Towing 34' Excella down a short hill

[jgilbey]

I've read some threads about going up/down steep driveway and recommendation to not put any rollers or anything that would cause weight to be supported at the back bumper, because it could affect the frame, but what about this situation where maybe the bumper "may" clear the ground, but the first two sets of axles would still be suspended because of the contact points of the hitch and the rearmost wheels. Is that okay?

[Bill M.]

I would think that is just what you do not want to do. There is no "frame" at the rear. So the back of the trailer would be suspended by the skin and the outriggers.

[jgilbey]

Originally Posted by Bill M.

I would think that is just what you do not want to do. There is no "frame" at the rear. So the back of the trailer would be suspended by the skin and the outriggers.

Can you clarify? Isn't the back always suspended? I'm thinking to get this trailer down behind my paved driveway (and down a dirt hill), that it would look something like the picture, where it is attached to the back of a truck at the front, but going down the hill, it may only be rolling on the back wheels, while everything else is floating.

[uraljohn]

If you're looking to do a one time "Move it into position and leave it there" situation, consider hiring a low-rise flatbed truck to put it on and move it to where you want it. Any local towing company could take a look at what you want to accomplish and advise for a SAFE move.

[Fungus]

I laid some two-bys (…4, 6, 8) across the low point of my driveway entrance parallel to the axles. This might allow more than one axle to support the weight of the trailer in your situation. I installed the 3-inch lift before crossing the gap again.

[civeng99]

Originally Posted by Fungus

I laid some two-bys (…4, 6, 8) across the low point of my driveway entrance parallel to the axles. This might allow more than one axle to support the weight of the trailer in your situation. I installed the 3-inch lift before crossing the gap again.

Having towed one for a number of years I’m surprised you could get the front two axels to come off the ground without seriously dragging the rear end. I’d be very very careful about being nice to that rear end given the issues they have with sag and separation.

It’s been awhile since I’ve towed one but yikes.

[jgilbey]

Originally Posted by Fungus

I laid some two-bys (…4, 6, 8) across the low point of my driveway entrance parallel to the axles. This might allow more than one axle to support the weight of the trailer in your situation. I installed the 3-inch lift before crossing the gap again.

Interesting. With the lift, you still didn't have axles floating?

[richard5933]

I haven't done the geometry work on this problem, but is it possible for you to pull this trailer through a dip in the road deep enough to cause an axel to be free-floating without also dragging the rear end?

[Fungus]

Originally Posted by jgilbey

Interesting. With the lift, you still didn't have axles floating?

With the lift the wheels might come off the ground if I approached it head on. But I approach the dip at an angle. So I don’t have the data that might apply to your scenario.

With the boards and no lift the wheels maintained contact with the driveway. After getting the boards the right height and the right span, I marked the driveway with a couple of dots of paint and photographed the whole thing in case I needed to do it again some day. There had been a fair amount of finagling to get it right.

[Bill M.]

"but going down the hill, it may only be rolling on the back wheels, while everything else is floating."

I have of course never done this. But...I think if you do it that way you will probably damage the rear of the trailer, both the Al skin and the outriggers and floor attachment. I think you need to work out a way to not drag the rear of the trailer. Either by filling the dip somehow or just not going there with the trailer.

[Fungus]

Depending on the depth and length of the dip, I wonder if you could span it with two sets of RhinoRamps with the high ends touching. I used RhinoRamps to drive one axle onto in order to install the lift on the other axle. Your span could be too long.

If it was a maneuver I expected perform often, I’d build a ramp to span the dip. Something that could be dismantled and stored. That was my plan before I decided to install the lift.

[Wazbro]

Originally Posted by richard5933

I haven't done the geometry work on this problem, but is it possible for you to pull this trailer through a dip in the road deep enough to cause an axle to be free-floating without also dragging the rear end?

Not sure about a dip, there is a campground (I believe in Virginia it's been a few years) that had a ridiculously high sharp speed bump that would lift an Airstream 1 axle at a time so just that 1 axle was touching the ground. My father towed a 34' Airstream over it with no apparent damage.

[jgilbey]

Originally Posted by Bill M.

"but going down the hill, it may only be rolling on the back wheels, while everything else is floating."

I have of course never done this. But...I think if you do it that way you will probably damage the rear of the trailer, both the Al skin and the outriggers and floor attachment. I think you need to work out a way to not drag the rear of the trailer. Either by filling the dip somehow or just not going there with the trailer.

Thanks.
Are you saying that it can damage the Airstream by riding on only the back axle, or just if it actually drags on the bumper?

I will look to even out the slope as much as possible.

[Bill M.]

My concern is if the rear bumper is dragged, either with helper wheels or just dragged so it supports the Airstream. The axles are all on a solid frame. Having 1 or 2 axels suspended while at a very low speed would not concern me. The bumper is not supported by the frame.

[civeng99]

The back multiple feet aren’t supported by the frame.

[dznf0g]

Originally Posted by civeng99

The back multiple feet aren’t supported by the frame.

I don't know why you say this. My (and I believe OPs is the same) frame rail members extend past the rear shell wall. That said there is a long span from the rear of the axle plates to the skid plates. Dragging is never a good thing.

[civeng99]

Originally Posted by dznf0g

I don't know why you say this. My (and I believe OPs is the same) frame rail members extend past the rear shell wall. That said there is a long span from the rear of the axle plates to the skid plates. Dragging is never a good thing.

If I remember correctly the bumper bolts into the frame well back under the rear end. I’d guess a couple feet of the back that “bulge out”have no frame rails under them but rather just the bumper supports. Regardless the frames like to droop on the 34s. I personally would absolutely try to avoid tail dragging of any sort.

[thewolffman]

I had a similar problem at our old house. We had a steep concrete driveway about 30 ft long and then we had a 4 ft wide level sidewalk to get across. At the time we had a 2014 Classic 31 ft. Every time I took the trailer in or out, even on an angle, the back frame rails would drag the concrete. I had a couple of small casters welded onto the rails in the back but that seemed to make matters worse because they actually contacted earlier then before.So I removed them.
The solution I found was purchasing two very arched aluminum ramps that were 8' 5" ft long and 12" wide. They were only rated for 1,500 lbs but they worked fine.
I placed them a down a little before the trailer wheels would come to the level sidewalk and they were long enough to reach over the sidewalk into the street and even over the dip for the gutter. I carried them on the road with us for years and have used them dozens of times over the years. I think they were $149 a piece back then. Just a thought.


thewolffman

[howell57]

If you look at your rear frame member, they have beefed up that point with the frame wing folded to make a skid plate sort of a area. You will know it if you are Bottoming out if you hear a dragging sound. I have thought about putting a rod point to point with a oversized OD rod over it at the corners.

[dznf0g]

Originally Posted by civeng99

If I remember correctly the bumper bolts into the frame well back under the rear end. I’d guess a couple feet of the back that “bulge out”have no frame rails under them but rather just the bumper supports. Regardless the frames like to droop on the 34s. I personally would absolutely try to avoid tail dragging of any sort.

My, and I believe OP's, have no traditional bumper. They have a roll out storage bumper with cosmetics (plastic and fiberglass) to look like a "bumper". The frame rails extend about 5" BEYOND the shell and have small angle iron cross members inside the plastic "bumper".

This style, that was discontinued circa 2015??



EDIT: Correction; I went out and took a closer look. It's kind of hard to see, as there is belly skin in that area, but by pressing and feeling the frame rail ends AT the outside of the shell (IOW, the shell is bolted to the frame rails at those locations). The skid plates are welded at the frame rail tips, with their rear end relatively flush with the frame rail ends. The rest of the structure back there (angle iron cross pieces) are just to support the "bumper" shell and the rear storage drawer.

In any case, both my 30'er and OP's 34'er have a long cantilevered body and tail dragging can cause damage. I had an episode on Marathon Key which didn't wrinkle any skin, but did crack the rear compartment lower left weld for the door frame.