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Old 11-12-2009, 08:06 PM   #1
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2" drop axle ...

Time to talk axle these day........before ordering my 17'....I was looking some old photo from some escape 17' and find that the old axel was a bit lower than today.....almost i thing so. I talk to Tammy about dropping the axel by 2" and she said with that mod...i'll be able to get a 17" ball height. My Rav4 have a very lower hitch and found most of the mini van was that way.....Just want to know if anybody did this modification......and had some comment

Pat
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Old 11-12-2009, 09:26 PM   #2
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Re: 2" drop axle ...

Why not just get a drop hitch? I usually use a 6" drop hitch on my truck (Nissan Titan).
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Old 11-12-2009, 09:31 PM   #3
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Re: 2" drop axle ...


I have an Escape 17 with the high lift axle and I have a RAV4. I use the equalizer hitch provided by Escape and set up by Reace.

So, I'm not sure what your question is. It all works well for me. Without the equalizer hitch the rear of the RAV dropped two inches with the weight of the trailer. With the equalizer hitch it is level.

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Old 11-12-2009, 09:38 PM   #4
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Re: 2" drop axle ...

Quote:
Originally Posted by GoCougsKev
Why not just get a drop hitch? I usually use a 6" drop hitch on my truck (Nissan Titan).
Last thing you want is a drop hitch on the RAV4. You'd be scraping the pavement.

I got the high lift axle because I wanted to buy a Toyota Tacoma. The Old Bag nixed that because she didn't like climbing up into it and I didn't argue cause the truck didn't excite me anyway. We settled on the RAV. OK, truth be told, I went out for groceries and bought it on my way to Safeway.

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Old 11-12-2009, 10:18 PM   #5
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Re: 2" drop axle ...

If your rig is too low, you can reverse the drop hitch so it will raise the ball instead of lowering it. I know my father has a 2" drop hitch on his Toyota Highlander that he reversed to raise the ball two inches...
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Old 11-12-2009, 11:19 PM   #6
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Re: 2" drop axle ...


I figure if you have a RAV4, which doesn't have a lot of clearance compared to a Tacoma, you just get the trailer with the regular axle. If you bought the RAV you're not doing serious off-road anyway and won't need more clearance on the trailer.

I need to relate a story though. A buddy and I agreed to meet a friend at a rec site. We got there first, gingerly, towing a tent trailer behind a Subaru. We had to navigate the last quarter mile driving with the wheels on the tops of boulders ( I'm not talking rocks ). We really had to pick our course, but we made it.

We heard the friend arriving long before he appeared. He was towing a 17 foot Boler with a Ranger. That Boler must have had a 4 foot overhang at the rear. By the time he got to camp that Boler had been shortened by a foot, with only three feet of overhang. The rest of the trailer was laying in fragments between the boulders.

We left a couple days before he did and before the first snowfall. I heard from him later so I know he did make his way out.
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Old 11-13-2009, 11:09 AM   #7
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Re: 2" drop axle ...

gbaglo...

I know you got a RAV.....and you"re had a lift axle... mine is a 2007 with v6. My tought is....the hitch came with a straight ball mount.....with my scamp 13 no WDH.....weight is a 200lbs at ball. I had to replace the mount with a +4" up....and now all are equal.....I was tought that if I lower the Escape 17 axle by two inchs.....I think I had more than enough clearence for the trailer. Question about RAV.....at your hitch height you CAN'T open you back door

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Old 11-13-2009, 06:05 PM   #8
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Re: 2" drop axle ...

I wouldn't mess with the trailer. I'd just not order the high lift axle and I'd use a WDH. And, it is true I can't open the door fully with the WDH in place. It's a bit of a pain, but I put up with it. I get a more comfortable and safer ride. When I'm not towing, I have a regular ball hitch in place; not because I plan to tow, but as a bumper to protect the spare from people that park by ear.

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Old 11-15-2009, 07:53 PM   #9
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Re: 2" drop axle ...

I have a 2009 Rav4 V6 AWD and a standard-height 17' Escape. I use a weight-distributing hitch. It is all fine. I can open the back door to the first stop, but cannot open it all the way when hitched because of the tongue jack. Changing the height won't change that, and lowering the trailer will lead to a lot of road scraping - front and rear.

I cannot think of any reasons to lower the trailer, but lots of reasons to leave it at the standard height.
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Old 11-16-2009, 09:01 AM   #10
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Re: 2" drop axle ...

My concern was about the ball height of my rav4...I'll check this weekend and the height was at 17" height and that was not the original height ( 14" with the original block adapter ). My old Scamp 2005......( i sold this weekend ) go 14" at ball height. That's why i thinking to lower the axle.....and the second reason is......that my trailer pool got 8.2" total height for entering in.

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Old 11-16-2009, 04:51 PM   #11
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Re: 2" drop axle ...

Pat, what is this trailer pool you refer too?

I really don't think I would get a dropped axle. While I do question whether I really needed the 2" raised one I got, I definitely would not drop it either. It could have an effect on resale as well. If the hitch is 2" higher then the ball, I would just use a 2" raised stem in the receiver.
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Old 11-16-2009, 08:46 PM   #12
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Re: 2" drop axle ...

I am interested to see how you make out with the dropped axle, but for a different reason. I considered this when ordering the 19' as my tug is my lowered '52 Chev. The wheels on the 19' would fit the wheel openings better if it was lowered a few inches.
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Old 11-17-2009, 11:05 AM   #13
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Re: 2" drop axle ...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Bennett
Pat, what is this trailer pool you refer too?

I really don't think I would get a dropped axle. While I do question whether I really needed the 2" raised one I got, I definitely would not drop it either. It could have an effect on resale as well. If the hitch is 2" higher then the ball, I would just use a 2" raised stem in the receiver.
a trailer car pool/shelter we made it for storage our trailer during of season......I'll post some photos..early next week....

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Old 11-17-2009, 11:18 AM   #14
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Re: 2" drop axle ...

Hi: patjul... Deflating and re:inflating the trailer tires may be a lot better method of garaging/storing the trailer under cover. You just never know what may pop up while towing and the lower the clearance the closer you will be to any road hazzard.
I know someone with a 5.0 that met a stump hidden in the grass and now he's looking for a fiberglass repair shop to fix the bottom of his door. The step he could straighten out himself.
I have almost broken off the black water waste valve on "Our Escape Hatch" once and we have the high lift axle. Alf
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Old 11-19-2009, 10:34 AM   #15
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Re: 2" drop axle ...

If you are going to deflate your tires to move the trailer under something low, make sure to reinflate them right away. Don't store the trailer on severely underinflated tires.

Why not just raise the shelter? Maybe use a pry-bar to raise one end while you move the trailer, then lower it again?

Have you seen where I store my 17'? Linky. If you are strong enough, and you are storing on a reasonably level, reasonably hard surface, you can move the trailer by hand with the hitch wheel. If you crank the hitch jack as low as it will go, you get some extra overhead clearance.

If moving by hand, you might want to think about how you can engage the emergency brake. The idea just occurred to me, so I have not thought it through.
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Old 11-19-2009, 11:12 AM   #16
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Re: 2" drop axle ...

Ronstew..

Do you have regular axle or the hight lift on your 17'

Thanks Pat
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Old 11-19-2009, 11:16 AM   #17
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Re: 2" drop axle ...

Standard axle height, patjul.
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Old 11-19-2009, 11:55 AM   #18
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Re: 2" drop axle ...

I really appreciate Ronstew...I'll post some photos of the shelter early next week..
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Old 11-24-2009, 06:41 PM   #19
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Re: 2" drop axle ...

Here the shelter...and the height of the entry.....

Pat
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Old 11-24-2009, 06:47 PM   #20
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Re: 2" drop axle ...

the total entry height was at 8.6"
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