Fitting ALKO Suspension to my Camper

Oops I meant to post a photo not repeat the last post.

Excellent, thanks Hugh.
I would love to have a look and will send you a message.

Cheers
Geordie

I am surprised to hear that yours is welded in, if you look here www.alko.com.au/vehicle/axles/irs.html you will see that they are intended to be bolted in.

G'day Shaker,

Now you've got me. I was going from memory and right now it may have been an old timers moment with my comments. I'll crawl under tonight and double check. Bolting in does make more sense, not only for alignment but also replacement if something goes wrong. I'll update you with findings.

Turns out that Geordie lives close by so he'll pop over for a look himself.

Hugh

Hi Shaker,

Just been out and checked the camper trailer. The axle tube and mount are exactly as in the picture per ALKO link, complete with bolted joint. So you're correct, the axle should be bolted on. Now to show I wasn't totally bonkers, who ever manufactured the trailer for Southern Cross campers has then gone and welded the front and rear face of the mounting flange to the chassis. Well in this instance to the 10mm plate packer welded to the chassis that I assume has been used to get adequate threaded section for the mounting bolts. No doubt the welds makes it all fail safe but if I had to replace or adjust alignment, then I'd have to grind back the weld. At least it is just the front and rear face (~ 5cm) and not the sides (~ 20cm). Touch wood no issues so far.

Regards,
Hugh

Ian thanks,
I will have a look at one locally first. But I might give them a call if I need more details.
Cheers
Geordie

Geoff
thanks that is interesting to hear. I had heard that some trailers were using purposely overrated ALKO rubber suspension to get a higher ride height and stronger spring. I suppose the result is a harsher ride and like you say a tendency to sway and bounce. Part of the sway can be accounted for by the loading balance of a trailer

I have had slipper springs on my trailer and have been over some very rough roads from WA north, SA, Vic to Tas. The poor thing has been belted over rocks corrugations and through pot-holes for about 60,000km of travel and is stuffed.

The problem is the height of my trailer and chassis will not allow me to fit taller or longer eye to shackle springs or independent coil suspension. It is only a light weight trailer being mostly alloy with steel chassis (typically 650 to 750 kg fully loaded for a long trip). The light spring rate leaf springs that I can find are a bit too flimsy for my liking and the heavier non rebound springs are far too stiff.

I will keep what you say in mind. I have ordered ALKO suspension rated for a load of 850 kg on my trailer that is rated for 750 so that should according to ALKO give me a good compromise between soft rebound and carrying capacity.

They mentioned that some trailers had used their 1250 kg axles on trailers rated to only 750 kg without brakes and that these tended to bounce.

In Victoria the suspension rating has to be 120% of the ATM.

750kg x 120% = 900kg

So your 850kg rating wouldn't comply.

Shaker
that is interesting that they have a manditory 120% over rating in VIC. My axle is being made in Melbourne and is supposed to be legal throughout Australia.

Don't get me wrong I probably was not very clear on what I called "rating", I was talking about the set spring rate rather than legal load rating.

The axle rating is actually 1250 kg however, you can have them set the rubber component to be at the best rebound rate, as well as correct caster and camber for the load that the trailer is intended to carry. In my case this is less than 850 kg so that is the minimum they will set on this axle. I checked with ALKO and the axle and hub is 1250 kg and the set load is 850 plus 20 % as you said. So the maximum carrying load would be 1020 kg.

Geordie

Thats good, just thought you should be aware.