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David and Danette View Drop Down
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Joined: 24 Nov 2009
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Posts: 1215 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Replacement axle?
    Posted: 20 Sep 2018 at 1:21pm
     It all comes down to cargo capacity! The Vibes are heavier than the r-pods and they were built in the beginning with 3,500 lb axles, the engineers were not thinking. After axles started bending they realized their mistake and the last two years the Vibes were built with a 4,400 lb. axle and 15" wheels. Some of the models if you filled the water tank to capacity you were left with about 100 lbs available for personal cargo. The Vibes were built for four years 2015 being the last year. I think maybe the Vistas or the Ascends in the beginning were built with the same problem very little cargo capacity.
2018 Vista Cruiser 19BFD (2018-              
2012 Vibe 6503 (2014-2019)
2009 r-pod 171 (2009-2014)
Middle Tn
2014 Ram 1500 Quad cab


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Happy Tripping View Drop Down
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Posts: 473 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Sep 2018 at 12:55pm
Amazing! No comments re 'rated capacity'!

So, I called Dexter at 864-263-3170 and talked to 'Justin', who seemed to know what he was talking about.

If I understood him right, 3000# capacity axles like ours have 3500# components but the rubber of the torqflex axle is tweaked to 3000# to better fit the requirements of the r-pod trailer's weight.

The next step up, the 4200# torqflex, requires 15" tires but is built more stoutly than the 3500# model. Presumably, the rubber would also need to be downgraded to 3000# capacity as with the 3500# one, but we didn't talk about that.

From my own poking around, for'ultralight trailers', I believe 3500# axles have been 'industry standard'. If indeed Vibes are now being upgraded to 4200# axles, that would be very good news if it became standard for r-pods. Having a bent axle of my own, in my opinion, 3500# axles are just too light.
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Posts: 473 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Sep 2018 at 6:00pm
I don't want to highjack this thread.

I got the 'GAWR' term off a forum comment from 2016. I hope the terminology is correct. My axle just says "Capacity 3000 pounds" on a plate.

However, this is really just meant as an introduction to my next thread-relevant question - 

                    ??What is the rated capacity of the 4200# Dexter axle??

                                                   The World Wonders
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Sep 2018 at 3:55pm
Not if they want to keep selling trailers...99% of buyers don’t delve into it to this level. Do you know what they call a salesperson whose lips are moving? I’ll let you guess the rest, any present company in sales excepted of course.

GAWR is 3000 on a 3500 lb axle?
1994 Chinook Concourse
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Posts: 473 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Sep 2018 at 3:35pm
Concerning bent axles -  

Originally posted by Keith-N-Dar

Fact is that roads are getting in worse shape every year.  People using their Pods will eventually have this trouble.

As Spock would say, "Fascinating!"

If the GAWR of the 3500# axle is 3000#, and a 176 UVW is 2839 #, AND the roads are getting worse, shouldn't travel trailer manufacturers state something like, 

       "We expect you to have to replace your axle unpredictably. Have a nice day. Smile"
"There comes a time in the affairs of a man when he must take the bull by the tail and face the situation" - W.C. Fields
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offgrid View Drop Down
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Sep 2018 at 12:23pm
Yep, that's what I figured furpod, you have to have some sidewall flex if you want to keep your trailer from shaking to pieces.

BTW, based on the weight and balance of the trailer as currently rigged ready to camp, I expect to be at about 3920 lbs trailer GVW fully loaded after I complete my power system and A/C mods, and at about 3550 trailer GAW including the wdh loading. So, I would have slightly exceeded the axle rating, not counting the presumed weight imbalance between the driver and passenger sides. The 4200 lb axle will restore some reserve axle load hopefully without pushing up the GVW much. 
1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
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furpod View Drop Down
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Posts: 6128 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Sep 2018 at 11:19am
Originally posted by offgrid



Why don’t you like the e rated tires if I may ask? Too stiff resulting in more bump loading? I certainly don’t want to shake the trailer to pieces...I tow on unpaved roads a lot to get to those nice quiet dispersed campsites in the national forests.


Because I also run in the Airstream world, and there, it's been proven time and time again that E rated tires transfer way to much NVH to the trailer. Many owners report losing interior rivets on a regular basis after switching, and once convinced it's the E rated tires, and they switch to D's, the damage stops. IME, this is one of the few places where, more, isn't necessarily better.

Another thing, make SURE your tire mounting place, if you don't do them yourself, balances them. Every tire shop in the country seems to believe balancing tires for a trailer isn't needed..

Guess what the second cause of lost rivets after new tires is.. LOL

and no load issues with the wheels, if I remember right, they are rated at 2000lbs or there abouts.. it has been awhile since I dealt with Pod tires/wheels, at least a year anyways. Remember, you are upgrading for more overhead, NOT because you want to load the R-Pod over 3500lbs.
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Posts: 2 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Sep 2018 at 10:23am
Originally posted by offgrid

I too like the idea of a Dexter 4200 lb axle keeping my existing wheels. I have the same (I think) setup as StephenH, 14 inch wheels, 3500 lb Lippert axle. But, and pardon the dumb questions, do the tires and wheels also need to be upgraded to get a 4200 lb rating? Is it possible to swap the brakes from a Lippert axle to the Dexter? Is the Dexter axle a bolt up replacement or is some welding required?

Also, has anyone ever weighed the individual wheels on their trailer? It seems to me it may not be a coincidence that the drivers side tends to fail more than the passenger side, at least in the 179. That side has all the heavy appliances as well as the slide, it has to be carrying more weight.

Thanks!
You probably already know this, but the Dexter axles were installed on some RPod trailers from the factory.

I wonder if the axle itself is heavier on the 4200# or just the torsion spring. If it’s the latter, it won’t really help prevent bent axles.

177 is heavier on passenger side. Slide out, appliances, tanks are over that way.

I’m seriously considering trying to straighten it out and reinforcing the axle. Not much to lose but time.
Matt
2013 RP-177
2007 Chevy Duramax CC
2009 Chevy Tahoe LBZ
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offgrid View Drop Down
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Sep 2018 at 7:55am
OK thanks furpod. A quick look at etrailer suggests the 14 inch d rated tires are rated at 2200 lbs so that is a close match for the 4200 lb axle. Higher tire pressure and stiffness should also reduce rolling resistance which should improve fuel economy a little. Any load limit issues with the wheels themselves?

Why don’t you like the e rated tires if I may ask? Too stiff resulting in more bump loading? I certainly don’t want to shake the trailer to pieces...I tow on unpaved roads a lot to get to those nice quiet dispersed campsites in the national forests.
1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
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furpod View Drop Down
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Posts: 6128 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Sep 2018 at 7:18am
Many owners upgrade their tires to D rated or even E rated, (I do not think going E is a good idea, but that's just me) when they need to replace their tires. C, D, and E tires are all available in the proper 14" size.
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