Going Boondocking with my new Imagine 3100RD. Need more ground clearance.

[Jtfstone]

Wanting to go boondocking in the Colorado mountains with my new Imagine 3100RD and need more ground clearance. What is the best method for getting 3-4 more inches of clearance? I have the adjustable drop hitch on my truck ('15 Silverado 2500HD diesel) so keeping it level won't be a problem. Any ideas?

There is almost no information on lifting a travel trailer on the web and I see no products for this purpose.

[Cate&Rob]

Jtfstone

Welcome to our owners technical forum!

The most common way to lift a trailer using the existing suspension, is to place spacer blocks between the axle and the springs. 3" to 4" would be A LOT to accomplish using this method. You would want to consider reinforcing the spring hangers if you were going to do this.

Beyond this, you are into custom suspension systems with higher arch springs and lengthened hangers. This would take some careful engineering and/or a qualified fabricator.

Is your truck significantly lifted? Typically the ground clearance of the truck is less than the ground clearance of a stock TT.

Rob

[Country Campers]

Jtfstone

Welcome to the forum.

This is a pretty big undertaking. A few things I would have thoughts on.

You may wish to remove the whole suspension and start over to achieve the required height. Adding blocks or even higher weight springs will cause you more stress on the remaining components as Rob has suggested above. Even with building your own suspension I think your next issue will be the frame. These , and any , RV's are designed to almost the basic use of materials to keep weight and price down. That being said if you do install your own suspension you will impart many more forces on the frame and all of its structures that it may not handle. That is a pretty long trailer and getting any kind of height advantage while "off roading" would be great but it may cause you some issues.

Brian

[howson]

Country Campers -- you can't say I'm not always ready to contribute a helpful idea.



I'm on a roll today...

[Jtfstone]

From a purely physics standpoint, it seems to me that adding 3-4 inch blocks would place the exact same weight in the exact same location on the axles. The only negative result would be a slightly higher CG and slightly worse aerodynamics. The geometry wouldn't change.

The longer TT creates longer overhangs and lower breakover angles for the undercarriage and plumbing that hangs below the frame. A few more inches of clearance would significantly help me get into some of the remote locations I like to camp. Nothing crazy offroad but enough to clear the mounds and whoops in the dirt roads where I go.

I guess I just need to find a fabricator to make the blocks shaped to cradle the axles and longer heavy duty U bolts.

[Guest]

When considering the desired height increase up to 4 inches, it would be best to remove the current hangers have a sub frame welded in, and new hangers welded back in. 4 inch spring blocks would result in additional spring wrap and increased longitudinal braking forces on the hangers, so adding height to the frame should be considered.