Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I received my full scale profile of a Kenskill from Grant at Lil Bear tears and boy are they great. If anyone is looking for this type of information this is a great service. Anyway, I am now doing research on axles and I thinking of maybe making tear 5 foot wide instead of 4 foot wide. There is much talk about torsion axles on this site and I think that is the way I want to go, so does anyone recommend one vendor over another as far as axles are concerned? Also, does anyone have any strong opinions about making a Kenskill model 5 foot wide as far as the aestetics are concerned?
Rick

Make the Kenskill the width you wish. Grant does do great work don't he?

I'm building my next tear right now. The axles I'm going to use are the short or 1/2 or stub torsion axles. I've decided to do this for several reasons.

1) I can raise the tear just by changing out the axle undoing 6 bolts on each side.
2) I can lower the tear just by changing out the axle undoing 6 bolts on each side.
3) I can carry spare axles. They are really small so they will ride in the back of the truck.
4) They have a smoother ride.
5) I won't need shocks.
6) Much eaiser to work with.

I've given the welder the plans today and will be getting the axles tomorrow. Hope to hear back from him next week as to how much it's going to cost.

I've modified the cross chassis and he said shouldn't take much more than an hour or so to weld.

Bufordt

Rick,

Just google "torsion axle" and you will find a few manufacturers our there. What you choose will depend on what your local supplier carries and your cost. It should be no problem to find an axle for a 5' wide application. They can be ordered with a selection of hubs, wheel offsets, widths and bolt or weld on installations.

Good luck, Mark

If you have a Tractor Supply in your area, they sell axles.

Kerry

...try Northern Tools, or etrailers.com or your local steel/welding/trailere supply, oh yeah and Redneck Trailers, the Flexirdes are adjustable but usallly a little more expensive than the Dexter's
madjack

Rick, looks like we are heading down the same path. I just ordered the Ken-Skill pattern from Grant and also want to build it five feet wide for sleeping comfort and more galley space. I have been looking at tears for several years and decided I liked the look of the Ken-Skill the best. Just started a thread today in the "Teardrop Construction Tips & Techniques" section asking about independent vs solid axle torsion setups and have received some good feedback, and was led to an older thread with lots of good info. Keep me posted on how your plans develop for your tear. I don't expect to get started for at least a month or two. By the way, where are you located.

Lee

Rick,
I'm going with a Flexiride torsion axle because I like the idea of having a swing arm that gives me the option of changing the start angle.

I see from the Flexiride manufacturer's web site that they make independent torsion units too - indeed, they don't show one-piece axles on this page.

Andrew

rick5860 wrote:I received my full scale profile of a Kenskill from Grant at Lil Bear tears and boy are they great. If anyone is looking for this type of information this is a great service. Anyway, I am now doing research on axles and I thinking of maybe making tear 5 foot wide instead of 4 foot wide. There is much talk about torsion axles on this site and I think that is the way I want to go, so does anyone recommend one vendor over another as far as axles are concerned? Also, does anyone have any strong opinions about making a Kenskill model 5 foot wide as far as the aestetics are concerned?
Rick

We use Dexter Axles on our Freedom Teardrop Trailers
Merlin

I found interesting torsion suspension units on the Northern Tools web site http://tinyurl.com/ccj98. They are individual units that mount on the side rails, not a complete axle. I'd put a cross member at that point to have a good secure mounting area. Andrew says they are popular in England. He suggested this mounting technique so as not to overhead and damage the rubber inside: 1. bolt the unit to a piece of plate steel. 2. tack weld the plate in place under the chassis in the correct location (make sure it is aligned properly). 3. Unbolt and remove the torsion unit. 4. Weld the place securely to the chassis. 4. Bolt the torsion units back onto the plate and mount the hubs and wheels. This will also allow replacement of the torsion units later if needed.

The cost of a 2000 lb set is 139.99 and for a 1500 lb set, 129.99. The high speed hubs are $40.99 for 4-bolt and 41.99 for 5-bolt per set. This is comparable to a standard spring axle for cost, if not cheaper (under $200 with shipping). I think I'll go with these.

Dale

I got my axel from Redneck Trailer Supply. My 900 pound torsional was about $159, and includes hubs and lug nuts. They will make them any width you want, and have several weight ratings availible, as well as different angles for the torsion arm.
http://www.redneck-trailer.com/

If you live near one of their locations you can pick up your axel, otherwise they can ship it.

There is an adjustable torsionsal axel availible that some others on this forum have used, but it is over $200 for one of them.