Axle camber seems excessive

rh5555

I'm concerned that the camber on my 2020 TAB400 Boondock is excessive.  I measured it at 6 degrees. We haven't put on enough miles to show uneven tire wear yet, but I fear that will show up eventually.  Question:  Is this amount of camber typical?

The trailer has never been overloaded although it has been taken down some pretty bumpy roads (it's a Boondock, after all!).  Looking back at last year's photos, it looks like this camber has been present from the get-go.  I had just failed to notice it before.

CrabTab

I was getting ready to roll my 320 onto the driveway to measure camber to give you a comparison until I realized you have a 400 @rh5555 .

Do both tires have that much negative camber? Did you look at toe? 

If it is any consolation, you should have great traction during hard cornering when the tire deflects and rolls.

Seriously though, tire rotation will give you the most even wear (as I'm sure you already know).

rh5555

Both wheels have the same camber.  Don't have the tools to measure toe-in.

CrabTab

Hopefully someone else with a 400 will weigh-in here. Went out  and looked. Visually, my lighter 320 doesn't have near the negative camber of your 400.

Can't find anything in my T@B info about these specs for the axle. Sorry to not have been much help...

ChrisFix

@rh5555
I think my 2021 Boondock is cambered similar to yours. It's a bit hard to directly compare because how you take the photo really affects the perceived degree of camber, but I took these with the camera app saying I was at 0 degrees off horizontal...so they should be a fairly accurate representation.

WilliamA

That looks like a lot of camber. A good baseline is between 0 degrees and -1 degrees, which is the opposite of your positive reading. Toe in can dramatically affect camber. If there is toe out, forward movement of the trailer will torque the camber to what is shown. To test that, check visually, pull forward 20 feet and recheck. Then back up 20 feet and see if it changes. Toe is pretty easy to check with 2 people and a tape measure. Measure from wheel to wheel at the front of the rim, then at the back of the rim. Measurement should be between 1/8" and 1/16" less across the front, ahead of the axle. 
To "measure camber, use a level across the wheel, top to bottom (plumb). Then check the trailer level across the frame.
As a note, make sure wheel bearings are snug and not loose. A loose hub will appear as excessive camber. With both wheels splayed out like that, I doubt it's the bearings..
WilliamA

rh5555

Correction to above.  Driver side camber is 4 degrees, passenger side is 6 degrees.  Am going to contact NuCamp and see what they have to say.  Will enlist son's help to measure toe-in.  I'll keep y'all posted...

Dalehelman

I would not expect to see any negative camber on a trailer any trailer.

WilliamA

Dalehelman said:

I would not expect to see any negative camber on a trailer any trailer.

True enough, but there are so many things that determine camber it's difficult to get exactly right. For myself, if it's "around" zero, (within a degree one way or the other) I'm okay with it.  You could drive yourself nuts getting it exactly to spec. For my own trailer, I wanted to compare the unloaded vs loaded camber so I did that early in my ownership. The concern I have personally is the total axle flex when loaded. 

WilliamA

JCALD

I run negative 3 degrees on my track car.  A trailer should be close if not exactly zero. 

Dalehelman

Tab axels are not straight. They are torsion axels. I am sure how they set the camber.

CrabTab

Pulled my unloaded 320 onto the driveway today to measure camber. The picture below is the driver side with the gauge held against the wheel (alloy wheel doesn't respect the magnet on the gauge).



Red arrow points to the reading of +1/2 degree on the driver side. Passenger side measured -3/4 degree of camber. The measured slope of my driveway is 1/2 degree, dropping towards the driver side.

The final calculation is 0 degrees camber on the driver side and -1/4 degree on the passenger side. I still can't find factory specs for the axle, but now you have some measured data to look at on a similar trailer @rh5555

tepe50

I had the same thing happened to my 2020 tab 400 last year. To make a long story short  you need a new axel NOW. 

rh5555

Took the trailer to the dealer yesterday.  They looked at it and said "you need a new axle NOW".  They think it will be covered under the expired warranty.

So this is two 2020 TAB 400s with this issue.  Maybe a bad batch of axles?  I'd urge all owners of similar vintage TABs to check for this problem!

ChrisFix

@rh5555
Did they say what actually is wrong with the axle, and what caused it to fail like that? What's actually bent?

rh5555

It seems that the torsion arms were badly tempered.  Instead of springing back when stressed (hitting a pot hole), they twisted a bit.  It only gets worse and worse as you hit more pot holes until your tire touches the trailer wall.

N7SHG_Ham

Wonder if this is similar to the issues the InTech sol was having with axles. It was a Dexter axle failing on those units too.

AirBoss

As a 2020 400 Standard owner curious if this is exclusive to BD models? I'll be checking soon. 

Denny16

Has this issue been corrected on newer Boondock Dexter axles?  I am having a new Boondock Dexter axle installed on our TaB400, it was shipped last March from nuCamp.
cheers

ChrisFix

Denny16 said:

Has this issue been corrected on newer Boondock Dexter axles?  I am having a new Boondock Dexter axle installed on our TaB400, it was shipped last March from nuCamp.
cheers

I'd like to know that as well. My 2021 Boondock was manufactured in March, so probably has an axle from the same bunch as yours.
Do we know if Dexter has stated this is a known issue with bad tempering of the axle's components?

Verna

Well, I think if you have read enough of the forum, you know the proper procedure is to call your dealer, and notify them. If they don’t contact warranty@nucamprv.com, then you should.  If you want to be sure warranty has been contacted, then do it yourself, after you contact your dealer.  

In either case, have your VIN number, manufacture date and where you bought in hand as you know those are important things your dealer and nüCamp needs to know in order to help you. 

Verna

While I just emailed nüCamp, this does not release the owners from their responsibility to follow my instructions in my previous post. 

Verna

Okay, the word from nüCamp is that Dexter is great to work with. 

ChrisFix

@Verna
Personally, I'm not looking at a warranty issue for my trailer currently - but certainly would like to know if there is an issue with perhaps the most important component to safely towing my trailer.
The question is if there is a known manufacturing issue with some (or all) of the Dexter axles. You having yours replaced due to a bent axle doesn't add any additional confidence with the Dexter axles being used by NuCamp...

Denny16

Given how many trailers use Decter pitched axles, I am inclined to think this is an isolated batch issue.  Most repots on Dexter axles have been very good, high reliability, etc.
cheers

rh5555

I agree that this is probably a batch issue.  Just wanted other 400 owners to check their trailers.  Judging by the uneven tire wear, this problem manifested itself early on, and I just failed to notice it.  If you don't have this problem already, you probably wont be affected in the future.

johnfconway

rh5555 said:

I agree that this is probably a batch issue.  Just wanted other 400 owners to check their trailers.  Judging by the uneven tire wear, this problem manifested itself early on, and I just failed to notice it.  If you don't have this problem already, you probably wont be affected in the future.

nuCamp can tell you month of build based on VIN through customer service. Our 2020 was built in January, 2020. If you're inclined to check that out, could you please post?

AirBoss

Build date should be posted on "data plate" lable located on driver side of tongue frame,...mine is in upper right corner of label  (08/19). 

rh5555

I've asked NuCamp for the build date, and will post it as soon as I get it.  It was one of the first 2020s.  Trailer is at the dealer, so I cannot check the "data plate".

rh5555

NuCamp got back to me.  Unit was finished late May 2019.

Denny16

Thanks, got my new pitched Boondock axle in March 2020, so if this was a batch issue, I think later axles would be fine.
cheers