Raising the axle on my Egg camper???

[kirkman]

I am considering ordering a lift kit from Dexter (#9 Torflex Lift Kit K71-723-01) to raise my Eggcamper up 2 5/8" so it has better ground clearance (for the frame and the black drain) and to make it easier to get to the black and gray drain.
Has any one done something similar?
Pros verses cons?
HELP!
Thanks!
Jason

[WizWid]

Originally Posted by kirkman

I am considering ordering a lift kit from Dexter (#9 Torflex Lift Kit K71-723-01) to raise my Eggcamper up 2 5/8" so it has better ground clearance (for the frame and the black drain) and to make it easier to get to the black and gray drain.
Has any one done something similar?
Pros verses cons?
HELP!
Thanks!
Jason

Jason,

There is a list of pros/cons on our FAQs page. http://www.perfectcasita.com/faqs.html

--Jim

[Jack L]

I raised my Bigfoot 5 inches by changing the axle and tires and love it. Some things to consider are a much higher step to get in and out of the trailer and also by lifting with spacers you will still have the same clearance from the ground to the axle. The trailer will be higher so drain pipes and tanks are going to be further from harms way but axle to pavement distance will be exactly the same.

[kirkman]

Jack.....I'm not to worried about the axle to pavement thing just the frame and the pipes.
Did you notice and difference in the way it towed or gas mileage?

Jim.....Thanks

[Jack L]

Originally Posted by kirkman

Jack.....I'm not to worried about the axle to pavement thing just the frame and the pipes.
Did you notice and difference in the way it towed or gas mileage?

Jim.....Thanks

The larger wheels and tires seemed to make it more stable. I went from 205-75-14 to 225-75 -15 so the wider tires made a big difference. As far as fuel use I really cant answer that question. Fuel consumption was always poor because of the large square frontal area on the Bigfoot. I'm sure the change hurt, but I cant say how much. I tow with a Toyota Tacoma 4X4 and without the trailer I get about 17 -18 MPG. With the trailer it drops to 13 or 14. One trip, when driving home from Utah in extreme headwind I got 7.5 MPG. As I drove down the interstate highway I could actually see the needle on the gas gauge drop.

For sure, raising the trailer will increase fuel consumption but can not say how much. Some sources actually say raising the trailer, you will get less wind resistance under the trailer. I look at it this way. If raising the tanks and plumbing prevents them from damage I'll gladly use a little more fuel to avoid repairs to the trailer.

[DJO]

The tires were rubbing the wells of our Parkliner. Instead of cutting away some fiberglass, our smart bodyshop man cut off the ends of the factory axle, and put a new, stronger axle under the factory one. He used U joints to secure it.

We bought a little step to get in and out with. It pulls just fine and I can relax more since I don't worry about hitting the plumbing or frame anymore. It looks a lot better as a bonus.

[Ray N]

Jason,
That sounds like an interesting project and one that might definitely be worth while. The low drain tanks was one thing I didn't appreciate about our old EggCamper; several times I had difficulty draining our tanks because the sewer input was higher than the drain on the camper. I had to let the hoses fill and then manually lift them to drain them - not impossible, but not a pleasant job, either. Good luck with this!

[John Linck]

I raised my 13 foot Scamp using a $100.00, 3 inch lift kit from Perfect Casita. Very nice folks and great product. Don't know about mileage. My rig is still lower in height than the 16 footers. Tows the same as before.

John

[Jim Thor]

Thinking of raising my Burro 2"

[mexbob5150]

I raised my 13 ft Perri's pacer ! Flipped the axel ! I get between 14-16 mpg towing with my Toyota Four runner 01 v6 3.4 4x4

[Timber Wolf]

Originally Posted by mexbob5150

I raised my 13 ft Perri's pacer ! Flipped the axel ! I get between 14-16 mpg towing with my Toyota Four runner 01 v6 3.4 4x4

Sounds like your PP had a straight axle with springs instead of the torsion axle on say a Scamp or Casita. Which brings up an interesting, thought provoking concept. At some point when raising an egg it may be possible to utilize a cheaper and locally available standard axle rather that a torsion. For example, our Tractor Supply has 3500 pound axles and springs on the shelf. Both types have their pros and cons but I usually tend toward cheap and simple given a choice.

[Jim Thor]

Following

[kirkman]

Well I ordered the lift kit. I will post pics of before and after when I get around to doing it.



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[kirkman]

I raised my Eggcamper today. Here are some before and after pics.


After




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[kirkman]

Ok after test towing the extra lift has made it a bit loose. I am going to add a anti sway bar. It's not bad, but I want it to be as safe as possible incase I have to do some abrupt maneuvering.


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[WizWid]

I dont get it. Why would adding a lift (that is actually stiffer than the original axle bracket) make anything Looser? What do you mean?

--Jim.

[kirkman]

What I meant was I think by raising the center of gravity it has made it unstable. It does not track behind the TV as well as it did before. It's like it does not have enough tongue weight.


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[Borrego Dave]

Originally Posted by kirkman

What I meant was I think by raising the center of gravity it has made it unstable. It does not track behind the TV as well as it did before. It's like it does not have enough tongue weight.

A few questions, did you adjust your ball height to get the right angle? When you say tracking, do you mean dog trotting?
What makes you say it's unstable?
Make sure the TW is heavy enough.
I raised my SD 17 3" with no change to the tracking or handling. Even in high crosswinds it was fine.

[kirkman]

Yes I adjusted the ball height.
Yes the TW is heavy enough.
By dog trotting do you mean waging back and forth. Then yes not bad but more than before.


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[Borrego Dave]

Dog trotting is caused by the axle not being at a 90* angle to the ball. Some times a good hit on a curb or hole can knock it out of square. But in these cases it would come from an axle that is held to the frame with u bolts. My axle was bolted on and the lift kit from LHC was all machined to keep it all square. Tail wag is caused by an uneven load, front to back or side to side, not the height. Sounds like you have had a bit of this already going on before the lift so I really have say your loading is causing it. Have you weighed the tongue?