Camper trailer suspention - solid axle + leafs vs independent + coils

Hmmmmmmmmmm.

Have you seen youtube video's with independent suspension campers travelling over corrugated dirt roads compared to a trailer with leaf spring. Good independent travels a lot smoother.

I myself have raised leaf spring with shocks, it was what was within my budget. I'm in the process of doing home work for installing aftermarket leafsprings and shocks and extra support strengthening so my 2002 Jayco Outback Finch will cope better. ($1000 budget "hopefully"

Independent is clearly better on badly corrugated roads
Don't discount Torsion bar suspension as a alternative , Its trouble free , cheap and a fairly simple concept.

Cheers

Remember one thing.

Most comparisons are with leaf spring systems that could be at best considered crude.

IF the leaf spring system is bassed on trailer industry springs and components , they will invariably be short leaves, fixed to a straight beam with no particular attention made to the attitude of the spring, its ability to travel or even its spring rate. The shockabsorbers will not be designed to compliment the behaviour of the spring and mostly that are mounted as an afterthaught at a disadvantageous angle.

In addition the spring packs from the trailer industry are crude in every way, there is no attention to progression of the spring rate as the suspension compresses.

Even the bushings and shackles look weak and crude beside a similar rating spring pack removed from a motor vehicle.

BY far the majority of the problems of leaf springs on trailers is not due to them being leaf springs, but due to the suspension being cheap and crude in every way.

I find it commical that "serious 4wders" have an incredibly strong preference to beam axles and leaf springs in their tow vehicles, but will cough up lots of extra money for an independent suspension that some one fabbed up in their back shed or was migged together on the floor of some third world country.



IF comparisons where made against a suspension built in a manner similar to that found under the rear of a good quaity 4wd.....I think the comparisons would be different.



When I say installed in a similar manner

Selecting a spring pack from a vehicle with similar rear axle loadings to the trailer in question.

Mounting the springs with similar of not identical hardware that it would have been mounted with in the vehicle of origin.

Mounting that spring pack in the correct attitude and in a way that allows it to travel sufficiently......( remember most 4wd leaf spring packs travel past being straight before they hit the bump stops).

OH did I mention, bump stops.....some of them would be good.....most leaf spring trailers have none.

Fitting shockabsorbers that are designed to work with that spring pack...and mounting them near to upright in a similar manner to the vehicle that would have come from.

Then you have a chance of a leaf spring system that performs better than an iron age dray.




Lifting a complete leaf suspension from an existing vehicle gives you many advantges.
Starting with the design input from a large multi-national motor company.
The ability to obtain spares easily
The choice of any variety of high quality suspension upgrade options.

But trrailer manufacturers will make a hell of a lot more money selling you independent suspension...and mostly crude independndent suspension at that.

If course the question to ask about any independent suspension is.

Where do I get spare parts from WHEN it breaks..

If ya trailer runs hilux or landcruser springs.....on factory hardware.....hell there are spares for that in just about every shed and padock in the bush.

cheers