowhere NEAR the 80 PSI range E, thats the sort of pressure my F250 diesel expects at max load. 80 PSI on the 5200 lb GVWR Tacoma would rattle your teeth loose.
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Why not just get the right load range to begin with?
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09-04-2018, 01:36 PM
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#25
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Senior Member
Name: John
Trailer: Roamer 1
Smith Valley, Nevada
Posts: 2,880
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The OP specifically mentioned "washboard" roads.
I've had the same problems with everything vibrating loose while traveling many miles on washboard roads.
Lowering the tire pressure is one of the best ways to deal with this. Rock hard tires make the problem much worse. Of course, you must slow down and when you do slow down, heat build up is not a problem. You still have to be careful on sharp rocks, but washboard does not mean large sharp rocks. Low pressure works well for trucks, quads and trailers.
If someone insists on running their tires at full rated pressure, while driving at low speeds, they do not understand how much it helps to air down. And it does not hurt the tire. Pinching the sidewall, knocking the bead off the wheel or overheating are what hurts tires.
This is not about the recommended pressure or driving at high speeds, it's about absorbing the vibration of washboard with the tires, and it is very affective.
I lower mine to about 20-25 PSI or so, and I drive slowly. Usually about 10-15 MPH max when I'm on long desert roads. On those trips I air the truck down too.
For the skeptics, I recommend lowering the pressure on your tow vehicle some time and discovering how much better it rides on washboard, or rough frozen surfaces. I do it in the winter and find the truck skates around much less and has more traction. It's more comfortable and safer.
One of my favorite places is 60 miles in and 60 miles out on desert rough roads. Never a problem with the tires and the trailer is much happier with low air pressure.
Recommending full rated pressure is a CYA number that is for smooth highways at high speeds. It has nothing to do with very low speeds and the desire to take the strain off of the suspension or the damaging vibration out of the trailer body.
__________________
I only exaggerate enough to compensate for being taken with a grain of salt.
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09-04-2018, 01:52 PM
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#26
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Senior Member
Name: Mike
Trailer: Escape 21 & Jeep GC 5.7 (Previous 2012 Casita FD17 & 2010 Audi Q5)
Puget Sound, WA
Posts: 1,775
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Good post John. Count me in as a believer.
__________________
~ “It’s absurd to divide people into good and bad. People are either charming or tedious.” Oscar Wilde ~
~ “What the human being is best at doing is interpreting all new information so that their prior conclusions remain intact.” Warren Buffett ~
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09-04-2018, 02:39 PM
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#27
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Senior Member
Trailer: Scamp 13 ft
Posts: 452
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Tape? ?
Quote:
Originally Posted by k corbin
An easy trick to keep the screws from backing out of wood. Instead of Loctite just put some Buty rubber tape around the threads. As you turn the screw in any excess material will come back to the surface where it is easily cleaned off. No problem removing the screws when you want to do so but they won't vibrate back out of the holes. It also keeps moisture out so fewer issues with rust developing on the screw's shaft. Always good to have a little butly rubber tape on hand.
I was just putting in the new bolts that hold my trailer's shell to the frame. As they pass through the plywood floor I coated the first inch under the head of the bolts with butyl, I also coated the bottom of the washers and put a small amount just under the head. This will keep any water spills from the interior traveling down the shaft of the bolts into the plywood and then on into the tubes of the frame. After having to repair my plywood floor from water damage that happened around those bolts I realized this easy extra step taken when installing new bolts would be an ounce of prevention that cost me nothing but a few extra minutes of time as I already had some butyl tape on hand. All the screws from the cabinets that go into the plywood floor will also get the same treatment.
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Main problem is that Scamp's cabinet doors are not wood. Just pressed board, so I don't think butyl tape will help much. But I will try it.
The second problem is that Scamp screws are very small with fine threads. Ok for the home cupboards they were designed for. But glue ( or tape) may not be enough. Larger wood screws work better, but only for a short length of time. It is a constant problem for many of us . David in Fresno and Sonora
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09-04-2018, 02:42 PM
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#28
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Senior Member
Trailer: 2004 13 ft Scamp Custom Deluxe
Posts: 8,520
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John;
Good post, but most of us drive on pavement at speeds commensurate with traffic.
I for one keep it between the ditches, especially when towing.
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09-04-2018, 03:27 PM
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#29
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Senior Member
Name: Z
Trailer: Sasquatch
Montana
Posts: 2,556
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I think having owned a motorhome helps me in this situation. All other things being equal (correct tire range and pressure, good suspension), driving slow is the cure. Actually being inside a camper, like you are in a motorhome, when driving down bumpy roads really lets you know how harsh they are on the living space.
When I'm pulling my trailer behind me on rough roads, I can picture really well what's going on back there, since I drove an old motorhome around for a few years. They suffer a lot of abuse. I drove to Chaco Canyon in that motorhome, and the road was so washboardy that my max speed was about 5mph just to feel the camper wasn't shaking apart. That was a long, long drive...
Hope you find a solution. I haven't had any problem with my trailer and I drive dirt roads typically on a weekly basis. So it's not a given that things will rattle apart.
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09-04-2018, 03:37 PM
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#30
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Senior Member
Trailer: Escape 17 ft
Posts: 8,317
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Often, on washboard, the solution is to speed up. Problems occur when you get to the bend though. Had my tent trailer try to overtake me once.
__________________
What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
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09-04-2018, 03:45 PM
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#31
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Senior Member
Name: Mike
Trailer: Escape 21 & Jeep GC 5.7 (Previous 2012 Casita FD17 & 2010 Audi Q5)
Puget Sound, WA
Posts: 1,775
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I remember sitting in driver's education class as a teenager insisting that using the brake wasn't always going to be the answer, but that speeding up might be just the thing to avoid a potential problem...
Looking back, and picturing myself at that age, I can see now why I never got an enthusiastic, positive response from the instructor.
__________________
~ “It’s absurd to divide people into good and bad. People are either charming or tedious.” Oscar Wilde ~
~ “What the human being is best at doing is interpreting all new information so that their prior conclusions remain intact.” Warren Buffett ~
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09-04-2018, 04:17 PM
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#32
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Senior Member
Trailer: Scamp 13 ft
Posts: 452
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MH vs TT ?
ZachO, I think almost any motorhome suspension beats most little one axle travel trailers like Scamps. And trailers handle better when they are pretty loaded, not running empty. And BYW, was some of your motorhome handling experience with your mini Toyota Chinook ? Mine handled nicely if not overloaded. Happy Trails ! David in Fresno and Sonora
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09-04-2018, 04:39 PM
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#33
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Senior Member
Name: Greg
Trailer: 2008 Casita 17' SD
Washington
Posts: 1,997
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Well, I run the Good Year Endurance tires, Load Range E, 15" which are rated for 80 MPH and 80 PSI on my Casita 17'SD. I run them at 75 psi. I no longer have problems with things bouncing or jarring loose, or screws backing out, etc., but then I attribute that to having added the shock absorber kit I installed. My trailer didn't come with it, it was an "aftermarket" installation. I will say that, prior to installing the shock kit, I would open the trailer door and always find everything strewn about on the floor. Since the upgrade to the shock absorber kit, that is no longer an issue. All trailer axles, whether Dexter Torq-Flex, leaf spring, coil spring, etc, share one thing in common. They all cause the trailer to bounce like a pogo stick because none of them have the capacity to dampen repetitive bouncing. Only by adding a means of dampening down that "bouncy-bouncy" effect can you mitigate the problem. None of these trailer axles, by themselves, can accomplish that.
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09-04-2018, 06:37 PM
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#34
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Senior Member
Name: Lynn
Trailer: '06 Scamp 16
Rochester, New York
Posts: 286
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Shaking
Someone posted this in one sentence before, but it bears re-stating. Make sure your tires are balanced. Makes a huge difference.
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09-04-2018, 06:44 PM
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#35
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Senior Member
Name: John
Trailer: Escape 21, behind an '02 F250 7.3 diesel tug
Mid Left Coast
Posts: 2,940
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lynn Eberhardt
Someone posted this in one sentence before, but it bears re-stating. Make sure your tires are balanced. Makes a huge difference.
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the shaking from a washboard dirt road /vastly/ exceeds that of out-of-balance tires, unless maybe you're dealing with a seriously bent rim
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09-04-2018, 07:28 PM
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#36
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Senior Member
Name: John
Trailer: Roamer 1
Smith Valley, Nevada
Posts: 2,880
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Quote:
Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz
the shaking from a washboard dirt road /vastly/ exceeds that of out-of-balance tires, unless maybe you're dealing with a seriously bent rim
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Exactly. Washboard is a much higher frequency vibration than out-of-balance.
And yes, higher speed is an answer for washboard. But it's not practical to go so fast pulling a trailer on winding desert roads. A truck, by itself, on a straight section, yes. Go faster and it will get smooth.
Dirt, washboard roads are nearly empty and have no traffic to keep up with. You get to pick the speed that works best without affecting others. If you pass someone going the other way, the proper method is to slow or stop to minimize the dust and make passing less dramatic.
__________________
I only exaggerate enough to compensate for being taken with a grain of salt.
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09-04-2018, 09:53 PM
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#38
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Senior Member
Name: Kelly
Trailer: Trails West
Oregon
Posts: 3,047
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DavidG
Main problem is that Scamp's cabinet doors are not wood. Just pressed board, so I don't think butyl tape will help much. But I will try it.
The second problem is that Scamp screws are very small with fine threads. Ok for the home cupboards they were designed for. But glue ( or tape) may not be enough. Larger wood screws work better, but only for a short length of time. It is a constant problem for many of us . David in Fresno and Sonora
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The long term solution is to get new cabinet doors that will hold up to the stress of being on the road. A lot of people do that as an upgrade. Some make the doors themselves other people hire it out to a cabinet shop or to a friend or relative who does wood working jobs.
The threads on scews act like a saw blade that tears apart particle board. The constant vibration is the motor for that little saw
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09-05-2018, 06:08 AM
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#39
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Senior Member
Name: Alexander
Trailer: 1979 Boler B1300
New Hampshire
Posts: 1,140
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Quote:
Originally Posted by k corbin
The threads on scews act like a saw blade that tears apart particle board. The constant vibration is the motor for that little saw
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I fly RC planes and the same vibration problem with screws can occur on your plane. Typically a little thin superglue is squirted into the screw hole to help stabilize the balsa wood. It might work for this application.
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09-05-2018, 07:14 AM
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#40
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Senior Member
Name: Kelly
Trailer: Trails West
Oregon
Posts: 3,047
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another thing to check...
See if there is any movement on the cabinet doors when you push against them. If there is then use something like foam weather stripping to create a cushion between the door and the cabinet frame to take up the slack and prevent movement of the doors. It is a simple enough fix to do.
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