Pop Up Trailer Mild Off Road Mods (axle/suspension)

[OGL]

Hey all!

I've lurked for awhile and digested about as much as I can from this great forum! Thanks to all you who take the time to share your knowledge and experience!

I recently picked up a 1985 Starcraft Starlite pup up camper. The box is 8', about as small as they come. The empty weight is about 900#, gross ~1400#. The interior, top and lift are all in great shape so I think I got a bargain.

I need advice as to the best way to make this trailer reliable, comfortable and safe for the long haul in a variety of conditions.

Goals: We live in Chicago but will frequently travel throughout MI and WI. I'm not interested in camping on a slab so boondocking and other free range camping will be the norm.

In September we'll be making a 5000 mile trip out west. Main destinations are Northern CA and North Rim Grand Canyon. Again, the less people I can see when I wake up the better.

The trailer has 8" wheels and a torsion axle. I'd like to keep the mods to an axle swap. I'm not interested in cutting into anything at this stage (of course who knows what the future brings).

Also, I don't expect to do any rock crawling. But I'd like to safely and comfortably handle whatever unexpected rough roads I encounter should I simply decide to "turn left" when the mood strikes.

Questions:

Is a simple axle swap a reasonable expectation?

What size tires might be considered minimum? (I have in my head 12")

Torsion vs spring suspension?

Should I even be considering shocks?

Should I just keep the axle, add a spacer and fit new wheels?

Looking forward to your replies.

 

[elmo_4_vt]

In most trailers, I would think that the minimum wheel size should be a 15" so you can get more bolt pattern options to match your tow vehicle, but you can only run what you can depending on the space you have. You can always swap the axle out first, and then see what type of room you have.

Swapping the axle should be a pretty easy job if you get it made to match, and keeping the same orientation with the axle. If you wan to raise it up, then it might make things a little more difficult, but I'm sure there is a trailer shop around you that would do it for not much more than the cost of the axle. There are 2 or 3 within 10 miles of me here in Delaware.

Don

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

I would keep the torsion axle and space it if you need clearance for the new 12" tires.
Keep in mind a popup light construction does not hold up well with rough road.
Just like a vehicle the higher you go the more mods required K.I.S.S. and enjoy your popup for what it is made for.

The main reason you see popup on the side of the road
Under-inflated tires
Tires exceeded/overloaded
Old tires
Lack of wheel bearing maintenance

 

[Brando]

I'm doing something similar to an 80's bonair. I quickly realized that my idea of squeezing 29" tires under there is impossible without huge modifications. So out came the sawsall!. If you don't want to have to cut and reweld your frame then just replace with new parts. Otherwise get ready for some heavy modifications.

 

[OGL]

Thanks for the replies! I've spent even more time since my original post here and elsewhere learning as much as I can. I see that leaf springs and shocks seem to be the standard. I think that's a good start. I don't plan to match the TV wheels and if I have to carry a spare for each so be it. If I understand correctly, for my mild off hwy use the upgrade to shocks on any extended moderate gravel road will be well worth it.

Again, I'm not looking to crawl the most gnarly trails. But I'd like to reliably leave the beaten path from time to time.

I was detailing the frame/suspension and found this:

My German is rusty and limited to ordering bier, but I believe that says the speed limit is 25kph which is 15mph! Really?!?!

 

[98roamer]

12" to 14" are pretty common on popup trailers, ETrailer.com has a bunch of options. PopupExplorer.com has a bunch of knowledge. If you go too high than you need to adjust or add new stabilizer bars. The scissor type are better than the drop arm, imho. Matching tires to the TV with a popup trailer is wishful thinking at best. There's more knowledgeable trailer people on here that can advise about torsion vs springs for the best ride/clearance.

For boondocking, do you have electric, water, Frig. on the camper?

 

[OGL]

12" to 14" are pretty common on popup trailers, ETrailer.com has a bunch of options. PopupExplorer.com has a bunch of knowledge. If you go too high than you need to adjust or add new stabilizer bars. The scissor type are better than the drop arm, imho. Matching tires to the TV with a popup trailer is wishful thinking at best. There's more knowledgeable trailer people on here that can advise about torsion vs springs for the best ride/clearance.

For boondocking, do you have electric, water, Frig. on the camper?

Thanks! I haven't yet been on popupexplorer.com, but while shopping I did get some useful info on popupportal.com. I get the sense they're mostly into finding the right concrete slab at the best campground. Not to belittle that experience. I've spent countless nights in campgrounds. But when I found this forum it was like opening a new door.

The popup has electric hookup but no battery. Fresh water tank but no gray water holding. Just a drain. No fridge, AC or heat. I've only ever tent or truck camped so this in itself is a big step for me. When I was younger I travelled in a 73 VW Westfalia with a 66 Corvair motor. Good times! Later my work truck was an 88 Suburban 4x4 which easily got me wherever I wanted to go. I'm no stranger to backwoods, road trips or wrenching on the side of the road. But I admit to climbing a bit of a learning curve with this trailer.

I'm traveling with family. I'm more interested in taking the time to anticipate potential pitfalls. Bombing down the road and dealing with whatever was fun, but hey...older and wiser I guess. (not necessarily any smarter)

I'll likely add solar to the mix. But getting out there is 1st on the list.

I think I've settled on solid axle, leaf springs and shocks. I don't weld, but I've got some decently reliable friends. The AT TASS system looks great! But costs more than I paid for the trailer.

I'll pick a few pieces and report back here for specific feedback.

Thanks again to all of you who take the time to write detailed replies. This real world experience is invaluable to someone like me.

 

[jnelson4x4taco]

I had a small Coleman pop up for awhile and had good luck with a spring over axle flip. Basically I just bought new spring perches and welded them on top of the axle. I had planned on a stronger axle and 15s but soon realized that "trusty rusty" would follow me through whatever I drug it through, no problem. The axle has a built in camber so that it flattens out when under a load so you don't want to just flip it, because then the camber will be going the wrong way and you will lose load capacity. I also really like the leaf spring setup for its tried and true design. I'm not familiar withtorsen axles but I've worked on a fair share of leaf sprung suspensions to know myway around them. Good luck, and enjoy the heck out of it, the wife and I really miss that old Coleman we had, good times.