31SL Tail Dragger

[Titan Guy]

This is a first for me, never seen this. New Redwood owner since Aug. had these wheels installed. Evidently his driveway in Olympia, Wa. is very steep and this keeps him from bottoming.

[hoosierguy]

Originally Posted by Titan Guy

This is a first for me, never seen this. New Redwood owner since Aug. had these wheels installed. Evidently his driveway in OlymSpia, Wa. is very steep and this keeps him from bottoming.

While I like the idea to protect against tail dragging, it also raises some concern. The maximum down load (force) rating on that hitch is 300 lbs. So, I would be interested in knowing what the engineers consider that maximum up load (force) should be without doing damage to the structure. That owner better make sure he never goes through too deep of a low area or comes off too steep of a hill or there could be a lot of weight showing up in a hurry on those little dolly wheels. But either way, with or without wheels that situation would be bad.....probably better with the wheels.

[superduty glampers]

I think this was talked about before as a warranty killer???

[lwg]

Originally Posted by superduty glampers

I think this was talked about before as a warranty killer???

Only if welded to the frame.

I put these exact ones on my hitch. Think of it this way, if you drag that hitch across pavement it's going to likely have more force without wheels than with wheels. They do hang a little lower buts it's only on issue on steep exits from side streets.

[johnboytoo]

Yes we have discussed it...
I would fill in the holes before I trusted that L_O_N_G frame overhang behind the rv wheels to not bend

and wouldn't dragging the hitch and the dragging wheels will be the same downforce for the same ramp angle?

Just that the wheels will hit first and longer for less of a dip since they are lower than the frame...
IMHO, I wouldn't do wheels ...

[Titan Guy]

Just shared a rack of ribs with the tail dragger's owner. Evidently, the rear axle comes off the ground on his driveway. He had a Cameo that had these wheels only mounted to the frame. He is going to see if some modifications can be made to strengthen the mount.

[hoosierguy]

Originally Posted by lwg

Only if welded to the frame.

I put these exact ones on my hitch. Think of it this way, if you drag that hitch across pavement it's going to likely have more force without wheels than with wheels. They do hang a little lower buts it's only on issue on steep exits from side streets.

I understand the concept and the desire to prevent damage caused by dragging the tail. The upward force will be the same with or without the dolly wheels.

I would rather not get into a situation where that tail could ever drag. Think of it this way.....under a worse case scenario, if the trailer axles/wheels lift off the ground, you have half of the trailer weight on those dolly wheels. That could be 7000 to 9000 lbs depending on model of trailer and how heavily loaded.

But I agree, for minor situations where the trailer is just going brush the rear end, the dolly wheels could save some abrasions.

[Oriana]

With years of experience loading and unloading vehicle ferries I've seen them way too many times. They actually reduce the clearance and only work on really light utility trailers where the wheels take the weight. On heavier trailers they cause more problems, having ripped many of them off.

On a steel deck we used lots of water and soap to help slide the back end.

[lwg]

I put mine on because I was hung up once where it was very difficult to love the trailer (i.e. Stuck...). Regardless of what others think I feel a lot better with them back there. I have zero concerns about damage to the frame as a result of the wheel additions.

[mesg]

wheels.. nice idea.. bad concept... they are not designed to to take sudden heavy loads as heavy as our rigs.. especially if you are bottoming out enough to lift an axle or both off the ground.. Skid bars.. either bolted or welded to the frame... yes I understand it voids the warranty (with Redwood).. but the best solution for steep inclines and descents.
Both our Carriages had them on the rear frame.. bellow the bike rack... INSTALLED FROM THE FACTORY. I would be very concerned for the rear frame section and sidewall structure with the dolly wheels fully supporting the weight of our units with one or more axles being airbourne

[lwg]

How much weight do you actually think is placed on these wheels? I would assume it's less than 4,000 or 5,000 max. When I think I'm going to drag I'll basically slow to a crawl, I expect everyone is greatly over reacting to the effect these have on the frame. All things being equal, a frame that can slide easily or roll in this case will be better off than one being dragged any day...

[Dave&Ginny]

The wheels might not look good but they might help and I sure don't think they're going to hurt the hitch or frame.

[johnboytoo]

We still live in a country that, so far,
you can do MOST of what you want to your STUFF, so to each his own

Yes, in the extreme, if you lever one end on those wheels enough to lift your tires... you tell me how much upward force is applied to those wheels and FOCUSED on the drag wheels attachment point...

enjoy

[Oriana]

Dave - on most trailers they don't tend to damage the frame, as the SWL of the wheels is substantially less than the frame. However I have seen way too many wheels fail, causing more problems than if they weren't in place.

Most times where I have seen the wheels contact the ground and actually roll, if they weren't installed, the frame/hitch would not have contacted the ground. Basically the wheels reduced the available clearance.

In situations where the frame/hitch will contact the ground, the wheels make early contact and on all but really light weight trailers have frequently failed before the frame would contact. I've seen where they get bent, but the worst failure is when the pin sheers and the frame collapses on the wheel.

Basically over the years we have removed hundreds of these wheels with RV's going on or off the ferry.