Broken axles

[Kitchenpan]

Broken Axles

I have a 2014 Salem 27RLSS. It was purchased new in February 2015. It has less than 3000 miles on it. While having some service done on it I was told and shown two axles that need to be replaced on my camper. All four tires showed wear on the inside showing a bow in the axles. I’ve got a couple of questions that no one seems able to answer. How did this happen after such light use. It’s only used by my wife and myself. The replacement axles are rated for 3500 pounds each for a total of 7000 pounds. However according to Salem specs the dry weight is 6373 and the payload weight is 1239 for a total of 7612. Is this a case of they just don’t use the right size capacity axles? I’d appreciate it if someone could explain this for me. Thanks.

[GordonThree]

Going to a bigger beam means new brakes, wheels, tires too? Or can I bolt my 5 lug brakes onto a 3 inch beam?

[flguppie]

Redneck-trailer.com

I’m in the same boat. I’m going to have an RV shop swap out my 3500lb bent axles for 4400lb axles. I’ll let them research and get the correct supplies and do the work. This is beyond what I want to tackle as a DIY project. They said they use Redneck Trailer Supply for the parts.

[Terry78]

I think laws need to be changed to prevent this kind of thing from happening
in the first place. If you add 30+ gallons of fresh water, 40# propane, 10
gallons of black water, You have over loaded the trailer considerably. That
does not include food clothes towels clean clothes people pet food or pets.

[drsteve]

GordonThree wrote:
Anyone with links to the 4400? Is this something a suspension shop orders but isn't common on the Internet for some reason?

4400 LB Axle Beam

[GordonThree]

Anyone with links to the 4400? Is this something a suspension shop orders but isn't common on the Internet for some reason?

[Kitchenpan]

Huntindog- after much consideration I’m taking your advice. Upgrading from two 3500 pound axles to two 4400 axles. Thanks to everyone for the discussion. It certainly has been enlightening.

[GrandpaKip]

Has the trailer been weighed? We all know that dry weight is a mythical number.
My guess is that if you subtract the brochure tongue weight from the gross, it would be within specs. Just barely. Then the builder can say that it’s all good.

[Huntindog]

Kitchenpan wrote:
Broken Axles

I have a 2014 Salem 27RLSS. It was purchased new in February 2015. It has less than 3000 miles on it. While having some service done on it I was told and shown two axles that need to be replaced on my camper. All four tires showed wear on the inside showing a bow in the axles. I’ve got a couple of questions that no one seems able to answer. How did this happen after such light use. It’s only used by my wife and myself. The replacement axles are rated for 3500 pounds each for a total of 7000 pounds. However according to Salem specs the dry weight is 6373 and the payload weight is 1239 for a total of 7612. Is this a case of they just don’t use the right size capacity axles? I’d appreciate it if someone could explain this for me. Thanks.

Many have offered possibilities.

But, all 4 tires wearing on the inside is a classic sign of overloading.
It is easy to do. And your TT like many doesn't have any extra axle capacity.
So you can weigh it... But regardless, you need to move up in axle size to prevent a repeat.

I would not mess with an alignment shop. For several reasons, mainly because rebending the axles back to spec will not fix the reason they bent in the first place.

Axles are cheap and easy to do.

Welcome to the TT world. Many things will break. I have a system that has served me well: Whenever something breaks, I fix it better than it was. I have never had to go back and fix that item again.

[whiteeye42]

all axles have a bow in them so that way when you load it up they straighten out your might be bowed a little to much one thing you can do is take it to a truck shop and have them check the bow and if need be thay can either bend some more or take the bow out

[Fisherman]

goducks10 wrote:
Upside down axles?

Bingo, you win. Somebody put the spring perches on the wrong side and they installed them that way.

[drsteve]

A commercial truck and trailer shop would be my next stop. They have the equipment and know how to check alignment and put the proper camber back in the axles if necessary. Most RV dealers are remove-and-replace oriented.

[JIMNLIN]

JCR-1 wrote:
They never take into account a dip , bump,hole,or speed hump.. This is where the loading is magnified and the axle gets bent the wrong way resulting in inside tire wear.Takes only one bump. How much safety factor is built into these axles.. No one knows if any at all.. probably not, thats why so many bend.Cheap manufacturing in USA, and yet we complain about China???

hmmmm...... perhaps a bit of over reaction before all the facts are in. It would take a huge pot hole to bend both axles to show inside wear issues on all 4 tires like the OPs trailer. OP would sure remember doing so.
Having made a living pulling trailers at max loads 24/7 with the same size and brand axles we rv with.....we haven't found they bend because their cheap or they hit one bump or some how don't work as designed.
On the contrary. Axles seldom gives us any problems. Remember these type trailers gvwr is usually the sum of the axle ratings....and we carry up to full axle loads 24/7 for hundreds of thousand miles.

[JCR-1]

They never take into account a dip , bump,hole,or speed hump.. This is where the loading is magnified and the axle gets bent the wrong way resulting in inside tire wear.Takes only one bump. How much safety factor is built into these axles.. No one knows if any at all.. probably not, thats why so many bend.Cheap manufacturing in USA, and yet we complain about China???

[goducks10]

Upside down axles?