“Flipping the axle” is a colloquial way of saying “lifting my RV.” It’s an aftermarket procedure used to gain ground clearance. There are a lot of misconceptions about this procedure, the biggest of which is that you actually flip the axle. Don’t do that.

Let’s run through the pros and cons of flipping your axles, and whether you really need it to improve ground clearance.

What Is Flipping a Trailer Axle?

To clear up a common misconception, you don’t actually flip the axle. You’re not turning the axle upside down or anything like that. If you’ve read my quick tip on tire care, then you know that an axle is built with camber, and it is intentionally bowed upward. So the axle stays in the same orientation; you’re just re-installing the axle tube below the leaf springs to gain 4-6 inches of ground clearance.