The paperwork with my trailer lists the axle manufacturer as "Henschen", but there was an envelope taped one of the axles that contained a bill of lading from "Dexter Axle" and describing the size, rating, etc. of the axle.
Are they one and the same company?
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John W. Irwin
2005 Classic 28 "Sabre-Dog III"
2004 Silverado 2500HD Duramax/Allison
WBCCI Region 9 Webmaster, #9632
The paperwork with my trailer lists the axle manufacturer as "Henschen", but there was an envelope taped one of the axles that contained a bill of lading from "Dexter Axle" and describing the size, rating, etc. of the axle.
Are they one and the same company?
Is there an ID plate on the axle? The Henschen axles have these welded on with load rating, serial number, etc.
Henschen is the OEM maker and still makes axles for vintage Airstreams as well. Could you axles have been routed though a Dexter dealer??
Henschen is 2 blocks from the Airstream factory and my trailer is brand new. There would be no reason to get Dexter involved in any way unless Dexter is making the axles under cointract to Henschen or maybe Dexter puts on the wheels, brakes, etc., or maybe Henschen makes all of the Dexter Dura-Torque axles. There are a lot of possibilities.
The Dexter bill-of-lading had all the specs for the axle on it, size, weight rating, etc. and looked just like the paperwork I received when I replaced an axle on my Scamp many years ago,
Yet, the "Certified Performance Checkout" sheet given me by the dealer says clearly "axle - Henschen - serial # 764...922 - model 2500#.
This arouses my curiosity.
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John W. Irwin
2005 Classic 28 "Sabre-Dog III"
2004 Silverado 2500HD Duramax/Allison
WBCCI Region 9 Webmaster, #9632
In these days of "Outsourcing", nothing would surprise me. I must have spent an least 3 hours last night following the "Paper Trail" of Thor, Dexter, QCB Products, Tomkins, Philips, the AL-KO Group...and I can't remember who else. All of these companies build Torsion-type Axles. And all of these companies have a Fab shop in Elkhart, Indiana.
After 1998, there was a flurry of sell-off and buy-offs of all these companies, all of which build axles and brakes.
I would guess that Hencshen outsourced at least the Axle portion to Dexter.
-BobbyWright
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-BobbyW AIR# 123
-Guess what? I got a fever! And the only prescription.. is more cowbell!
-"You want to make it two inches - or, if you're working in centimeters, make sure it's enough centimeters for two inches."
-Red Green
I cant beleive airstream would use anything other than dexter for the simple reason you can buy Dexter parts everywhere NAPA<autozone
If you break down on the road you want that availability. Dexter is a good axle. Never heard of Henschen for a MFG. or maybe dexter parts are interchangable for this reason and they give you both packets if info
I cant beleive airstream would use anything other than dexter for the simple reason you can buy Dexter parts everywhere NAPA<autozone
If you break down on the road you want that availability. Dexter is a good axle. Never heard of Henschen for a MFG. or maybe dexter parts are interchangable for this reason and they give you both packets if info
Airstream switched to a compatable Dexter axle for a while several years ago when Henschen shipped them a bunch with underlubricated bearings and cause Airstream a major recall and expense.
Airstream switched to a compatable Dexter axle for a while several years ago when Henschen shipped them a bunch with underlubricated bearings and cause Airstream a major recall and expense.
I think it was just last year, wasn't it?
Airstream didn't have much of a choice about axles until four or five years ago, as Henschen was owned by Thor/Airstream.
Henschen was purchased earlier this year by GKN Off Highway, a European congloperation. It's previous owner was Lakin General, a tire recycler.
Airstream switched to a compatable Dexter axle for a while several years ago when Henschen shipped them a bunch with underlubricated bearings and cause Airstream a major recall and expense.
Airstream has used Dexter axles. Additionally confusing - is that - a Henschen axle uses a lot of Dexter parts. Check the serial number tag on the axle to be 100% sure of the manufacturer.
Don -- It's in the Forum archives somewhere but I'd hate to have to find it. I think it was Spring '05 that they switched to Dexters. My '06 Safari (build date: approx August 8, 2005) has Dexters. Just guessing but I believe they switched back to Henschens in February of this year.
Don -- It's in the Forum archives somewhere but I'd hate to have to find it. I think it was Spring '05 that they switched to Dexters. My '06 Safari (build date: approx August 8, 2005) has Dexters. Just guessing but I believe they switched back to Henschens in February of this year.
This is something we will need to track carefully, as sometime in the future it could become a headache for an owner of a vintage 2005 coach that needs axles. Of course, by then I will be more worried about the axles on my wheelchair...
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Terry Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine
AIR#2611
..Just guessing but I believe they switched back to Henschens in February of this year.
I kind of thought Airstream might go back to their neighbor, but it would be really nice to have someone "in the biz" confirm that.
The funny thing is while that it probably does not matter in the grand scheme of things, I have come to associate "Henschen" with "Airstream" no matter who owns either company.
Axle bearings and the seals can be had at many Rv stores and other outlets.
Dexter does not make their own bearings or the seals ,additionally Ive just
serviced 6 cargo trailers with dexter axles and all had been over greased
and had the grease completely all over the shoes ,magnets,drums etc .
These trailers are all tandems ,with the 10 and 12 " brakes ,never been
serviced since new ,so watch out for that as the greasing thru the spindle
forces grease out of the seal into the drum ,the seals were double lip as well
what a mess ,don't rely on the grease thru the spindle ,and you don't know
how much grease is being forced in anyway ,lastly it enters in the inner bearing surface part of the spindle only ,not the outer.the trailers are all
2005 and newer.Dexter may have been trying to ensure no under greasing
but they got too much for sure .
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