Drag Wheels or Rollers Recommendation

[Bill Borden]

Hello,

I have been doing research lately on Drag Wheels or Rollers, I'm having trouble with finding the right ones that would be strong enough.  I have looked into the 6" wheels from Ultra-Fab, (Skid Wheels for Class A RVs 34' and Longer) and the Ultra-Fab, Ultra Jumbo Roller - 2.5"W x 3"D.

My question is have you used any of these products or do you have a recommendation for Drag Wheels?

I do plan on welding them on, (I know of the precaution required for welding). A friend and Beaver owner lost his Cat motor controller/computer, when a body shop failed to follow procedure.

Our PAT is low and long enough to hit, and we have one turn we hit every time we leave.  And I have had problems with dips and driveways of gas stations.

So I need help picking out something heavy duty enough will handle the weight of a 40' PAT.

I have checked the road height of the rig and it's correct.  The tires are the standard size.

So if you have any thoughts please jump in, thanks for your help.

[Ed Dubois]

We had a similar problem with our 97 Monterey (34'). Our back end was touching down at drives, curbs etc - pretty much the same situation you're describing.

I had a welder make up a roller and install it. Instead of the trailer hitch hitting the roller would make contact. When this happened at any speed the roller would spin like mad. Although it helped I was never really happy with this solution. My wife was following me in the car one day and saw that when the roller hit the road and spun it was showering sparks. Didn't like that!

Talked it over with a heavy duty diesel mechanic who had a lot of experience with big vehicles. He found what appeared to be our problem. The valve arms on the rear air bags were touching the underbody when we hit a bump - they were dumping and we'd touch the road surface until the bags reinflated.  He shortened the valve arms so they could work properly.

My notes from back then didn't include why the valve arms were making contact. The mechanic raised the rear airbag height to 12" which was 1" over spec and also raised the front slightly. After that the problem disappeared. The coach handled properly and we put on thousands of miles with no further incidents. This dates back to October 2008.

Maybe this will be of some help to you in finding out the cause of your problem. Presumably all the PATs manufactured when yours was don't have this problem - at least not that I've heard.

Good luck.

[David T. Richelderfer]

When I get to a spot in my path where the coach may bottom out - front, center or rear - then I raise the coach using the air leveling control pad. Immediately after releasing the "raise button" the coach will lower back to its traveling position.

[Joel Ashley]

Our Monty has a really troublesome low hitch.  Just trying to drive catty corner across dips wasn't always a solution and raising the rig often just made it worse due to our short driveline and rear straps, so I had Roadmaster add one of their rollers to the hitch.  I have to add lube occasionally and readjust the bolt tension.  The roller takes a hit now and then, and shows its done its job, but then that's what I got it for... better the roller than the hitch.  When I know I've bottomed out sometime along a trip, I check the roller that evening in case it jammed in the process, but if I've kept it lubed properly, it's usually survived just fine.

Joel

[Steve Huber Co-Admin]

Joel,
I'd be a bit concerned about how much weight and upward pressure is being applied to the hitch. It's got a  10K lb rating and the weight of the coach at the very rear has to surpass that....??
Steve

[Joel Ashley]

That weight can be applied either almost straight vertically or rolling.  I'd rather it be rolling. 

The hitch rating is based on the load it's pulling horizontally, which goes to how and where it's attached to the chassis, as well as other parameters like braking and drivetrain.  If anything were to be sacrificed, the weak point I'd deem to be the roller's bolt more than any hitch frame component.

The low slung rear of our model coach has meant I've slam dunked the hitch receiver (and the poor rock guard trapped under it) a number of times, including our own street/driveway entry.  Tweaking the rear ride height a smidge seems to have helped, but the roller effectively lifts the hitch, flap, and back corners out of harms way, and these days is the only part under there exhibiting "wear".  I've just learned to check it once in a while to ensure it rolls freely.

Joel

[Larry Williams]

I have a dip in the road leading to my RV pad and I had trouble dragging when backing in with my prior coach ('99 37' Dolphin). So I bought some 6" heay duty bolt on skid wheels and bolted them to the frame near the hitch. It solved my problem. I think they might be the ones you were describing in your post. When I traded up to my current coach I removed the wheels and installed them on the new coach as it has the same issue. I bolted it to the cross bar of the receiver and seems to hold fine with the extra weight of the diesel in the rear. I think the only time it hits is in my pad approach. When I bought my coach the full width mud flap was missing. I had a new generic flap installed closer to the rear wheels so when it drags it will not go under the skid wheels.

[Bill Borden]

Thank you for the input.  Joel and I are having the same thoughts, better the Drag wheels than the hitch or the coach taking a hit.

But Steve has voiced my concern as to the weight of the rear end and the strength of the drag wheels.

A friend bought a trailer complete with drag wheels, first time up his driveway tore them right off.  He has replaced them with heavy duty models.

The only ones I could find was supposed to be for a Motor home 34' or more.  I guess how much more is a wonder.

Unfortunately, the 2000 Patriot Thunder did not have the option of ride height, the bags are set at 10" fully inflated.  It would be nice.

So I am still looking for a recommendation for Drag Wheels if you know of a Heavy Duty one.

Thanks again,

[Joel Ashley]

If you call Roadmaster they may help you with your decision.  I bottomed out somewhere awhile back on our current trip, and the roller took the hit, nothing else.  That's the idea.  It's scratched up from gravel, and doesn't turn easily at the moment.  But been there, done that.  I'll just loosen the bolt, do some lube, and tighten the bolt such that the roller spins freely once more.  Eventually I may have to have a new roller, but the hitch nor anything else ever gets banged up.  Don't know what more I can say.  We had two wheels welded on the back of the old Pace Arrow's hitch frame, and they worked.  I don't know that they'd survive on this Beaver, which is why I researched a different approach for it.  But the single roller style, centered under the hitch receiver seems to be tough enough.  I mean if you're going to bring whatever weight down on that backside, wouldn't you rather it be absorbed by a rolling entity than the hitch?  I think the Roadmaster people have factored in the weight possibilities. 

Joel