Off road ready for the mountains?

[Ohsuzannah]

Hi, Has anyone flipped the axle on the 17' Escape. My husband and like to go up into the mountains, off road and camp and hike.
We like the smaller Camping Trailers and would love to hear if anyone has done this or has any suggestions. We want the comfort of a hard shell with no setup that will hold up be bounced around.
Thanks for any help on this.
Ohsuzannah

[rbryan4]

Torflex axles are not "flipped". Their design consists of a square tube with a squared steel bar inside surrounded by torsion strips made of rubber. The wheel hubs are pivoting arms attached to the inner steel bar. This allows the wheels to move up and down with torsion controlling and dampening the movement without shocks or leaf springs.

If you're asking about ground clearance, Escape offers a "high lift" option on their Dexter Torflex axles. It adds a little over 2" of extra clearance. This option might be worth considering if you intend to tow over rougher terrain.

[gbaglo]

I have the "high lift axle" on my classic 17B.

[rubicon327]

You might enjoy the entire thread, but I’m linking directly to a previous post of mine where I highlighted what one guy did to a 17 for moderate off-roading.

Remember that the ETI “high lift” axle option is just a spacer that brings the frame and body up. The only way to get the axle higher is bigger tires or possibly ordering the Torflex axle arms with a steeper angle.

http://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f3...tml#post181404

[gbaglo]

On that note: I have 15 inch wheels.
Trailer is more off-road capable than my RAV.

[Iowa Dave]

Her name is toad
She hops down the road
She goes with Baglo and Leslie
Where it’s rained and it’s snowed
Iowa Dave

[rbryan4]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

Her name is toad
She hops down the road
She goes with Baglo and Leslie
Where it’s rained and it’s snowed
Iowa Dave

Ha! A poet who don't know it but his feet show it. They're longfellers.

[davidmurphy02]

Here's a good explanation of how the torsion suspension works:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6nc9rvNJH4

[Iowa Dave]

Hi Robert
Only when I’m camped at Tahquamenon Falls in the UP and spent a few minutes too long in Walker Tavern do I break out a few pages of Longfellow’s “Song of Hiawatha”
and do a short dramatic reading of the passage referring to the Falls and the tanin stained water. This is one of the prettiest areas in the United States. Picture Rocks National Lakeshore is nearby too. The UP is great camping and a great area to sight see.
My son will be up there next week refreshing his inner Eagle Scout.
Iowa Dave

[rbryan4]

Funny you mentioned the UP Dave. We are planning on a summer trip there maybe next year.