Axles

[Palmetto Traveler]

Question for the 5.0 TA owners or anyone that has twin axles. The Escape 5.0 TA I purchased last September comes with Torflex suspension axles. After about 6 to 7,000 miles on this Escape 5.0, I noticed excessive wear on the right rear tire to a point where I had to change it with the spare tire that comes with the 5.0. I also noticed some wear on the left rear tire but no wear on the front axle tires. The 2 travel trailers I had before this Escape were straight axles with leaf springs. I never had any alignment problems with these past travel trailers maybe due to dumb luck but I also understand from my years of driving… hitting pot holes, railroad crossings and curbs at any speed doesn’t help to keep your vehicle or travel trailer in proper wheel alignment. Coming back BC, some of the states had some really bad highway systems but I don’t recall hitting any large pot holes or bad railroad crossings. My question for the people that have twin axles, do you have the Torflex suspension axles…if so have you had to replace these axles often?

[cpaharley2008]

So it is the rear axles that are wearing faster? Perhaps it is a unlevel situation causing more weight on the rear?

[padlin]

Dexter has replaced more then one defective axle on an Escape.

[arniesea]

Originally Posted by Palmetto Traveler

Question for the 5.0 TA owners or anyone that has twin axles. The Escape 5.0 TA I purchased last September comes with Torflex suspension axles. After about 6 to 7,000 miles on this Escape 5.0, I noticed excessive wear on the right rear tire to a point where I had to change it with the spare tire that comes with the 5.0. I also noticed some wear on the left rear tire but no wear on the front axle tires. The 2 travel trailers I had before this Escape were straight axles with leaf springs. I never had any alignment problems with these past travel trailers maybe due to dumb luck but I also understand from my years of driving… hitting pot holes, railroad crossings and curbs at any speed doesn’t help to keep your vehicle or travel trailer in proper wheel alignment. Coming back BC, some of the states had some really bad highway systems but I don’t recall hitting any large pot holes or bad railroad crossings. My question for the people that have twin axles, do you have the Torflex suspension axles…if so have you had to replace these axles often?

First thing I would check is the trailer level. Next time you are loaded for a trip, including a full fresh tank if that is how you travel, make sure you are on level ground then measure the distance from the frame to the ground between the trailer wheels. Next measure from the frame to the ground at the landing gear. Both measurements should be fairly close - within a 1/2 inch. If not then your hitch or pin box may need adjustments.

If the trailer is level, then there may be a bearing issue or bent axle.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Palmetto Traveler

The 2 travel trailers I had before this Escape were straight axles with leaf springs. I never had any alignment problems with these past travel trailers...

Most trailers have beam axles (which you're calling "straight axles"). Alignment problems occur with both beams axles and the common rubber-sprung independent trailer suspensions (such as the Dexter Torflex used by Escape).

Originally Posted by Palmetto Traveler

My question for the people that have twin axles, do you have the Torflex suspension axles…if so have you had to replace these axles often?

Single or tandem axle, all Escapes other than the 2014-2015 5.0TA have Torflex axles. This is not the first example of alignment issues with Torflex, but these issues only seem to have appeared recently; it might be reasonable to suspect production quality issues at Dexter. I've never heard of more than one replacement for alignment issues in the life of a trailer, but that's only anecdotal. Dexter is by far the largest manufacturer of this type of trailer suspension in North America.

Although the single and tandem axles work the same way, a tandem-axle trailer will be more sensitive to alignment issues, because the leading and trailing tires will fight each other if not aligned to match - a single-axle trailer is more likely to just track off-centre with less noticeable tire wear.

[gypsysouls]

Our prior trailer was a 2007 Casita. We replaced the axle when the trailer was just over 10 years old. The rubber in the #10 Torflex was pretty dead. We were getting very little axle articulation and it turned out prior owners had improperly lubricated the bearings and the brakes had seized. We never had any tire wear issues with the old or new axle though.

Don K.

[Perry Butler]

Originally Posted by Palmetto Traveler

Question for the 5.0 TA owners or anyone that has twin axles. The Escape 5.0 TA I purchased last September comes with Torflex suspension axles. After about 6 to 7,000 miles on this Escape 5.0, I noticed excessive wear on the right rear tire to a point where I had to change it with the spare tire that comes with the 5.0. I also noticed some wear on the left rear tire but no wear on the front axle tires.

We picked up our 5.0 on October 26, 2018.

At about 7,000 miles Dexter replaced our rear axle because the left side was welded incorrectly. They paid for the axle, two hours shop labor (it took only 1 1/2 hours so they only paid for that amount) and the ruined tire. We ruined a second tire because we didn't want to replace the axle in Arizona and made the choice to drive home on the spare.

At 12,000 miles Dexter replaced the front axle because the right front was welded incorrectly. They also paid for the shop labor and one tire. We figure our axles were manufactured on hangover Monday.

I had to negotiate many contracts with computer/technology vendors and know how to deal with vendors to get what is fair. NEVER insult or threaten! Pictures and facts work best. Others have been lucky to get the replacement axle, much less labor or tire replacement.

We now have over 24,000 miles pulling the 5.0 down the road and the tires are wearing perfectly.

Enjoy,

Perry