sand rocket Posted June 27, 2004 Report Share Posted June 27, 2004 i am in the process of rebuliding a v-nose trailer. My question is, would the trailer pull smother with a tandem axle. I have to cut the old mounts out any ways, any was thinking about it. The trailer is about 23ft from front of the toung to the rear of the bed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gargamel Posted June 27, 2004 Report Share Posted June 27, 2004 It all depends on the weight of the trailer and how much weight you plan on putting inside it. If you want a sweet ride I'd use torsion axle instead of a straight axle. http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/sto...&cm_ite=trailer Jeremy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evil Posted June 27, 2004 Report Share Posted June 27, 2004 from my past dealings with trailers, it seems a single axle is the way to go, if it has enough to hold the weight. on a tandem you have,,, a extra set of tires to buy, dont turn as sharp as a single, always have the one set of tires dragging while backing up in a turn. just some thoughts. if you dont need it, why add it ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boonman Posted June 28, 2004 Report Share Posted June 28, 2004 How much weight do you plan to put on there. Being that this thing sounds like a 14' trailer, I would say that 2 axles would be the way to go. Going down the road, a twin axle will pull straighter, and handle the weight better. A single axle will float around, bob and weave and what not. Not all the time, save the flames guys. I have hauled alot of trailers. Tandems pull the best when loaded. I just got bsack from Silver Lake. Hauled a 14' tandem enclosed. 96 MPH is what my new truck maxes out at before the computer holds it back. I held it there for quite a ways. Trailer hauled perfect. At almost 100 MPH. I wouldn't attempt that with a single axle..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sredish Posted June 28, 2004 Report Share Posted June 28, 2004 I'm kind of a fan of tandem when you got some weight. However, the key to pulling good and not being a PITA to tow is weight distribution and axle position. You'll want a 60/40 distribution with the majority of the weight towards the front and the axles in the back 2/3rds o the trailer. If the axle is in the middle, there's just as much trailer in the back wanting to swing around and it will want to move around a lot more. Tandem axles will help this also, but the weight distribution and axle position is key. My truck can handle some weight, I have some airbags and stuff on the rear and I'm not afraid to put more weight on the truck and that will keep it straight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dnhyoung Posted June 28, 2004 Report Share Posted June 28, 2004 I agree with boonman, Tandems pull much better. And whatever you do, don't use an torsion axle with a tandem set-up, Because both axles are working independently, and the ride is horrible. Consider what you are going to haul, and then the weight of the trailer plus any size load. I don't think that the drag created by tandems when making a turn should realy be a factor, unless you are going with a multiple axle set-up(3 or more)such as a semi trailer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boonman Posted June 28, 2004 Report Share Posted June 28, 2004 If you have 2-3 axles on the trailer, It will be long enough that you shouldn't have to worry about axle drag when backing..... Even if you jacknife it... The 14' I towed this weekend was the smallest tandem I have hooked. it towed sweet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
locogato11283 Posted June 28, 2004 Report Share Posted June 28, 2004 go tandem for sure. i have a single axle that i use for my mowing trailer and i hate it. it bounces around a lot, and it seams to weave a lot more than my tandem. if you are gonna have a lot of weight the tandem seems like insurance to me in case something breaks. its like havin a backup tire. i dont know, i just dont like singles very well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bansheefreak Posted June 28, 2004 Report Share Posted June 28, 2004 i would also add what loco said plus a single axle reacts to qiuck when backing and a tandem is alot easier to back,easier to pull,and if you have a flat and don't have a spare you can still pull it down the road.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cotton eyed Joe Posted June 28, 2004 Report Share Posted June 28, 2004 I'm kind of a fan of tandem when you got some weight. However, the key to pulling good and not being a PITA to tow is weight distribution and axle position. You'll want a 60/40 distribution with the majority of the weight towards the front and the axles in the back 2/3rds o the trailer. If the axle is in the middle, there's just as much trailer in the back wanting to swing around and it will want to move around a lot more. Tandem axles will help this also, but the weight distribution and axle position is key. My truck can handle some weight, I have some airbags and stuff on the rear and I'm not afraid to put more weight on the truck and that will keep it straight. DING DING DING!!! Good answer on the weight distribution. I typically on my single axle trailers (when I have one lol) move things around until I have about 100 lbs of tongue weight. I've towed a single axle that I built with 2 bikes gas and water at about 96 mph (damn speed regulator) for just over a mile once with out too much problems, but being that it was a smaller truck with that much in bikes I didn't want to risk spending my weekend looking for parts of my bikes in the weeds. But, a dragster trailer we borrowed one weekend could be towed over 100mph with about 5 bikes in it with no problems to speak of really. Can't say I enjoyed that all that much either, but I was a passenger that time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Proquad101 Posted June 28, 2004 Report Share Posted June 28, 2004 The best results I have had is pulling a tandem trailer. I can pull a 18' tandem down the road with the cruise control set at 90 and never know the trailer is back there, that is with 4 quads loaded and all or gear. So if I had a choice I would go with the tandem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boonman Posted June 28, 2004 Report Share Posted June 28, 2004 Either way you cut it, tandem or single, or multiple, it has to be loaded properly. More weight on the rear than the front, spells disaster. Swaying all over hell will be the result. We have towed my 12' single axle landscaper at 90+ with 3 bikes, and all our gear and fuel. Worked fine. A little sway on lane changes, but you just had to be a little careful. With the tandem, high speed isn't a problem. As long as it's loaded properly. That's the key. Also, it may be cheaper to buy another trailer than re-build that one. It can get expensive...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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