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Old 09-01-2007, 11:36 AM   #1
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Trailer: 1970 Campster
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I'm purchasing a fiberglass trailer that is 5 inches too tall to get into my garage (which is a must!) and am currently seeking input as to how I might lower the trailer. Taking some of the air out of the tires will not do the job. One option is to build a frame with industrial casters on it to support the trailer frame and then I can manuever the trailer around in the garage at will. When I want to use the trailer I can pull it out, jack up the trailer and put the wheels back on. Option 2 is to put smaller wheels on the trailer while it is in the garage. This sounds like the easiest solution but the trailer already comes with 15 inch wheels that have a 4 bolt configuration. I can't seem to find any wheels--so far-- that are small enough to meet my needs and will still fit on the axels.

Does anyone have any suggestions or pearls of wisdom that might help me?
Thanks in advance!
Lisa
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Old 09-01-2007, 12:51 PM   #2
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In order replace the wheels to gain 5 inches of height, your 15" wheels, with a radius of 7.5" inches, will have to shrink to 2.5 inches which probably won't leave enough room for lugnuts, let alone the difficulty of finding tires to fit those wheels.

I'd go with the caster idea. There's a store here called "Princess Auto" which I imagine to be like Harbor Freight... I think they have little dollies that claim to support about 800lbs each... I thought of those because I Wanted to paint my 1700 in my garage, but no amount of lowering is going to get my trailer into my garage.
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Old 09-01-2007, 12:57 PM   #3
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How about having swivel wheels welded or mounted directly onto the frame? Wheel jacks might work- on in the front, one each on the back of the trailer frame. Then jack up, remove wheels, and lower to the ground (or as far as you need to.) Something like this:

http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/r...ivel-wheel.htm

Having the wheels always on the trailer would mean one fewer step when you want to use the trailer- and that will mean you are more likely to use it. The more work you have to do to get it hitched up the more it is going to sit in your garage.

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Old 09-01-2007, 02:23 PM   #4
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1. Remove the rims and set the hubs on one of the casters that JCW sells and roll it in.

See the web site below. These things are made for different weights and U will just have to search around for the set that will fit your weight requirements.

2. Let enough air out of the tire until it fits and gently roll it in (Gently enough to not damage the tire) the re-inflate.

3. Remove the rim and tires and bolt on just a rim without tire and roll it in.


http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/Product...?Ntt=rollaround
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Old 09-01-2007, 05:06 PM   #5
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I picked up some 8" wheels at a garage sale. These dropped the trailer 4" and gave me about 3/4 " clearance under the overhead door. Letting the air out would give another inch or two if needed. After that you could remove the tires for more clearance and roll on the rims only.
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Old 09-01-2007, 09:57 PM   #6
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Lisa.
This is what I did to get my trailer into my garage. I purchased some 12 inch rims which were just slightly larger than my hubs. I put them on instead of my tires and regular rims (14 inches). I pushed the trailer into the garage on the rims. I managed to get enough clearance to squeeze my trailer into a 7 foot high garage door opening. Well plus removing my vents. Once inside my garage I put the frame onto jack stands.

Fred.......
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Old 09-02-2007, 12:36 PM   #7
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Lisa, what tire size is currently on the trailer, and accordingly, how big overall (in diameter) is the tire? Alternatively, just measure from the ground to the centre of the hub. With that size, people have something to compare to.

For instance, if the tire is about 27" overall, and 13" from ground to hub (tires squish a bit, so that height is a little less than half the diameter), then lowering 5" means you need a radius of 8", or 16" overall diameter. If an 8" wheel will go over the hub, there should be tires that short (with less sidewall height than the stock tire); alternatively, the bare-wheel idea would work with wheels as large as 14" (note that a "15 inch" wheel is 15" in diameter where the tire bead seats, and likely more than an inch larger at the very edge).
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Old 09-02-2007, 05:08 PM   #8
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Quote:
Lisa.
This is what I did to get my trailer into my garage. I purchased some 12 inch rims which were just slightly larger than my hubs. I put them on instead of my tires and regular rims (14 inches). I pushed the trailer into the garage on the rims. I managed to get enough clearance to squeeze my trailer into a 7 foot high garage door opening. Well plus removing my vents. Once inside my garage I put the frame onto jack stands.

Fred.......
I did exactly the same thing with my pre-fire 7'4" Scamp and a 7'0" garage, presuming Fred put on 12" rims that did NOT have tires affixed, even to removing my fantastical fan top. I did add a tongue jack that had a wheel (from Wally), and the whole thing rolls quite easily. I also bought an inexpensive hydraulic floor jack at Wally because getting under the frame is tight with the small rims. I bought the rims at Les Schwab, a local tire chain.
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Old 09-03-2007, 09:37 AM   #9
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Quote:
...even to removing my fantastical fan top.
Interesting idea. Anyone putting in one of the high-flow powered vents (from Fantastic Vent, MaxxAir, ShurFlo, etc) might consider how it mounts: the MaxxFan uses a collar which is installed and sealed onto the trailer, then the fan just drops into it and is secured with four screws. As long as quick-disconnects are used on the wires, the whole thing could be lifted out in a couple of minutes to significantly reduce the height.
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Old 09-03-2007, 09:59 AM   #10
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Instead of doing things the easy way, you could make the garage door taller. Or if you really want to be difficult, build a bigger garage.
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Old 09-03-2007, 11:28 AM   #11
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Click image for larger version

Name:	Wheel_comparison_2.jpg
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ID:	9905

I like Dale's thinking. I could ALWAYS use a larger garage. But in the meantime here's a size comparison between the 13" rims and tires for our Boler and the 9" rimand tire . The larger one is 24
diameter and the smaller one is 15" diameter. I gianed a 9" drop. Take a tape measure to the tire section at WalM... or where ever and see what's there.
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Old 09-03-2007, 01:13 PM   #12
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[quote]
Attachment 9905

Unless I have misunderstood something here, the diameter change is 9", so the radius change - and therefore the amount by which the trailer is lowered - is about 4.5"... almost enough for Lisa.
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Old 09-03-2007, 01:54 PM   #13
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Brian
, You're right. Half the radius, not half the diameter.
I guess I'm just trying to get all I can and a little more.
Still with her 15" rims she well may get what she's after.
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Old 09-03-2007, 04:18 PM   #14
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This has gone around and around a number of times.
Here are at least 4 threads re; the same subject.
Just a note; 8" bare rims will not work on a Boler 1300 as the axle fish plates will drag on the ground, that is why I had to use 10"dia.

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/board/index.ph...s+fit+the+garag
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/board/index.ph...c=21424&hl=
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/board/index.ph...=23133&st=0
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/board/index.ph...=21349&st=0
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Old 09-03-2007, 05:21 PM   #15
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One of those links was mine, and I solved the problem neatly with my cracked egg. Even then, I had to take it off the tow vehicle and put the front on a dolly (not lower, just level) so that the back would enter the garage.

I'm glad I went that way- anything involving changing tires would have made me less likely to use my trailer.

Bobbie
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Old 09-29-2022, 07:14 AM   #16
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thank you
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Old 09-29-2022, 09:17 AM   #17
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Close enough, no problem, lol
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