Sanibel 3600 axles are bowed?

[joien126]

I full time in a 2013 Sanibel 3600. Had it about 2 years. I just towed from central NY to TX - about 1400 miles. No issues whatsoever, but while setting up I noticed both of my axles have an asymmetrical bow to them. The apex is somewhere near the middle of the axle, though not quite. They drop off from true moving towards the wheels by about 1 1/2". I've never been remotely close to maxing out the gvwr.

I'm not an engineer, but I can't possible think what could cause this to happen. If anything I would think they would sag towards the middle if it were a weight issue, though even then I would also assume the tires would fail before both axles bent. The pressure would have to be extreme. Either way it just doesn't seem right. I contacted Primetime and am awaiting a response.

Are your axles straight? I should think so!

[AquaMan]

Not 100% positive, but I think there is an engineered curve to the axles, and this is normal.

[BarryD0706]

If there is something wrong with the axles, I think you would be seeing uneven wear on the tires after that many miles. Are the tires worn more on inside or outside edge?

[OldCoot]

Practically all trailer axles are pre-stressed (engineered) with a bow upward in the middle.

[joien126]

Tires are wearing evenly. Three folks have verified a natural bow...I think that about puts my concern to rest. Thanks all for the speedy responses. Always learn something new.

[RoverDover]

The bow you are seeing is "camber" (corrected) and is there by design to reduce/eliminate trailer sway.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by RoverDover

The bow you are seeing is "toe in" and is there by design to reduce/eliminate trailer sway.

Toe in is when the tires measure closer together in the front than in the back.
You can't see toe in/out from under the trailer. You have to measure.

Toe in should be 0 +/- 1/8" or less on a trailer.

[DDC]

There supposed to be like that.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by RoverDover

The bow you are seeing is "camber" (corrected) and is there by design to reduce/eliminate trailer sway.

It really has no effect on sway, it is a pre stress on the axles for loading. The sway is controlled by caster, which is the inclination of the king pins or ball joints on a steering axle. If the spindle is on the centerline of the axle, there is no caster available. Torsion axles also do not have caster adjustment.
A drop axle which has the spindle above the centerline of the axle can be tilted for caster adjustment which would make the trailer track better.