Reflection 337rls suspension/not level towing

[scottishskier]

Greetings!

We have a 2021 Refelction 337rls going on 3 years now and up until yesterday I just thought the fact our nose runs high when hooked up and going down the road was just the result of our truck and something to live with and not really a concern. I saw a post about this with something showing off their new rig and a comment was made to them about this. I happened to be at the dealer yesterday having the fridge wiring recall handled and talked to the techs who also confirmed this. They as well as others also confirmed the trailer will ride much better if leveled. We have been all over the western US with this rig under these circumstances with no issues but the ride could be better and Im sure this will affect the axles. I saw a guy picking up his reflection and it was level when hooked up and it just looks right.

Our truck, a 2011 Ram 2500 4x4 does have a beefed up rear suspension with airbags and with what are about 34" tires as they are 315s but no lift kit, front is leveled with solid reworked suspension but thats the front. The pin box on trailer is all the way up from when we purchased the trailer and the axles are under the springs. Measuring the space under the frame at the very front and the space under the frame at the very rear, the difference is 7" when hooked to truck dry other than the permanent items we keep inside. So it appears we need to split that difference on the suspension and raise it up about 3"? How do we safely do this? Will new longer spring hangers work? Current hangers are stock 4". Will a new leaf spring set up combined with longer spring hangers work? I know blocks are out of the question.

I thank you all in advance for any suggestions or any aftermarket solutions.

[TucsonJim]

Hi scottishskier - Welcome to the technical forum. You bring up a great question that's been debated on the forum for years.

First, do NOT consider using longer spring hangers. There are a ton of forces at play with your suspension. Spring hangers are notorious for failing over time. And the longer they are, the greater chance of failure. I'm attaching a photo of a broken spring hanger another owner posted 303 Living.



So how can you raise the suspension without potentially jeopardizing one of the primary failure points? There are a couple of ways that I've seen it done.

1. Weld in a beam along the frame for the correct spacing, and mount new hangers to it.
2. Purchase trailer lifting blocks of the correct height and install them. I've done this on my last two RVs and they worked just fine. You can raise it anywhere from 1" to 3-1/2". If you do this, make certain you order new U-bolts from them. You should never re-use U-bolts, even though your current one's would not fit. The Tie-plates you currently have are fine to re-use, so you can save that money if desired. Speaking of price, they are a Canadian company, so the price listed is in Canadian dollars. Your price will be billed at the typical exchange rate. Here's a website if you want to check them out:
https://www.trailerblocks.com/.

I'm sure other forum members will be along shortly to offer additional suggestions.

One final word. No matter which solution you go with, I'd recommend that you install X-Factor braces in all three locations to stiffen up your suspension and help reduce the possibility of a spring hanger break.

Jim

[TedS]

Can you lower the hitch? Without sacrificing too much bed rail clearance.

[Yoda]

Greetings!

We have a 2021 Refelction 337rls going on 3 years now and up until yesterday I just thought the fact our nose runs high when hooked up and going down the road was just the result of our truck and something to live with and not really a concern. I saw a post about this with something showing off their new rig and a comment was made to them about this. I happened to be at the dealer yesterday having the fridge wiring recall handled and talked to the techs who also confirmed this. They as well as others also confirmed the trailer will ride much better if leveled. We have been all over the western US with this rig under these circumstances with no issues but the ride could be better and Im sure this will affect the axles. I saw a guy picking up his reflection and it was level when hooked up and it just looks right.

Our truck, a 2011 Ram 2500 4x4 does have a beefed up rear suspension with airbags and with what are about 34" tires as they are 315s but no lift kit, front is leveled with solid reworked suspension but thats the front. The pin box on trailer is all the way up from when we purchased the trailer and the axles are under the springs. Measuring the space under the frame at the very front and the space under the frame at the very rear, the difference is 7" when hooked to truck dry other than the permanent items we keep inside. So it appears we need to split that difference on the suspension and raise it up about 3"? How do we safely do this? Will new longer spring hangers work? Current hangers are stock 4". Will a new leaf spring set up combined with longer spring hangers work? I know blocks are out of the question.

I thank you all in advance for any suggestions or any aftermarket solutions.

Your going to hate this suggestion, but put the truck back to stock height, or get new new one Your due with a 2011.

Jim has given you some excellent suggestions. I looked into lifting blocks myself and found they too add additional stress to the spring hangers.. Your best bet is the sub frame, but $$$$ and needs to be done by a pro. BTW check you rear tire and spring wear. Being 7" nose high can put a lot of stress on the rear axle.

Trying to help here
Keith