General Questions for my 1977 Nomad

[rxinhed]

I recently picked up a 1977 Nomad 21' camper trailer that suites the needs of my family and can be towed by vehicles I own, especially my Ramcharger.

I'm aware that the trailer construction is much biased for on-road travel, but how durable would this be for USFS-type forest road? As I live in NorCal within range of Mt. Shasta and Mt. Lassen, I'd like to visit a little closer than KOA-like facilities.

What I've considered is simple, flipping the axles to spring over and adding 31" tires. There would be approximately 6" height gain with these simple mods.

Seeking opinions...

Ramcharger and Nomad:

 

[LuckyDan]

People in my neck of the woods drag them all over the National Forests here; ie Ochoco, Malheur, Deschutes, Umatilla and so on. The axle flip is pretty popular if yours are non cambered axles. The reason is not so much the overall ground clearance, though not a bad idea, but greater approach/descend angle off the USFS roads. The angle to park and camp is usually steep enough to drag them.

The big thing to remember is they are basically a wood/metal box on a somewhat ladder frame. Hauling them around the fire and logging roads tends to shake the seams loose and requires vigilance with tools and sealant to keep them water tight.

Good luck in your travels.

 

[rxinhed]

This trailer has cambered axles and will receive the obligatory new spring pads to accomplish the lift. Thanks for the advice.

 

[UHAULER]

Here is a 77 nomad 17' that we had for a short time. Only used it a few times. I did lift it with longer shackles and put on some 15x8 chevy rally wheels with 31's. It was too heavy and bulky for where I wanted to go. I called mine "kindling". If you already own it, just run it until it becomes firewood.

 

[rxinhed]

'Kindling' is appropriate. I've had many similar trailers that decomposed over time using them for garden sheds and parts/tool houses. I bought this Nomad for the large bathroom and it will log mostly paved road miles anyway, just want some more height. This trailer drags a bit in my flat driveway approach.