Tire balancing

GOLDENYEARS · 05-05-2013, 11:53 PM

Very quick and easy question for everyone:

1. Did anyone have their tires balanced on your trailer/fifth wheel?

2. How far off balance were they, how much weight had to be added to correct?

3. Has anyone installed or had installed a hitch to carry bikes on; or how do you carry your bikes?

4. Is anyone "double bottoming"?

Thanking all you fine people in advance for your help.

Wanderer · 05-06-2013, 12:17 AM

I plan to balance my tires when I replace them after this summers trip. There has been some discussion already regarding bike carriers so I would do a search to find them.
What is 'double bottoming', I hate to guess on that one! I won't ask my wife either....

Infinityrver · 05-06-2013, 01:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GOLDENYEARS

Very quick and easy question for everyone:

1. Did anyone have their tires balanced on your trailer/fifth wheel?

2. How far off balance were they, how much weight had to be added to correct?

3. Has anyone installed or had installed a hitch to carry bikes on; or how do you carry your bikes?

4. Is anyone "double bottoming"?

Thanking all you fine people in advance for your help.

I'm more about balancing steer tires then rear tires on larger trucks or trailers. I have tandem axle equipment trailers and have never balanced those tires. Also, I have had three other 5th wheel camper trailers previous the one I have now. I have never balanced the tires on any of these trailers. I have put 6000 miles in this 5er that I have now.

I have no need to place a hitch on the rear of my 5er. Redwood places them on theirs right from the factory. I believe your infinity and Redwood frames are the same. Lippert. So, it can be done with no issue.

I'm also, unsure what "double bottoming" is. Please explain.

GOLDENYEARS · 05-06-2013, 12:28 PM

I guess "double bottom" is the correct term to use. That is when you have a small trailer behind your fifthwheel trailer. I think some would call it a "pup". your fifthwheel trailer would be the "lead" Again I am just guessing. Also those terms are used in the trucking industry.

kevinmiles · 05-06-2013, 12:43 PM

1) I have never had symptoms which would indicate balancing was necessary on either of my 5th wheels. My previous one (Jayco Designer), however, had a serious misalignment of the axles which I had repaired at a truck alignment shop. Tires were wearing fast and unevenly until this was fixed.
2) N/A
3) We use folding bikes which fit in the 'basement'.
4) That's a new term to me, too, but I've never done it.

Hope this helps!

Wanderer · 05-06-2013, 06:25 PM

Double bottoming then would be illegal in British Columbia.

Cooper · 05-06-2013, 08:01 PM

Time Horton 's "Double Double " coffee yes....double bottoming no....carry enough crap in the truck and trailer as it is...no need to bring more with a pup...lol lol

Bike rack attached to TT bumper...do search on this forum for pics of my bike rack.
Coops

GOLDENYEARS · 05-06-2013, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wanderer

Double bottoming then would be illegal in British Columbia.

Double bottoming is a sick bird in a lot of the states also.

Just wondering if anyone had done it.

Aronious · 05-07-2013, 11:35 PM

I pulled a verity of trailers behind my fiver most of the time in Michigan over the years until we got the Voltage. Tis legal in Michigan but only if you have a class "A" or a Recreational Doubles on your operators license. Length is limited to 65 feet from the tugger front bumper to the rear bumper on the back trailer. Depends on who is doing the inspecting/measuring whether a bike rack hanging off the last bumper would count in the length.

memgrove · 05-08-2013, 11:25 PM

Why not have the tires balanced? It only costs about ten bucks each and it will make the tire last longer and be better on your coach. Why beat the trailer to death if you don't have too? We have had every set of tires we put on the airstream balanced and the third weekend owning the Denali we had them done because the factory does not do it.

Infinityrver · 05-09-2013, 12:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by memgrove

Why not have the tires balanced? It only costs about ten bucks each and it will make the tire last longer and be better on your coach. Why beat the trailer to death if you don't have too? We have had every set of tires we put on the airstream balanced and the third weekend owning the Denali we had them done because the factory does not do it.

As I have explained earlier in the post, I've never balanced trailer tires, camper or otherwise.
I commend you for doing yours. I'm going to do some research and see if tire companies recommend it on trailers.
I'm also, hoping that other camper owners will chime in on trailer tire balancing.

rasteck · 05-09-2013, 03:43 AM

Had the trailer tires balanced when we upgraded to LT's.
I need a better rack before I start bringing the bikes. I don't trust the one we have that mounts around the spare on the rear bumper. Seems like too much weight.
Never double towed.

Cooper · 05-09-2013, 04:05 AM

A pic of our back rack...works pretty good.

sunofabeach · 05-09-2013, 05:33 AM

that is the same bike rack that i have but i am leery of putting that onto the back bumper of my Kodiak.

did you modify your bumper in any way? are you comfortable towing with that bike rack mounted to your trailers bumper?

Cooper · 05-09-2013, 04:34 PM

Sonofabeach.....( almost typed something else

)

No complaints with the set up so far....made a couple of long trips

Hope this help......

"We have a 3 bike Swagman...had it modified by welding the bike rack and receiver adapter together. Originally they were 2 separate units. They were connected by the trailer ball going through the holes. The receiver unit is a common TT bumper hitch type. I would only use it for a bike rack..wouldn't trust the TT bumper for any thing else. Not made heavy enough in my opinion for anything other than the spare tire and a bike rack. Had to move the spare tire and sewer hose carrier so I could centre the bike rack. When the bikes are installed I use bungee cords to stop the bikes from swinging back and forth. The bikes do not reduce the visibility of the signal, brake, nor tail lights. They rack sticks straight out the back a bit so a put flagging tape on the end of the rack so cars coming up can see it."

Coops

sunofabeach · 05-09-2013, 06:15 PM

thanks for the reply!

i did email Kodiak about this same thing and the customer service rep that replied to me said that they do not recommend having a bike rack on the bumper and also no recommedation for a hitch to be welded to the frame.

i think this is a "C.Y.A" thing on Kodiak's behalf but i just want to cover all my bases before i try to do this.

arcabuddy · 05-13-2013, 12:35 AM

Someone once told me that the bumpers are not meant to take any weight too, not sure if this is valid but worth finding out before doing it.

knesdad · 05-15-2013, 02:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arcabuddy

Someone once told me that the bumpers are not meant to take any weight too, not sure if this is valid but worth finding out before doing it.

You are correct. They're good for carrying a spare and a sewer hose and not much more. I know people that have added bike racks and reinforced them with supports welded to the I-Beam frame, but our dealer will not do it. I was told it could void the warranty. We carry our bikes in the trailer and it does just fine.

RaginCajun55 · 09-15-2013, 02:17 AM

I had my replacement tires (Goodyear) balanced and one tire took more weight than the others, and all took my weight than my truck. I wish I would have had the axles aligned earlier, as I wore out two tires on a trip to Yellowstone when I came back home. Went to an frame alignment shop and he fixed me for under $250. He informed me most trailers have misaligned axles from the factory.

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