Camper trailers

If you want to save some of the stuff in the camper from being beaten around a bit then go for the independant but otherwise its personal choice.

Ive got independant coils on mine and ive just done a trip up to KArajini,wittenoom etc on some really crap roads and my eggs didn't even break.

Matt

2 Grand buys a lot of fuel and good times imo. I have a solid axle on my camper and could not be happier with it.
(it could also buy a fridge & dual battery) That would be money well spent.

Mate, everyone will have their own opinion and their belief that they have the best available, and often they do...for their needs.

Any type of suspension can be designed to be compliant enough to prevent breaking eggs or bursting cans of beer. Any suspension type can be prone to reliabilty issues if not engineered well.

Really what you are asking is how well the Goldstream independent suspension matches up to the Goldstream beam axle suspension.

I do not know the answer on that one.

Goldstream have probably got both types fairly well sorted.....so if the beam axle has shocks, then I would probably save the 2 biggies and spend it on options you may have not considered.......batteries, solar ????

Noah's Dad

For what it's worth, if you ever intend doing some of the "tricky/harder" stuff then go for the independent suspension. but before you make your final decision, go have a look at Ultimate CTor Trak Shak suspension, as they are really brilliant. ( heavy wishbone with coils )

Lately I have been swayed by the Alko rubberised torsion bar setup.
Viv & Ray ( members ) have dragged their setup all aver the place, and is still going strong.

The final choice will be yours only, and in the end it will be what you can afford, I guess

Good luck

Bucky

My take on it is can it be repaired either on the side of the road or in a small town if problems arise.
Does it use commonly available parts as per the leaf spring/solid axle setup or parts that are only available from the manufacturer.
Having towed a light camper all over Oz during the last 25+ years with leaf springs and shocks with no problems I'd save the money and spend it on something else.

I would seriously doubt that a variety of leaf spring parts would be held in small towns.
I came across a guy on the Palm Valley track who I thought was driving too fast. Came around a corner and there he was, broken main leaf , axle at right angles.
It was an(ALKO?) shackle type spring and he had no spare. he said "No worries I will just go into Hermnannsberg and get one." LOL
I spoke to a few others who reckoned the nearest a spring would be would be Adelaide, though you never know there might have been one in Alice. In any case his wife and kids were in for a long wait. Lucky they had another car with them.

I think the only real advantage of leaves is that you can easily carry a main leaf and some U bolts and centre bolts. But who does?

IMHO the major cause of trailer suspension failure is bearing seizure caused by neglect. Often this wiill shear the axle, and I bellieve it makes no difference if you have leafs or coils.

I have no complaints with my Campomatic independent trailing arm wishbone coil Koni setup. It is 11 years old now and I just did 20KK down some of the worst corrugations in OZ. ( Savannah Way, Strezlecki, Merty Merty, Oodnadatta, Silver City, Darling )

IMHO all trailers will from time tro time have something broken. I broke one jar of jam. When you hit a grid at 70-80 only to notice the step too late, the trailer will fly regardeless of what springs are on it.
Regards Philip A

I have 2 camping trailers and 1 camper trailer, the set up I have is 1400 kg rated eye to eye leaf springs and a 2.2 tonne rated axle.

The BIGGEST problem with trailer axle and bearings, is that people will buy a Toyota or Nissan 6 or 5 stud hub that fits a 15 or 16 inch wheel, then fit it to a 45 mm axle and run it on Ford or Holden bearings, with a 2.2 tonne rated axle you use bearings that will take the Toyota or Nissan rim without fear of failure.

My experience is towing trailers across the Top End and around OZ for over 750000 km.

Cheers Steve.

Hi Noahs Dad
Check post from last saturday 8th ThreadID: 63351

Rob

Yep read the thread from last week, exactly the same question. I put it a bit in about our Trak Shak with solid axle, leaf spring and shockers. Don't forget that Patrols, Cruisers, Prado's etc are all live axle (with coil springs) while all the utes are live axle with leaf springs. Pajero's have independant springs all around and you don't hear people say they went and bought a Pajero because of its tougher suspension!
That said I would be happy to own a trailer with that set-up but I think it appears to be over-rated and lets admit it, the bright coils look great in the showrooms so some people just want them. I believe people should rather be looking at bearing maintenance, overloading, driving to conditions and tyre pressures.
My 2 bobs.
Mark.

My old Jayco has done 50 odd thousand k's over, around and through Australia. CY, GRR, Oondnadatta, Birdsville, Camerons Crn, Mitchells Platue etc etc all on leaf springs and a beam axle.

Can't say it's ever broken an egg either.

Thank you all very much for your help, it gives me somthing to think on.