Converting A Teardrop Camper To An Overlanding Camper

Updated 03/29/2024 | Published 03/25/2024

Question:

I have a small lightweight tear camper that want to turn into an overland camper. Axle is 60/48 and the spindle has grooves and is discolored. Ideally, I would raise it up to improve clearance by mounting a new axle under the leaf springs. I would also like to add brakes and wheels that are same size as my truck. 285/70 R17. Possible?

asked by: Michael D

Expert Reply:

Hi Michael,

If you're wanting to turn your teardrop camper into an overlanding camper with larger tires then you'll want to switch to a Timbren axle-less system instead of just swapping out the axle for a newer one. These systems range in capacity from 1,200lbs to 7,000lbs and can come with a drop, lift, idler hub, or with brakes already installed.

To start we'll need to know your current axle capacity so that we can match it up to the correct system. There should be an axle tag sticker on the axle that will list the capacity, if not you can measure the diameter of the axle to get a pretty good idea of what the capacity is. We know that you'll need brakes so we can look at ones with them already installed and match up the bolt pattern on the included hubs to the bolt pattern of the wheels you're wanting to install.

I've attached a link below to our selection of Timbren Axle-less systems so you can get a better look and see if this is something you'd want. Let me know what your capacity and bolt pattern is and I'd be happy to start picking our parts for you.

expert reply by: Kevin C

Michael D.

3/25/2024

The current axle capacity is 2000lbs. The tow vehicle is a 3rd Gen Tacoma, with a 6×5.5 bolt pattern. Would I need spacers? The room between the inside of the current wheel/tire and the body of the camper would not be enough to accommodate the wider wheel/tire.

Kevin C.

3/29/2024

@MichaelD Measure the vertical spacing between the tire and fender as well as the horizontal spacing between the tire and the frame/body of the trailer. From there we can choose a Timbren system with a large enough rise/drop to help accommodate the larger tires, as well as raise the height of the trailer a bit to make it more off-road friendly.