Leaf or Axle?

[Dahlia47]

I was reading on here I think last week. I saw someone had added an extra leaf (i dont know what this is??) or switched out an axle so their travel trailer could carry more weight? Which one will need to be done so we can carry a bit more weight?

[gudmund]

go to the "Trailer & Suspension Secrets" here on the forum and open the "Rebuilding an axle/springs for better ride" section at the top of the page. It is a very informative article on leaf springs and the build up of them.

[S. Heisley]

Beefing up your axle and/or springs may be a moot point for you. From the looks of you cute little trailer, I'm guessing that it was built on a Harbor Freight frame and does not have brakes. In most states, if your trailer doesn't have brakes, it isn't supposed to weigh more than 1500 lbs, by law. I would just enjoy it for what it is and, when you're ready, sell it and upgrade.

Hmmm.... Looking at it again, the wheels do have 5 lug nuts; so, either the guy upgraded some already or it wasn't built on a HF trailer. Does it have brakes?

[Socal Tom]

To carry more weight you may need to upgrade both the axle and the springs. The axle has to be rated for the overall weight of the trailer, ( its ok if it can carry more than it needs to, but that also adds weight to pull). The springs need to be matched to the weight. Too stiff and the trailer bounces and beats everything up, too soft and they squish and just sit on the axle, which causes a whole different bouncing problem