Lifted!!! - Flipping the Axles on a Caravan to Increase the Clearance

Floydies picked himself up a new caravan and the first thing he wanted to do was flip the axles on it. Doing this will give the van more clearance which will help him get it in and out of his driveway where it tends to be slightly problematic. The caravan is a duel axle caravan and the process involved us changing the position of each axle one axle at a time.
We had to jack up each side, remove the wheels and brake drums, unbolt the axle from leaf springs then reposition the axles to the underside of the springs. Doing this increased the clearance of the van by approximately 100mm which doesn't sound like much but it does actually make a huge difference.
Overall the process took us about 3 hours with zero cost so it's a very cheap, safe and effective way to increase the clearance on a caravan.
Thanks for watching we hope you enjoyed our video and that it gives you a good idea how you can gain some lift on your caravan. If you have any questions please drop us a comment below. 🤟
#caravan #caravanlife #caravaning
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[@mickburns5546]

Did that to a Crusader van about 10 years ago. Took that thing ball over Australia. People said it wouldn’t work. Maybe they were wrong 😊

[@TheBeatenTrak]

Yeah true! Well Floydie has clocked up thousands and thousands of kms so far and hasn’t had any issues whatsoever 👌🏻

[@tolstoymanor]

Great vid guys, thanks. Good to have an idea of what the process is before I do this. Perfect way to get an extra 100mm clearance 🤙🏼

[@TheBeatenTrak]

Thanks mate! Yeah it sure is and good luck with doing your van 🤙🏻

[@craigellem9113]

Hey guys. Thanks for this vid. You have opened the options for caravans for our big lap. Love the content from a fellow Coffs boy yew

[@TheBeatenTrak]

Hey Craig definitely worth doing for anyone planning to take their van on the big lap 👌🏻Would save dragging the back end of your van over some of those awkward angles you’re bound to come across! Appreciate the comment mate and it’s great to hear from a fellow local 🤙🏻🙌🏻😄

[@nigelgoss5236]

if you was worried about the camber by flipping the axle just put the locator on the other side simple fix

[@petebruce890]

G'day, I've been researching underslung axle mods for my Jayco (which is how I stumbled across your video). A lot of others say NOT to simply turn the axle upside down as there is a slight camber or "bow" in the axle & turning it upside down can cause serious tyre scrubbing. Apparently the locator plate should be ground off & welded on the other side. I guess it would probably be a good idea to keep a close eye on your tyres for scrubbing for a little while. Hope it's all ok & you don't have any dramas. Cheers.

[@TheBeatenTrak]

Hey Pete thanks for that! Hadn’t actually heard that before so sounds like Floydie will definitely have to keep an eye on it. If it goes pear shaped there will be another video being made about how we stuffed up! 😆 Cheers mate! ✌🏻

[@alanoneill8750]

@@TheBeatenTrak If it is a hollow tube axle, those are designed to flex with weight. All the caravans/travel trailers in the USA have hollow tube which is obviously curved or arched when you see them. Solid axles like those in this video should be straight. Thanks for your videos.

[@TheBeatenTrak]

@@alanoneill8750 Hey thanks for that info Alan! Sounds pretty spot on from what we’ve been hearing 👌🏻

[@kerrymathers7439]

@@TheBeatenTrak Just put a straight edge on the top of the axle to check this. Most Alko and Trojan axles are straight , Dexter axles are cambered.

[@terry9119]

Thats in the USA

[@garrykeehn5274]

I have my van lifted. Same applies as a motor vehicle Maximum 40mm to keep our insurance

[@TheBeatenTrak]

Yeah true! Have you had any issues since lifting yours?

[@joepearce3033]

Good job

[@TheBeatenTrak]

Cheers mate 🙏🏻😄

[@gordonflash8976]

Great video guys, think I would fix the drainage in that car port so you don't have to work on a wet floor. I did this to a Millard micro and worked great for years.

[@TheBeatenTrak]

Thanks mate! Unfortunately that is just a concrete slab beside the house without a roof over it. We had dragged a few tarps over it and pulled the awning out but still got a little wet 😅

[@gordonflash8976]

@@TheBeatenTrak Lol, you did exceptionally well in the circumstances. And you both seemed happy about being there. 10 point to you both. Not sure I would have been so cheerful.

[@AKJV-Romans-12]

Im only just learning about suspension and appreciate any pros and cons to this idea. I was thinking of a way to reduce the hard yakka and be able to get 60mm or more height increase and leave everything else as is. Perhaps a centre rocker arm with a more accute angle or get one fabricated to your specs and have the shackle plates as short as possible. I've seen some rocker arms about 45°.

[@TheBeatenTrak]

Hey mate apologies for the slow reply! To be honest neither Floydie or myself are experts on the subject of suspension set ups. You’ll find quite a few opinions in the other comments here about the pros and cons of what we did with Floydies van. Some saying there’s a bow in the axle and it shouldn’t be flipped and that tyres would scrub out etc. All I can say is that we’ve run a straight edge over the axle and have found no bow in it. Also the van has now travelled quite considerable distances without any issue. Cheers mate 🤙🏻

[@oscarsmitty]

great info gents good work

[@TheBeatenTrak]

Thanks mate 👍🏻

[@oscarsmitty]

i jus done my viscount semi off roader got a extra 100ml extra

[@TheBeatenTrak]

@@oscarsmitty yeah awesome! Makes a huge difference 👌🏻

[@TheWoolgoolgaoffroad]

Well done boys !!

[@TheBeatenTrak]

Thanks heaps Kev and thanks so much for Subscribing!!!

[@speakupp8745]

Made it look easy! ;), Good work guys great Knowledge.

[@TheBeatenTrak]

Thanks mate appreciated!

[@dinodadog71]

Nice flip. cheers

[@TheBeatenTrak]

Thanks mate 🤙🏻

[@dinodadog71]

@@TheBeatenTrak do u know if there are any legal implications in doing this? I'm seriously looking at doing this myself, to my 17' Single axle paramount. Is there any insurance issues with flipping it for the extra height ?

[@TheBeatenTrak]

@@dinodadog71 Not that I’m aware of mate. You could ask around though as maybe your own state has different views on it?

[@dinodadog71]

@@TheBeatenTrak I'm nsw too, just like you. Finding the right department is the difficult bit.

[@dgordon9645]

I'll be doing this as well vintage C/ van. I had to flip my ball hitch as it was to high for van .my understanding is you keep it squared to box section and don't change angles no problem. It might flex if you're talking tons van's are pretty light.

[@jamesdeveron3585]

Best of luck lads, I hope it works

[@TheBeatenTrak]

Cheers mate!

[@zoezoe610]

It looks much better and how it should be. Re check the U bolts though as they stretch a bit.

[@TheBeatenTrak]

Thanks mate! The van has been towed around and used a fair bit now since we did the axle flip and it's been great.

[@mikejung3908]

I mean it worked great, now you have to be carefull and see how it handles way up in the air were it is now.

[@TheBeatenTrak]

Hey Mike yeah it’s been great! Floydie has taken it away and used it many many times since this video and there’s been Zero issues 👌🏻

[@michaelkeenan6668]

Nice job guys. Just the right about of info in the editing etc. Thinking of doing similar on my camper but may just put a bracket on the rear of the leaf spring to get me 40-50mm.

[@TheBeatenTrak]

Cheers Michael appreciate that! Let us know how you get on with yours and which way you decide to go.

[@andrewiannello6548]

The Axel stubs are normally offset from the cross member and an axel flip can yeild about 100mm, however the stubs are offset above the cross member so there's no rotating load on the bolts. Think of a trolley wheel castor designed to work one way. Their stub wasn't offset so i don't know what they were doing suggesting a flip? Maybe they heard it somewhere and started rolling the camera on the idea, before looking. Sprung over is dangerous, cause you can loose the entire axel if it comes loose.

[@oscaralameddine4161]

Hi guys thanks for the video will this affect how the Carvan tows now that there is more air passing under it I would really appreciate your thoughts if it affected its stability

[@TheBeatenTrak]

Sorry for the slow reply. There's been no difference in the way the caravan tows whatsoever. The caravan has been out on numerous trips including trips to Birdsville, Lightening Ridge, North QLD and plenty of weekenders in the 1-3 hour range from where it's based here on the Coffs Coast. Floydie who owns it has had his Hilux lifted and suspension upgraded to match plus he's had experts run it over the scales to get the weight distribution right and she's all good. Tows beautifully.

[@jaylewis2623]

Do you see the front axle has been positioned at least a 2cm to the left of the original mounting position not good

[@TheBeatenTrak]

No mate we didn’t see that. I’ll let Floydie know and he can take a look at it. Cheers

[@chrisevo1]

Hey guys could you do the flip with a rocker roller leaf suspension as well...

[@jchendriks624]

Great job. Just write down things down you cant remember at your age 73.4 mm 24 hrs ago. Great clip.

[@TheBeatenTrak]

Ha ha yes great advice! Thanks 😄🤙🏻🙌🏻

[@GeraldHartman-yi4jx]

How come you don't show installing shock absorbers after the axle flip? They really make a difference

[@ianmoone2359]

Perhaps the only thing I would do differently? Before you started the plate and double nuts were upside down from how they are now. In the unlikely event that your nuts came loose and fell off you would lose your entire U bolt. Really hard to find another U bolt in remote areas like Gibb River Road etc. If they were up the way they were originally, and the nuts came loose and fell off, likely your U Bolt would still be straddled over the top of the axle / spring. All you would need to do to get mobile again would be pinch the 4 nylock nuts off the other axle, put them back on your other axle with the missing nuts and you could limp to the next town to replace the lock nuts and missing nuts. Without a U bolt to retain your axle position - your literally going no where. Just my thoughts on it. You could easily slide under the van and just reverse one U bolt at a time without risk of the axle coming away from the spring. Might take a bit of time but could possibly save days stuck on the side of the road remote in relentless heat & dust. Again, just a suggestion. I’m guessing the manufacturer put them up the other way for a reason most likely and I’m guessing this might be the very reason. 😉 Perhaps others know different to me? 🤷‍♂️

[@TheBeatenTrak]

Good pick up and very good advice thanks mate! 👌🏻 I’ll let Floydie know what you’ve said so he can fix it up. We’re heading out to Birdsville in late June so would be good idea to change that before we hit the corrugations out there!

[@ianmoone2359]

@@TheBeatenTrak Best of luck with it. You should be able to do it because you have square axles and the “U” bolts are square at the bends so they should fit either upside down or right way up, as your exercise already proved (because they are now already reversed from where they started out). If you had hollow round tube axles like they have in USA, your “U” bolts would be semi circular - so you couldn’t reverse them because the semi circle wouldn’t clamp up on a square flat spring pack when you invert them - if that makes sense, so they only go one way.

[@NotYourAveargeAlien]

I don't think that would work unless you put bigger u bolts in as to mount them the right way up would mean they would have to run across the spring! Or you would need another plate at the top of the spring as well, as the U bolts run beside the springs not across!

[@thomaskoorneef7777]

You didn’t flip your Spring Retainer Centre Bolt on the Second axle! Mite come back and bite you in the future it you ever have to replace it! laphs out loud

[@gordonflash8976]

I was going to leave a comment on exactly this. well spotted. It probably won't make a difference as the centre bolt is there primarily to keep the springs where they should be rather than the locating the axle.

[@eddiesignorini3197]

Hay guys. Yes it dose make a great difference with everything. I have done mine 7 years ago and its been fantastic in lots of different ways. couple of things thou, have you checked how your tires are wearing because of rotating the axel under instead of locating the spring to the top side of the axel. In most case the axel gets a bit a bend in it when they do a wheel alignment after the build. also have you retentioned the 'u' bolts with the weight of the van on it. also you didn't flip your center bolt on the rear axel.

[@TheBeatenTrak]

Yeah Floydie has been using his van heaps lately and really like the lift in it. He just got home from a 3 week trip. Thanks for pointing out that stuff up with the centre bolt. I’ll let him know so he can investigate 👍🏻

[@iamasmurf1122]

that is because the AXLE is designed with a BOW in it meaning it has a high side and a low side , thats why when flipping axles you need to weld the locators on to the other side of the AXLE and is why your axle bends with weight on it ! because caravans are engineered to have a BOW or high point in the centre take a look at this video you can actually see the bow in the axle of the original , what will happen as well as your tyre issues is after time it will destroy your springs and BOW them in as well

[@rikturna]

G’day boys, Just found this vid. 👍🏻👍🏻 Question. In the video The original measurement was 743mm and the new measurement is 843mm. That’s correct, yeah??

[@TheBeatenTrak]

Yeah mate from memory that sounds about right 👍🏻 It would be 40mm for axel and 60 for spring and plate thickness.

[@jamieturnbull3814]

Nice work guys. What about the hitch height? Did that change too?

[@TheBeatenTrak]

I think he did have to adjust the hitch height 👍🏻

[@richardday2893]

Awesome video. I want to lower my trailer for easier loading. Is it as simple as doing opposite of what you did? Cheers.

[@TheBeatenTrak]

Cheers mate! Yeah if your axle is underneath the springs then you should definitely be able to do the reverse of what we did and locate it back on top 👌🏻

[@mitchclaydon9529]

Hey mate what size wheels are you running on the van ? I have just done an axel flip on my van but I have 14” wheels and they look really silly

[@Sabumnim666]

Great video I am changing my suspension to a simplicity LCS but I have a question on your axle flip. The ADR states that the hitch height must be between 360 and 460mm, I think that is when attached to the tow vehicle. Since you have a good lift on the van now how did this affect the tow hitch height?

[@TheBeatenTrak]

Thanks mate! Floydie has had no issues with the hitch as it’s hooked up to his 2021 Hilux which has a 2 inch lift with airbags in the back. We just came back from a massive road trip out to Birdsville and it towed perfectly 👌🏻 Also, before we went he had a session with a caravan weight specialist who goes right over the van and vehicle weighing all the axles, measuring ball weight etc. He had a couple of minor things to adjust to do with weigh distribution but nothing major.

[@Sabumnim666]

@@TheBeatenTrak Thanks mate but I may not have expressed the concern clear enough. I wanted to know what the tow hitch height is now that you have done the suspension work on a flat surface I had considered doing the same as you have as mine is semi off. I have totally no concern for the tow tug as that has nothing to do with the can hitch height. Cheers

[@TheBeatenTrak]

Ahh yeah okay no worries I’ve got you. I’ll have to try catch up with Floydie sometime soon and see if I can get an answer for you 👍🏻

[@Sabumnim666]

@@TheBeatenTrak Hi I have been able to find some answers, so the height of the coupling not the hitch as I previously miss stated is between 460mm and 350m. When you use a articulated or off road coupling the height limitation doe snot apply.

[@TheJoedirty]

Would you need to get a wheel alignment after doing this?

[@TheBeatenTrak]

Not sure if Floydy had one done or not after we did the flip on his van. 🤔Probably wouldn’t hurt I guess 👍🏻

[@markwitham6784]

Good job,, , but is that legal, and does your insurer has to be notified of the change?? Ive got a 23ft Crusader, and wouldn't mind doing this to mine,,looks gr8👍

[@TheBeatenTrak]

Hey thanks Mark! I don't think Floydie looked into the legalities of it and it's a good question. All I can say is that he's used the van a fair bit now since we did the axle flip and it's towing great and has no issues whatsoever. Let us know how you go with yours and if you decide to flip your axles too!

[@tcharalambousg]

Hey Mark and @The Beaten Track guys. I have a 2018 Family Palace 20.8 feet, and I looked at flipping the axles as well. I first contacted my RACV insurer and asked whether I could or not and I was told RACV doesn't care or object about this modification. I then contacted VicRoads but it was impossible to get to anyone as they must be SUPER BUSY and noone answered the phone. But in all the research I did I never found anything stating against doing this. I then checked with A Grade Caravan Repairs (who look after my caravan) who told me they do it all the time and it would have cost me around $600 - $700 with a 4-5 inch height gain. So sometime this year I'll be flipping the axles and fit AT tyres. Also while looking at other manufacturers brochures, some actually (Jayco too?) offer this flipping as an option. I hope this helps!

[@TheBeatenTrak]

@@tcharalambousg Hey thanks Theo that’s great! Pretty much exactly the same as what we’ve been hearing too 👌🏻 Are you going to do the Axle flip on the Palace yourself?

[@tcharalambousg]

@@TheBeatenTrak although it does look easy enough as a DIY project, I think I'll let a reputable repair shop to do this :)

[@scottboyle6748]

What about insurance? My mechanic said insurance companies will deny you a claim if they have been flipped?

[@TheBeatenTrak]

Good question mate and I don’t know the answer to that. I’m not sure if Floydie has spoken with his insurer about it 🤔 I guess it would be worth enquiring about.

[@dadmangraham2153]

How do you go when it comes to insurance companies if you have an accident?

[@TheBeatenTrak]

Not sure if Floydy has had that conversation with his insurance company and whether it makes a difference or not 🤔

[@robertwilson1827]

What's the update? Cheers, Robertt ​@@TheBeatenTrak

[@87tunj]

Been a while now guys any issues? Or all good??

[@TheBeatenTrak]

No issues whatsoever! We actually just returned from a big trip out west to Lightning Ridge on some pretty ordinary roads and it’s perfect 👍🏻

[@iamasmurf1122]

do you guys know at all the issues you will most likely have down the track the main issue is it will ruin your springs after a few years and your caravan will list to one side , axle flipping is not as straight forward as taking off and turning the axle over , see the axles have a high point in the middle of them meaning you have to weld on new locator brackets on the other side of the axle , there is a youtube video explaining it what im talking about, if you do not believe me about the high point have a good look at your video you can see how the axle bows up in the middle . they design them with a BOW in them

[@wanderlustpirates628]

Some, not all. A lot do not have this bow. It’s old school and was common on round axles. Most alko ect axles are straight these days.

[@lisawinning1846]

Hi guys what size tyres are on the an 15” or 16”

[@TheBeatenTrak]

The rims on the van are 15 inch 🛞 😄

[@idonthaveayoutubechannel1120]

Notice any issues towing?

[@TheBeatenTrak]

No mate none at all. Floydie has been towing his van around quite a bit since the axle flip and it towing perfectly fine.

[@shaju9229]

I'm confused, yes the height of the body of the caravan is higher but the axle itself is actually lower than where it was. Can someone clarify why you would do this? ta

[@TheBeatenTrak]

The height of the axle remains exactly the same. The reason for doing it is to lift the caravan body to give you greater clearance especially at the back of the van which helps when you’re negotiating sharp angles.

[@shaju9229]

@@TheBeatenTrak ah, of course it does, duh. Many thanks

[@johnk409]

Great Vid, perhaps you only needed to take off one hub, if you pulled it all the way out on one side??

[@87tunj]

Haha too smart! But might also be an opportunity to check bearings etc

[@ebnee573]

Also need to re-orient the electric brakes as they aren't reversible when flipped so they should be removed regardless unless welding a new seat on top of the axle

[@newport5504]

Fk me did ya lads use a torque wrench at all

[@TheBeatenTrak]

Yeah mate we talked heaps! 😆 No seriously though good point. I’m pretty certain Floydie went right over it all again when the rain cleared. He’s had his local caravan service centre go over it too.

[@RolandElliottFirstG]

Good work, you just blew your insurance cover toally, which will make you 100 percent liable in any accident including injury to others, and you have created more instablity when travelling on the road particularly at high speed or in windy conditions.

[@TheBeatenTrak]

‘more instability’ you say? Suggesting it was already unstable??? It’s always been extremely stable on the road and still is 👌🏻

[@colinl9018]

Not a bad job but your choice of after work beers just sucked..................😂

[@TheBeatenTrak]

Come on mate it’s not that bad 🍻😂

[@robertwilson1827]

😄😄😄

[@vanle8189]

Maybe talking to an automotive engineer before you started would have been a good idea. It's much easier to lose your axles completely. This is messing with your lives and the lives of other road users.

[@samcanner6727]

Why with the axle flipped less stress on the ubolt.

[@shaunmarkey4839]

Sam, the U bolt wasn't even strait 😂 may be the only problem in this video.

[@saddle1940]

I put (welded) a capture chain to mine either side. Also, you should remeasure the distance between the axle tip to the ball to make sure it's still isosceles to pull straight.