Caravan Axle Upgrades start with the Wheel Offset.
When upgrading your current caravan wheels, first measure your wheel offset.
Place the wheel on the ground, face down and put a straight edge across the tyre.
In the case below, the wheel offset is 8 inches (200mm). What can go wrong?
When buying replacement wheels, it is unlikely you will be sold a wheel with the same wheel offset.
You need to take into consideration wider wheels and a different offset, so purchase your wheels first.
Quite common for folks to purchase a tyre and see the tyre touch the chassis rail when bolted into position.
You should have between 35mm and 50mm clearance between the tyre and the chassis rail with the tyres locked into position.
Tyres can be purchased cheaply from Car Wreckers or bought new from your trailer dealer.
Remember, tyres from the wreckers may have been let down for beach work countless times.
Secondhand tyres have sustained wall damage that you would not know about, and neither would the dealer selling the tyres.
If you want tyres rated up to 4,500 kg or more, check the tyre rating, as most off-road tyres are rated to 1,050 kg.
This rating is OK on most trailers.
Wheel PCD
Now let’s talk about PCD or Pitch Circle Diameter. With your wheel PCD and Offset, we can get that Axle perfectly set so it fits your trailer the first time and meets all your expectations.
Trace around your wheel studs with a piece of paper and a pencil, then measure the diameter.
A 1/4″ difference in diameter can make the difference between right drums and wrong drums.
Caravan Axles
Most caravans and campers are upgraded because the existing 39mm Round Axles and 40mm Square Axles have been performing at maximum capacity since the day they were purchased.
Upgrade to 45mm Round or 45mm Square Axles with 1600 kg Parallel bearings sets are common for trailer and caravan owners.
This setup will take you almost everywhere except Cape York, corrugated roads and off-road usage.
Upgrades to 45mm Round or 45mm Square Axles in a parallel-bearing format are a winner if you want a really tough trailer.
Parallel bearings and 10” Drums give you 1600 kg capacity.
For really heavy caravan rigs, 50mm square or 60mm round Axles with 12-inch off-road electric braking systems are the ultimate for those heavy rigs that are going to cop a pounding in some really tough country.
If you have your PCD and wheels sorted out, then talk to us for your ideal setup.
Our job is to keep your caravan from breaking down with the correct gear selection.
Customers ranging from small campers to mining companies have successfully upgraded after experiencing problems with their rigs.
Generally, most rig problems come from unforeseen circumstances.
If we know where you are going and what you wish to do with your rig, we can help you get it right the first time.
You may have a large earth-moving rig with a problem; we can help with that, too.
Couplings
Wow, couplings have been a tough issue for many years, with so many couplings on the market.
A simple snap coupling rated at 2000 kg will suit most trailers.
Override couplings suit disc brakes.
We often get asked about electric disc brakes.
Electric disc brakes do not exist.
Car carriers and beach work trailers mostly use disc brakes with an override.
Electric Couplings are sold to 90% of the market using electric brakes.
Off-road couplings are used where articulation is required off-road.
The best include Oz Hitch and the ever-reliable Poly Block Coupling. Note: Not many Off-road Couplings have an ADR compliance CRN (Commonwealth Registration Number).
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