Does this axle / torsion arm look normal? 2005 13' Scamp

[DogHaus]

We removed the wheel and drum preparing to add brakes to the Scamp, and someone brought up that the torsion arm looks like it has a problem, being that its in the "up" position. The manual states "The spindle is attached to the torsion arm at about a 22 1/2 degree angle down." I wasn't suspecting a problem with the axle and it's only a 9 y.o. camper that hasn't had a tremendous amount of use nor any accidents that I know of. Does anyone with experience with the newer 13' Scamps have any idea if this looks correct? Husband thinks it has to be like this in order to accommodate the dropped section of floor that would contain a graywater tank if it had one. This Scamp has the front bathroom, no shower, and is the standard model. This is the driver's side. I have sent an email off to Scamp to ask the same question.
Thanks.

[DogHaus]

I just edited my initial post with the exact statement quoted from the Scamp manual that I had downloaded from their website in 2010: "The spindle is attached to the torsion arm at about a 22 1/2 degree angle down." The manual that came with this 2005 camper does not have this information in it. I just checked the clearance above the tire in the wheel well, and it's 4". There are no rub marks inside the wheel well. The torsion arm on both sides look the same.

[Eddie Longest]

The S-16 and S-19 come with a 22.5 deg. down angle swing arm. The rear facing S-13 axles come with a 22.5 deg up angle axle. I raised a 2005 S-13 a little over 2" by going to a 0 deg. axle. If you have bounce in your axle, no cracks in the mounting brackets, and not a lot of popped rivets you should be OK.
Eddie
There should be a tag on the axle and the serial number is also laser etched in your axle tube. Send these numbers to Dexter and they will tell you what you have installed.

[Roy in TO]

Depends on what you call normal.
I'm not as familiar with Scamps as I am with bolers. It is definately an up angle, it appears to have a spacer between the axle and the frame.

The good news is the position of the welded diamond on the arm indicates that not too much "settling" has happened. At rest, like in your picture the top and bottom points should be plumb, with the side points level - relative to the frame.

[DogHaus]

Got a quick reply from Scamp! Now if only I understood exactly what "trailing arm leading" meant.
"The trailers originally had a axle with a leading trailing arm at an
angle of 22 1/2 degrees down. Which we switched to a axle mounting
position which is trailing at 22 1/2 degrees up. Your trailer probably
has the correct axle at the correct angle unless the axle has the
trailing arm leading.

Kent Eveland"

[Carol H]

Aussie Mom - how is the trailer jacked up? Its always been my understanding that it should only be jacked up on the main forward/aft beam and close to the axle......

[stevebaz]

You have the main tube welded to the frame. then you have arms out that hold the spindle. Leading axle the arms point to the front of the trailer. Trailing the arms point to the rear of the trailer. yours point to the rear and are trailing.

[DogHaus]

Thank you Eddie and Steve. Carol you are correct, it was not jacked correctly.

[Harvey]

Originally Posted by Doghaus

Got a quick reply from Scamp! Now if only I understood exactly what "trailing arm leading" meant.
"The trailers originally had a axle with a leading trailing arm at an
angle of 22 1/2 degrees down. Which we switched to a axle mounting
position which is trailing at 22 1/2 degrees up. Your trailer probably
has the correct axle at the correct angle unless the axle has the
trailing arm leading.

Kent Eveland"

Your pic of the driver side shows a 'trailing' arm with approx 22.5degree up angle, which is what Scamp is saying in their message. With 4" of clearance above the tire to the underside of the wheel well, you're in good shape. My 1984 Scamp 13 has a 'leading' arm configuration & the original Al-Ko 'torsion' axle looked about the same as your pic; absolutely NO flex left in the torsion arm. I replaced it with a new Dexter axle with brakes & 22.5 degree 'down' angle, leading arm.

Easy way to remember 'leading vs trailing' arm is on a trailing arm the spindle is behind the axle tube (in reference to front of trailer) & a leading arm the spindle will always be forward of the axle tube. Most Bolers & early Scamp 13's (not sure about their larger trailers) used a leading arm configuration but that changed to a trailing arm sometime after the mid 1980's...

[The Minimalist]

Originally Posted by Harvey

Easy way to remember 'leading vs trailing' arm is on a trailing arm the spindle is behind the axle tube (in reference to front of trailer) & a leading arm the spindle will always be forward of the axle tube.

An even easier way to remember is the TV is leading and the trailer is 'trailing'.

[David Tilston]

Early Trilliums used a leading arm config as well. I have a 1972 1300 with a leading arm.

[DogHaus]

Hi, thanks. I'm all set with this now, I think what was confusing was the term "leading trailing arm". now if it would stop raining we could get back to actually installing the brakes....

[DAL]

May arm looks like 22 degrees up and an inch of space before bottoming out???

[David B.]

Originally Posted by DAL

May arm looks like 22 degrees up and an inch of space before bottoming out???

The original post is from almost 5 years ago.
Are you having problems with your axle and are asking for help?
Dave & Paula

[DAL]

Dave and Paula, thanks for asking,
I just bought this Scamp and the seller raved about the torsion suspension. I'm a camper newbie and I really didn't know what I was looking at but as I dived in to the different forums and took a closer look at my "low rider" I've come to the conclusion that I got duped and I need to replace the axle. The camper has next to nothing in it (no fridge, stove, heater, battery or water tank) so I think i might be in trouble if I add a few hundred pounds to it.

[Jon in AZ]

A 22 degree up-angle is normal for a Scamp 13 (except early units with 4-bolt axles in leading arm configuration). What year is your Scamp? Is it a 13’er?

My ‘08 has about a fist of clearance between the top of the tire and the wheel well when loaded. An inch is definitely a problem. In addition to checking tire clearance and any signs of rubbing, you can jack up the trailer on one side (always jack on the frame near the axle, not on the axle itself) and check to see how much the wheel drops as the frame rises. Should be several inches. Little or no movement means the rubber inside the axle is hardened. Other signs of a bad axle include excessive bouncing and inside tire wear.

Rubber torsion axles have a working life of 15-20 years, but can roll on well past that with gradually decreasing ride quality and clearance. Storing the trailer raised on jack stands can help preserve the clearance, but it won’t make the rubber last longer.

You might want to google “Dexter torsion axle” and look for the video on their website about how they work. They do make a great suspension for lightweight travel trailers- Airstream uses them- but they don’t last forever. Guess the seller left that last part out...

If you do need a new axle, I'd consider changing from the OEM 22 degrees up to a zero degree angle. It'll raise the trailer 2-3 inches (plus whatever sag you have now). That's about the highest you can go before you need a step to get in, though you might go higher if you plan off-highway adventures. You could also consider a Flexi-Ride axle, which allows you to change the axle arm angle for anticipated towing conditions.

[thrifty bill]

Need a new axle with the proper orientation. Trailer is 42 years old, axle may be original? Start a new thread and post pictures to get help. Reviving five year old threads typically doesn’t work very well.

[Jon in AZ]

Assuming you’re right, Bill, and DAL has a 1977 with a 4-bolt axle in leading arm configuration (how did you know that?), then I’d suggest a search on “replace Scamp leading axle.” There are pros and cons to changing to the “proper” trailing orientation, as well as upgrading to modern 5-bolt wheels. I’ve seen it done both ways with old threads that discuss the process in detail. The “Site Search/Google” option at the bottom of the search menu gives best results.

Given the age, it would also be a good idea to check the condition of the whole frame. They used thinner metal on those early builds, prone to stress fractures and rust-through over such a long time.

Since there are unique challenges in this project, a new thread is definitely in order.

[thrifty bill]

With the internet, it’s gotten a lot easier to do due diligence on any purchase. A 42 year old camper is going to have issues. If the seller addressed those issues the price will be higher and the repair work obvious.

Search the myriad of Scamp threads you will see plenty of them where handy owners have done excellent work on restoration. With such projects it’s best to have a covered work area. I’ve spent 3 months so far on my Trillium, 10 to 20 hours a week. I’m about half done. Taking a breather right now.