Axle flip T 2753 and New shank

flbradjr · 08-28-2020, 05:28 AM

I'm planning on having an Axle Flip done on my T-2753.
It will be done by a local Trailer shop and I'm not sure if I will need a new Shank.
Any suggestions?
I have a Reese w/d hitch and tension bars.
800 Wt. Distributing Bars.
10,000 Max gross Trlr Wt.
800 Max Hitch wt.
V-5 Rating
Thanks
Brad "Foster Bradley"
Northport , NY 11768

**JohnB** · 08-28-2020, 09:14 AM

Hi Brad,

You will for sure need to have the WD hitch adjusted for the camper height change. Depending on the actual shank you have now, it may be able to be flipped up in a "rise mode" in place of the shank being down in a "drop mode". Assuming yours is now in the drop mode.

See here on mine, same truck/camper but the WD hitch shank was setup in the "drop" mode.

I upgraded tire size from 15" to 16" and ended up with a higher off the ground camper, that and some suspension upgrades. I had to change the WD hitch setup to a shank "rise" mode to deal with height change. I just flipped the shank up and readjusted the WD hitch.

In my case I lucked out I could do that. This all depends on what you are starting with now and will flipping the shank over allow the camper to be towed level after adjusting the hitch.

If you can take a picture of your existing setup hitched up, we may be able to look at it and tell if flipping it will work or not. I you need help posting a pic. let me know.

Hope this helps

John

flbradjr · 08-29-2020, 09:45 AM

Hi John & All,
I took some pictures of my tow hitch and shank on my Apple phone. How do I transfer the pics to the Sunline site.
Help!!
maybe I got it???
IMG_0647.jpg

**JohnB** · 08-29-2020, 11:58 AM

Hi Brad,

Your pic came through, we can see it. You did good!

The good news, you have a WD shank that can be flipped up and it has the needed holes in the shank to help adjust for the height change. I would say, you have high odds you do not need to buy a new shank. The shop you are hiring to do the hitch work, (or you do it) can take the hitch head apart, flip the shank up, readjust the WD on the truck and you be good to go.

I helped a friend last fall do an axle flip on his Sunline, he had a similar Reese WD hitch. We were able to do the axle flip, flip the shank up and readjust to accommodate for the increased trailer ball height.

Let us know if you need more on this.

John

Tkch88 · 09-08-2020, 06:25 PM

Can I ask how much the job is going to cost? I've been thinking of doing this for years on my 2001 2540. I would really like to get a deeper, better pitched blackwater tank, and flipping would provide the clearance.

Dave
RI

flbradjr · 09-09-2020, 07:14 AM

I was quoted 3 hours for $375 which is here on Long Island.
But I didn't clarify if that was for one or both. My guess is per axle.
I believe someone else had similar numbers and another member had numbers a lot lower - but done quite a while ago.

flbradjr · 10-13-2020, 08:06 AM

One more question on Axle Flip. The Dexter information sheet suggests using Bump Stops after doing the flip so that the springs don't over extend. So my question to the Flippers - have you added Bump Stops to the install or not.
Thank you all. Foster (Brad) Bradley

**JohnB** · 10-13-2020, 04:04 PM

Brad,

I have one of my project campers with the axle flip already done, another one I am about to flip, and a third one I helped a friend flip his. They do not have any added bump stops.

I have not heard of anyone yet here on the forum adding them, that is not to say they didn't, just I do not recall anyone.

I'm not sure of Dexter's context on the springs over extending. There are a lot of other brand camper that come with the spring pack on top of the axle tube to start with. And I looked at a lot of other brands suspensions, I have not seen a bump stop on any I have seen to far.

In the case of Sunline's, Sunline was good to us. They installed axles and springs to hold the entire weight of the camper GVWR. Yet the truck holds some of the camper weight by the tongue weight. The springs, never are pushed to the load limit as long as the owner does not overload the camper. So I am not sure how the spring will over extend being changed from the bottom of the axle tube to the top of the axle tube on a Sunline trailer setup. Again, assuming the owner does not overload the axle weight ratings.

This post shows an axle flip, a stock Sunline with the springs on the bottom of the tube, and a flipped axle on a cargo trailer with the spring pack on top. I'm not seeing a loading of the axle tube or spring pack difference.
https://www.sunlineclub.com/forums/f...html#post61814

Did you get any details on why and in what conditions Dexter stated the cause of the over extending?

Hope this helps

John

flbradjr · 08-12-2021, 05:14 AM

some questions 2005 T2753 bought 2006
#1 see my pics of flipped shank after axle flip. Hitch ball is not 90 degrees. seems to work OK but should I be concerned?
#2 usually dry camp but 3rd time camping with 30amp electric. American converter cs6000. Fan was running-1st time ever- but the Mrs didn't like the smell - just musty and dust or? Fan did stop running - no more smell. No problems with converter operating. Should we be worried?
#3 Can't remember#3 yet.
But we're still on the road - visiting cousin in Schoharie, NY. No gas in Cobleskill NY due to no electric at gas stations. But I can make it to the next town when we leave. We've been in PA at Ricketts Glen and Tobyhanna. We're on our way to the Adirondacks - Rollins Pond - between Tupper Lake and Saranac Lake. 2003 Suburban 1500 has 150K and still going strong. Brad

Tinstaafl · 08-12-2021, 09:21 AM

A cockeyed hitch certainly isn't optimum, but you can probably get away with it short term. I know that many of them have a means of shimming/adjustment, but I'm not familiar with that one.

As for the smell from the converter, if you've never gotten in there and cleaned, it could well be just dusty/musty. Smells due to electrical problems tend to have a very distinctive odor you'd recognize immediately. Probably not a bad idea to open it up for a careful cleaning with a vacuum and a small brush.

While there's always a potential for electrostatic damage from that process, it's relatively low. The components are fairly robust. If it's noticeably dusty and cobwebby in there, lack of good air circulation could be why the fan was kicking on.

Obviously you'd want to do that cleaning with no power present, either AC or 12V.

flbradjr · 08-12-2021, 12:43 PM

Hi Tinstaafl Appreciate the good info. I was hoping it's only dust & etc. Yes, I've never opened it up and no plans to until we're back home with everything off. And I plan on visiting my axle flip/hitch flip mechanic to get the hitch ball back to 90 degrees. Wish me luck. Thanks again. Brad

flbradjr · 08-13-2021, 07:44 AM

More questions
#3 Atwood power jack MPD 85083 Under no load works fine. Under load whether up or down the jack stops part way and makes Clutch noises. Then I use the hand crank and sometimes the power will work or not. Rieco Titian purchased Atwood in 2014 so Atwood is Manufacture Discontinue. Some models are still available on Amazon or ebay. I found replacement gears on Amazon and I think the gears are my problem. Any thoughts/recommendations from you all?

Tinstaafl · 08-13-2021, 08:54 AM

Has everything been properly lubricated? Does it take excessive force to hand-crank it?

Before ordering any parts, I'd disassemble it to look for visible signs of wear. Could just be a weak clutch assembly.

flbradjr · 08-13-2021, 02:55 PM

Yes, I've lubricated the gears and it cranks easily enough for a 77yo. Is the clutch assembly part of the gears or elsewhere? When I hand crank it with the motor off it looks ok (to me). I wd40'd the shaft and will silicone it when it get home. Again thank you.

Tinstaafl · 08-13-2021, 03:35 PM

The clutch would normally be right at the end of the motor shaft, possibly integrated into the motor housing. Depending on how it's built, it may not be readily serviceable. Many of the older ones weren't.

Going by the rule that the only dumb question is the one not asked, are you confident that you don't have too much weight on the tongue? Not too hard for that to happen if you have a bunch of stuff stowed toward the front of the camper, and/or extra weight on the A-frame that wasn't there in the factory configuration.

flbradjr · 08-14-2021, 03:49 AM

Yes I have extra wt. My fresh water is front left - drivers side- and I travel w/H2O and the other side has my tool box and bottle jack - to try to offset the H2O. No other extra wt. I guess the clutch is aging - just like me. I'll take a hard look when I get home. Thanks again for the excellent info. Brad

**JohnB** · 08-14-2021, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flbradjr

some questions 2005 T2753 bought 2006
#1 see my pics of flipped shank after axle flip. Hitch ball is not 90 degrees. seems to work OK but should I be concerned?

Quote:

Originally Posted by flbradjr

And I plan on visiting my axle flip/hitch flip mechanic to get the hitch ball back to 90 degrees. Wish me luck. Thanks again. Brad

Hi Brad,

Is this the pic of your shank you are referring to?

The tow ball more times then not, normally is "not" 90 degrees to the hitch shank on purpose. You tilt the hitch head to the back to increase weight transfer to the front axle using the same number of chain links.

There is no rule, or even guide that on a Reese WD hitch that the tow ball "has to be" 90 degrees to the hitch shank top be considered correctly setup. A I said, most times the head is always tilted to the back to increase weight transfer to the front of the truck.

I would not suggest you have your mechanic change it to get the ball to 90 degrees. We normally setup the WD hitch by measuring fender heights on the truck from and rear axle measured with the truck totally loaded to go camping unhitched as a base line.

Then we hitch the camper fully loaded camper, hook up the chains, lift the tongue jack, go back and measure the truck fender heights. On your 2003 Suburban, you adjust the chain links to be no less then 5 links under tension, (any less and the chains will bind in the turns on the snap-up bracket) the front of the truck should be slightly less then unhitched height, 1/8 tp 1/4" less will about do it. Being exactly the same as unhitched will work, being anything less then unhitched height will start tearing into the jounce bumpers of the torsion bar front suspension.

If you need less then the 5 links under tension, then tilt the hitch head back. Two serrated washer teeth are close to 1 full link of chain tension.

After the WD is set, then comes leveling out the camper. The camper ideally is level when towed, slight nose down is OK. A lot of nose up can be bad. You move the hitch head up and down the shank to get the camper leveled out.

Then comes, do you have a round bar Reese WD hitch or a square trunnion bar Reese WH hitch? The round bar hitch the bars need to end up close to parallel to the frame. The trunnion bar hitch the bars are tilting down towards the end of them are OK. The trunnion bar hitch is not normally parallel to the frame with the WD bars, they are heading down hill.

In all that setup, nothing looked for the tow ball to be 90 degrees to the hitch shank. It most time is tilted back, enough to get the truck front end back to where it is supposed to be.

Hope this helps

John

**JohnB** · 08-14-2021, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flbradjr

More questions
#3 Atwood power jack MPD 85083 Under no load works fine. Under load whether up or down the jack stops part way and makes Clutch noises. Then I use the hand crank and sometimes the power will work or not. Rieco Titian purchased Atwood in 2014 so Atwood is Manufacture Discontinue. Some models are still available on Amazon or ebay. I found replacement gears on Amazon and I think the gears are my problem. Any thoughts/recommendations from you all?

I have had some of the Atwood jacks, I tried to look up your part number, but all the stuff seems to be gone on exactly what model you have. Also, Lippert ended up buying up the rights of the Atwood jack line and then discontinued it. Atwood was sold to Dometic, they took what they wanted and sold off the rest. Sad story of a very good US based company. Atwood was a very helpful company.

Here is the last cut sheet I can find https://lci-support-doc.s3.amazonaws..._21nov07_s.pdf

I had the 3,500 ball screw Atwood and I helped a friend get theirs working too.

But, yours may not be the ball screw type but an ACME screw type. Regardless, dirt and rust can end up on the ball screw or ACME screw which is buried inside the actual jack post. The clutch would trip from the drag in the screw was so high under load. I had to take the whole jack tube apart, clean it up, re-grease the screw, and put is all back together. You really could not just squirt liquid stuff into the tube. Had to pull the whole thing apart.

As to the gears, I'm not thinking that would be causing excess drag if they are lubed up. More points to the actual screw drag inside the jack tube.

And not knowing what tongue weight rating jack you have, a heavy load on the camper tongue and in the truck bed can make the jack work harder. Drag on a dirty dry screw and excess weight could contribute to tripping the clutch.

Hope this helps.

I see Tin has you covered on the converter.

flbradjr · 08-26-2021, 11:51 AM

Hi JohnB We're back home from the Adirondacks and I'm looking at my Jack. My MPD Literature 85083 is the same as your reference to 87083. My Atwood is Heavy Duty on a Sunline 2753. I took the upper cover cap off and the motor housing. Then I see two gears at 90 degrees to each other - which I greased before leaving home. You reference ACME or ball screw. How do I get to whichever one I have? Inside the jack post!!
Thanks for any help you can provide.

flbradjr · 08-28-2021, 02:50 PM

Hi All, I'm continuing to work on my Atwood Tongue Jack to resolve its up and down travel issues but if I give up - Has anyone had to replace theirs and With What? and are you Satisfied? Atwood is out of business as is Lippert and of course all reviews are all over the place. But I feel I can trust the Sunline Club folks for good advice. Thanks Brad