Single Axle Trailer, will it take the weight??

[SirGerald]

Didn’t know where to put this so figured it was going to be a project so thought this section was as good as any.

Currently have a single axle unbraked trailer. Springs are Trojan 1000kg each (i.e. 2 tonne) and along with the hubs and axles are less than a year old.

With the weight of the 4wd increasing over the last few months need to decide if need to tandem.

Weight of 4wd (clean) is about 1250kg so allow for another say 100kg of mud after an event would therefore have about 1350kg max weight on the back of the trailer.

Is this to much weight for a single axle unbraked trailer??

I need to look at getting new tyres soon anyway and was talking to the tyre shop and they said can get tyres that take 1 tonne each, which will hopefully remove the bulge in the current tyres.

Have been pricing up springs, brakes (falcon car), couplings etc and figure not going to get any change out of $700 and that is doing the work myself and using cheaper parts. This figure probably doubles when using named parts (Trojan etc)

Have been offered tandem trailers that I can borrow when we go on long trips for trial events, so realistically can use our trailer for trips around the local area (say anything up to an hour or so travel).

Would appreciate thoughts as have spent far to much coin on 4wd so can’t justify another pile of money for the trailer.

[tweake]

whats the unbraked tow rating of the tow vechile. most are fairly pathetic.

i would go braked tandem. they tow better, handle the roads better, keeps the legal eagles happy, not pushing everthing to the limits, and much better if you do get in the crap. while technically vechile tow ratings are meaningless, if you crash (or get crashed into) they can do ya for having a much to heavier trailer which also means insurance won't pay out.
if you get a heavier 4x4 its all ready for it and you can use it for carring other things without problems.

[350cruiser]

an unbraked trailer only has a rating of 750kgs max single or tandem axle or it was last time i looked, someone please correct me if im wrong. if you get an diff from a dyna or the like with dual wheels you get the brakes as well. just an idea

[tweake]

you can have 2000kg single axle. the only requirement is having a 2000kg tow coupling on the trailer and the gross weight doesn't exceed the rating of the tow coupling. but if the wheels fall off, blow tires etc then you get done for unsafe vechile etc.
brakes or no brakes, technicaly you only have to have the ability to stop in 7 meters at 30km/h (i think will have to double check). so towing 2000kg in a vechile that has an unbraked tow rating of 500kg is legal...... untill you crash.

if i remember right you don't even need a 2000kg+ tow bar on the tow vechile. you can tow with a 500kg tow bar. but of course when it breaks off.....

personally i think the rule is stupid. but it does mean you have to be safe rather than following the letter of the law.

[gimmemud]

IMO brake the axle and keep it single axle. have towed plenty of both and find single axle much nicer to tow, not as much drag. Just make sure you get the right tyre for the job, like the ones you have suggested.

[vvega]

single axle trailers are nicer to tow .. and put on less drag.. so you save in fuel

just make sure its braked and you have the correct towbar and your all fine and dandy

[lilpigzuk]

towed rally truck last season on mates single axle sprung trailer that was built for his 800kg toy, zuk guestimated at 1100kg - will be corrected soon no doubt by new owner Was a bit iffy on tight corners. Trailor weighed approx 250kg all up. My tandem weighes about 400kg with slightly cock eyed wheels followed like it was on rails no matter what speed happening. No difference in speed up hills. Assuming tandem wheels are "true" be a bit more piece of mind.
Coming back from costaplenty passed a tandem with no rear left wheel what so ever cranking at 90kph (loaded with furniture just out of taupo), no apparent issues

[SirGerald]

Cheers for all of that. Have decided that ideally need the trailer braked, so while I'm at it might as well tandem it and get the job done.

Next question is rocker suspension or not. The additional cost between using a rocker system and just having two independant (i.e. not linked) springs is about $150 so alot given that the cost of a pair of springs by themselves are going to cost about $90.

Figure any driving on offroad (when rocker working) will be at slow speeds and the springs that I will be using will be 1 tonne each one so no problems with the weight loading up over bumps.

Keen to do it properly, just hard trying to justify another $150 on the trailer.

[tweake]

rocker !
individual springs bounce like crap.

[fweddy]

Was towing my bro-in-law's Mu on a single axle trailer that wasn't sprung (built for carting morris minors) but was late at night and just dragging him home after he smashed his steering. Trailer wheel came off... no big deal just that had to fix everything and replace rim/studs, and get the thing home.

I'd say oscillating tandem to spread the weight any day.

[skid]

have towed a single axle with rally truck on the back, hated it. It wandered all over the road and never really came straight.

My tandem tows like a dream and when something goes wrong, you can generally still tow it.

We had the U Bolt snap on the right rear axle and the wheel went backwards into guard, sliced tyre open etc etc etc

we pulled it back up square and tied it off with ratchet tie downs and then drove at 100kph for 20kms or so into Tauranga where we bought new U Bolts and got it fixed.

wouldn't of been able to do that with a single axle trailer.

Tandem all the way

[sig]

tandem with rockers is the bees knees .have towed with a single axle vechicle trailer and hated it .felt like it was going to slide off the road on corners .i have just built a tandem vechicle one with 4 wheel disc brakes ,not 2 like most people do .my ethos is ,you stop your 4wd with 4 brakes so on the trailer you still need 4 brakes .just my humble opinion

[tweake]

4 wheel brakes will be so nice.

one problem we have had is 2 wheel brakes lock up if you stop quickly, or stop moderatly on wet road.
with such small tires and so much braking ability required its not suprising they lock up.

[BlackCruiser]

We run tandem no brakes and no suspension, tie the truck down over the tyres and let its suspension do the job, will be nice to have the brakes though, bloody bouncy with no load

[DieselBoy]

I tow Thunderguts around on a single axle trailer. Trucks probably around the 2500kg mark.

The trailer as i said, is single axle, but its running big gear.

Its got cruiser hubs and stubs, 16" wheels, 8ply tyres with 1250kg at 60 psi max load rating, hilux disc's, and vitara calipers.

Its also unsprung.

Unloaded, well, you don't wanna tow it any where unloaded

With loaded its awesome though.

The trick to a single axle trailer, which most people don't realise, is the weight distribution of the load.

Its to the point where you almost have to design the trailer for your specific vehicle.

As Skid said in an earlier post, he towed his cruiser on a single axle trailer and it wandered around.

That happens when the the vehicle is loaded to far back on the trailer, or rather there isn't enough weight on the draw bar.

When loading, you drive the vehicle on untill you see the weight just start to go onto the tow vehicle and the springs start to sag just a little. Thats when its loaded correctly.

What i'm saying is that there is nothing wrong with a braked single axle trailer, it's just you gotta know what your doing when you load one. Once you have that sorted, they are very user friendly.

[skid]

[quote="DieselBoy"]

Its to the point where you almost have to design the trailer for your specific vehicle. THIS I AGREE WITH

As Skid said in an earlier post, he towed his cruiser on a single axle trailer and it wandered around. I SHOULD POINT OUT IT WAS SINGLE AXLE DUAL WHEELED

That happens when the the vehicle is loaded to far back on the trailer, or rather there isn't enough weight on the draw bar. MATE, IT TOOK ME 10 HOURS TO GET FROM MASTERTON TO PUTARURU, DUE TO STOPPING THAT MANY TIMES TO MOVE THE VEHICLE ON THE TRAILER. IN THE END IT WAS 70KPH TOP SPEED.

When loading, you drive the vehicle on until you see the weight just start to go onto the tow vehicle and the springs start to sag just a little. Thats when its loaded correctly. I HAVE SEEN LOTS OF PEOPLE TOWING CARS ON TRAILERS BACKWARDS, EVEN HAD A MATE WHO BOUGHT A REAR ENGINED OFFROADER IN AUCKLAND AND CALLED IN TO MY HOUSE IN TAUPO TO MODIFY THE TRAILER COZ IT WANDERED. I SUGGESTED PUTTING THE BUGGY ON BACKWARDS COZ THE WEIGHT WOULD THEN BE OVER THE DRAWBAR AND WOULDN'T YA KNOW, HE COULD SUDDENLY TOW AT 120KPH NO WORRIES.[/quote]


As DB has eluded to, towing with trailers is not as easy as hooking it up and driving it away. Theres a lot more involved.

[tweake]

I tow Thunderguts around on a single axle trailer. Trucks probably around the 2500kg mark.

The trailer as i said, is single axle, but its running big gear.

Its got cruiser hubs and stubs, 16" wheels, 8ply tyres with 1250kg at 60 psi max load rating, hilux disc's, and vitara calipers.

Its also unsprung.

Unloaded, well, you don't wanna tow it any where unloaded
...........

vechiles on trailers is not bad because the vechiles own suspension helps with the bumps. if you put a load of rocks on it would behave a lot different.

no brakes and marginal tires, if you crashed your highly likly to get the book thrown at you and possibly no insurance cover either.

reguardless of if its dual or single axle you still have to load it correctly. tandems will sway badly if you put to much weight on the rear.

[GQ grannie]

We tow a steel box single axle trailor behind a GQ cab/chassis with a rated 750kgs but, in reallity it carries over 1.5tonne. We went to the trouble of fitting 31" a/ts to stabalise the weight and have never had any mishaps.

[BlackCruiser]

No brakes are required under 2000kg of trailer gross weight, imposed load to the towing vehicle becomes gross combination so adding the total trailer weight and 2000kg eg for the load is not correct as a portion of the load is carried by the towing vehicle, 2000 -2500 requires min over ride brakes with twin crossed safety chains unless brake away is fitted,2500 to 3500 requires brake away and cab control to trailer. Light trailers can run no suspension where a heavy trailer is speed restricted.
Load ratings on drawbeams are only manufactures recomendations and under ltnz regulations there is nothing stating any light vehicle cant tow upto 3500kg provided it has the correct trailer braking system, Very hairy area, as far as i can see but not convinced when brakes are fitted the vehicle must comply to the 7m from 30kph rule, i was sure this was for braked and unbraked while towing.

Any comments welcome as this will effect most of us

[skid]

would like to point out here that at present the cops seem to be targeting speeding trailer towelimit is 90kph

doing 102kph will incur a $80 fine and some demerits

trailer laws suck

[SirGerald]

Load ratings on drawbeams are only manufactures recomendations and under ltnz regulations there is nothing stating any light vehicle cant tow upto 3500kg provided it has the correct trailer braking system,

Interesting, I might fire my insruance company an e-mail just in case. Would hate to have a crash to then find no cover.

Will post what they say.

Stu

[tweake]

the tolerance for speeding with a trailer is 5km/h not 10km/h as per normal. hope your speedo is accurate !

yes, the bulk of the towing rule is being able to stop within 7m @ 30km/h. i do not know if thats on ANY surface. also how many people test that ??
you must have a rated tow connection on the trailer and gross weight of trailer must not exceed that. however a rated towbar on the vehicle is recommended but not a legal requirement !
the mentality of police is that if you crash you obviously couldn't stop therefore your overloaded regardless of if your overloaded or not.
its just like if someone cuts in front of you and hits the brakes, if you hit them you get done for following to close.

mind you there is some extreme idiots tout there. i know of one lot who put over 1 ton on the back of a double hilux and an estimated 6 ton on the trailer. their delusion was that because its a light trailer there is no loading restrictions!
another lot i know of would load 4-5 ton easily, to the point that they regularly have to weld the trailer back together !

[SirGerald]

Here is the reply from the insurance company

It is hard to give a definitive answer as it depends on the circumstances of the claim. If it was found the trailer was the cause of the accident, i.e. if the weight caused the vehicle to have an accident and it was found that it was unsafe for the vehicle to be towing the trailer then it probably would not be covered, however if it had no bearing on the accident it would most likely be covered.

As per usual bugger all use and can guarantee if they can get out of it by blaming the trailer then they will even if it had nothing to do with the accident. Got to love the bit where they say if it had no bearing on the accident it would most likely be covered.

Guess time to stop being a tight accountant and spend some money on the trailer