Skids or Wheels on rear of Trailer

[Zavy]

Worried about deep curb dips that will bottom out rear bumper. Lots of DIY presentations adding 6" wheels to back bumper area but they all report damage to these small wheels after one episode of hitting bottom. Was thinking of welding a skid plate or heavy skid bar to frame beams like a helicopter's skids, not small wheels. Any experience with such a fix?

[notanlines]

Originally Posted by Zavy

Worried about deep curb dips that will bottom out rear bumper. Lots of DIY presentations adding 6" wheels to back bumper area but they all report damage to these small wheels after one episode of hitting bottom. Was thinking of welding a skid plate or heavy skid bar to frame beams like a helicopter's skids, not small wheels. Any experience with such a fix?

Zavy, we could help you with your dilemma if you go to the top, click on 'User CP' and then 'Profile' and fill in the blanks so we know what we're dealing with. I might further add that you've posted your question on the wrong section/thread. After changing your profile, start a new thread and I'll bet you get a better answer than '6" casters.'
And welcome to the forum.

[flybouy]

Had a Forrest River 29' super light trailer that set very low. On the rear most area of the frame the factory had two "skid braces" welded on the frame. Going straight was no problem (other than noise and digging into asphalt) but turning thru a dip in the road (like turning onto a street with a steep grade increase) would place a heavy side force on the frame.

I cut off the "triangles" and welded on a 5" swivel wheel to the bottom of the frame on each side. Worked great and never had any issues after that. IIRC I think the swivel wheels had a 750 lb. rating.

[JRTJH]

Before the days of "slides in travel trailers" most trailers sat much lower to the ground (axles above the springs) than they do now (axles below the springs). Those older trailers were notorious for tail dragging. Our Holiday Rambler (36' long) would drag the tail on any approach ramp into a gas station. It would also bottom out going across an intersection if there was a "slope for drainage"...

Anyway, back then, nearly every trailer had a "steel triangle welded to the rear bumper support" to prevent damage to the bumper from a "happens all the time" situation. There were "rollers" designed to bolt onto those steel triangles that helped prevent wear to the triangles. Without the rollers, one trip in the southwest was all it took to need them replaced. With the rollers attached, they'd last 2 or 3 seasons before they needed any attention.... Heaven forbid you took one of those intersections at 35 or 40 MPH !!!!! That was a guaranteed way to need new "bumper wheels"....

As for "swivel wheels" I've seen them, and don't trust them to do anything other than put contact with the ground "closer because of the wheel"...

Maybe a "one or two configuration" would need some help to keep from dragging, but with the "flipped axles on nearly every trailer these days, there should be enough clearance that dragging isn't a problem... If it is, I'd first look at the rig setup to make sure the trailer isn't "nose high". Clearance likely isn't an issue on a correctly set up rig unless the trailer is well over 35' long.