Any Damage From Driving on Rough Roads?

[Mike Lewis]

Originally Posted by rbryan4

All this talk about the table coming off the pedestals gives me one more reason to be happy I installed a pneumatic pedestal. No stowing or strapping down of the table required.

So, do you lower the table all the way so that it touches the seats when you travel? That would be pretty stable, and another reason to get the pedestal.

[OneOleMan]

Originally Posted by Mike Lewis

So, do you lower the table all the way so that it touches the seats when you travel? That would be pretty stable, and another reason to get the pedestal.

I can't speak for rbryan4 but I lower mine to cushion level for travel. Simple to do and with the flick to 2 levers it's back to full height.

[rbryan4]

Yep, that's what I do too Pat.

[cpaharley2008]

I was in New York last weekend and experienced some bad roads, I felt like just throwing everything on the floor, that is where it will end up. I was not using my Andersen, I think there is less disarray with the Andersen. I think there is a soft ride 5th wheel version someplace.

[kstock11]

On my trip home last year, we experienced some real bad roads when we left Colorado @ Durango and headed into New Mexico. I felt like I was going to get sea sick from all the bucking of the roads! Even driving slow with the Anderson Hitch, it was an experience to feel this much bounce on "paved" highways!

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

I think there is a soft ride 5th wheel version someplace.

Yes, there are rubber-cushioned and air-sprung hitches in both conventional and fifth-wheel versions. They are not commonly used in fifth-wheels, but are outright rare in conventional hitches. Cushioned fifth-wheel pin boxes with are also available (and maybe more commonly used than cushioned hitches), which moves the extra hardware to the trailer side.

Air-ride pin boxes at eTrailer (for Lippert pin box)
images of air-ride fifth-wheel hitches

[yxan]

https://www.safe-t-proof.com/cabinet...latches-4-pack

man bummer these aren't standard on doors, they seem awesome, just difficult to install since they are a bit bulky and need a supporting wood to mount on

[gbaglo]

Originally Posted by yxan

https://www.safe-t-proof.com/cabinet...latches-4-pack

man bummer these aren't standard on doors, they seem awesome, just difficult to install since they are a bit bulky and need a supporting wood to mount on

I've driven a lot of washboard and rutted roads in eight years. A couple of bungee cords are all I need for the really rough stuff.

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by yxan

https://www.safe-t-proof.com/cabinet...latches-4-pack

man bummer these aren't standard on doors, they seem awesome, just difficult to install since they are a bit bulky and need a supporting wood to mount on

Wow they sure got pricey . Bought those , they were in brown for all the our cupboards in house after the 1994 Earthquake . Our cupboards all opened up and everything poured out . They are still working and on the cupboards to this day . All we could do was bring a big trash can in the house and clean up all the glass and broken things all over the floors . They are pretty cool how they work . Just push in the door and it opens . But if you pull on door it won't open . Good to see they still are around . Pat

[LeonW]

Once upon a time the GPS took us on the shortest route to Lost Dutchman State Park in AZ. As I turned a corner I saw a sign warning that this road was not maintained and could be hazardous. We had two miles of very rough bone-jarring road. We were only going about 10 miles an hour, but the ruts, dips, holes, etc were very deep and I was very concerned about the trailer.

But, when we made it to the park we looked inside and everything was just fine. We do have a pair of nylon straps that secure the fridge door, and a pedestal for the table, so they can't come loose.

[Islanders]

Thanks for those excellent tie down suggestions from several years ago! Will be trying some!

[0210]

Apologies for bumping a very old thread, but... some folks here mention driving on forest service roads while keeping tires at 40-50PSI. That is absolute lunacy. Just about the single worst thing you can do to your trailer short of intentionally slamming it into a tree.

The very minute you leave pavement you should be airing down all tires (including your vehicle) to 16-19 PSI. Not only will this improve in-vehicle comfort in a HUGE way, but it'll make your trailer run 10x smoother, and as an added benefit, it won't damage the dirt road nearly as much as a fully-inflated tire.

I don't own an Escape (yet, at least), but I've towed plenty, and most of it was/is off-pavement.

We went to a favourite lake just yesterday, and that included 1.5 hours of dirt road (with plenty of washboard, loose rocks, climbs, etc.) each way... with our 3 month old child in the car. Huge difference in comfort immediately after airing down from 34 to 18 PSI.

To keep things interesting, here's a photo from a few years back (that's my old lifted and modified Hymer), this is the kind of stuff we love; it was 40km on this freshly-snowed-in forest service road before we got back to pavement.

[0210]

Why was my reply deleted just now? Bizarre..

[Ron in BC]

Replies aren't routinely deleted unless they're egregiously breaking forum rules.

Since only you know what you wrote no one can answer your question.

Ron

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by 0210

Why was my reply deleted just now? Bizarre..

It wasn't deleted, it needed to be approved by a moderator before posting. You are still in Junior status. It's a prevention to keep the site from being spammed.

[Chasing Trials]

Originally Posted by float5

Never heard of this happening. We thought those bases were metal. That must have been some road!

I have two sets of the table bases, if anyone one wants them. I changed my second E19 to one back leg. I use the sq. black deck rail posts, & raised the floor which "collars" it too. Old one. Didn't take photos of the second set up.

[0210]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

It wasn't deleted, it needed to be approved by a moderator before posting. You are still in Junior status. It's a prevention to keep the site from being spammed.

Thanks for clarifying.

It would have been good to get some sort of notification explaining that, but oh well.

Strange part is that message showed up for me, I was even able to edit it, then boom, gone, and the second reply showed up fine and didn't disappear.

Maybe the IMG tag tripped a filter...

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by 0210

Maybe the IMG tag tripped a filter...

That's exactly what it was. Until you reach Senior status... more than 10 posts , don't include ANY linked images or URLs in your posts... otherwise a Mod has to look at it first. Thanks for your cooperation

[kernwig]

Originally Posted by 0210

The very minute you leave pavement you should be airing down all tires (including your vehicle) to 16-19 PSI.

Thanks for the tip!

[AllanEdie]

We don't have a lot of mileage on rough roads with our E21, but the only issue we have had is a cupboard door opening and spilling a bunch of reference material onto the floor. No damage. Only one cupboard had this issue, and it now has an oak toggle to lock it shut when we are moving.

The double axle torsion setup on the E21 has always impressed me as quite good. On speed bumps where I have paid attention, the trailer seems to do as well as the Tacoma or the new Ford. All these stories about damage from fridges and ovens has me thinking though. It may be time for a few more toggles...