Any reason not to do a SOA conversion on the tent trailer

[Jerry Bransford]

Thinkin' about doing a spring-over axle conversion on the tent trailer sometime in the spring to give it a little more ground clearance and the ability to handle a little bigger wheel. It currently has the ground clearance of a go-kart and the wheels are a little too small once you pull onto a dirt road. Any reason an SOA conversion would be a bad idea?

[NAILER341]

what kind of axle is on there?
i have been working on axle swaps in my Boler.
it has a torsion axle. mine is being raised a bit as well. i thought those tent trailers had torsion axles under them.

[Jerry Bransford]

It's a straight axle Erik, not a torsion axle. I had to Google what a torsion axle was before I could answer you.

[Lawrence]

What kind of tent trailer do you have? Is it a popup one? If so, check what various manufacturers did since some models now come with bigger tires.

As for your question, I don't see why it would be a problem, same thing as doing it on a YJ. Below is my small trailer with a SOA, YJ springs, and 34" Swampers. The manufacturer took it through the Rubicon before I got it, and I hauled @ss through the Mojave Trail with it. No problems, no breakage and no flip

[Matt Pascoe]

SOA is sooooo last year

You need to link it with coilovers






Back to reality... Like Lawrence said, many of the tent camper mfg's take the standard trailer, add bigger tires and SOA, and call it the adventure model.

I don't see any problem with it

[Jerry Bransford]

Good enough, thanks guys. Awesome trailer Lawrence and yep, mine is a small pop-up tent trailer.

[Tumbleweed]

I have done the soa on several small camping/tent trailers. They really benefit if you add some kind of shock absorbers to them-if not equipped now.
I have usually just went to NAPA and gave them the lengths I wanted, and used whatever house brand they had.

[Lawrence]

Originally Posted by Matt Pascoe

SOA is sooooo last year

You need to link it with coilovers

Back to reality... Like Lawrence said, many of the tent camper mfg's take the standard trailer, add bigger tires and SOA, and call it the adventure model.

I don't see any problem with it

Yep, 14" coilovers is da bomb. Although, if you were to read a certain forum, they'd try to convice you and everyone else that independent suspension and airbags is the only way to go.

Originally Posted by Tumbleweed

I have done the soa on several small camping/tent trailers. They really benefit if you add some kind of shock absorbers to them-if not equipped now.
I have usually just went to NAPA and gave them the lengths I wanted, and used whatever house brand they had.

That's what I have on mine and they are mounted on quick disconnects. When full articulation is needed on the trail, I pull a pin and tuck the shocks in the frame rails.

[Joe Dillard]

I gave away my 12' camping trailer about a year ago. I did an SOA conversion on it. The axle tube was solid & square. All I did was drill two holes for the centerpins & flip the ubolts to go the opposite way. Boom, insta SOA. IIRC, I gained ~4" of clearance.

[Jeff Weston]

Lawrence,

Are those your real plate numbers, and if so, how did you swing that?

[Lawrence]

Originally Posted by Jeff Weston

Lawrence,

Are those your real plate numbers, and if so, how did you swing that?

No they're not, I was having a little fun with the picture. I have boring sequential plates.

[SavageSun4x4]

Jerry,
I considered a SOA but ended up doing a simpler setup that works for me and my 35" MTRs. Not sure how you are set up, but this may or may not work for you. See IV Rear spring shackles install:

http://www.savagesun4x4.com/m101_mil...p_trailer.html

[chef]

Jerry, make sure you build an anti wrap bar so as to combat/avoid axle wrap. Would hate to roast a set of springs on a trailer while pulling it on a long trip.

[Jeff Weston]

Originally Posted by chef

Jerry, make sure you build an anti wrap bar so as to combat/avoid axle wrap. Would hate to roast a set of springs on a trailer while pulling it on a long trip.

Axle wrap on a non-drive axle ... is that possible?

[Lawrence]

Originally Posted by Jeff Weston

Axle wrap on a non-drive axle ... is that possible?

We're talking about Jerry... Anything is possible!
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Sorry Jerry.