Advantages of dual axel trailers

[kliph]

Having gone from single to duel axle in the last few years I can give
you my impressions.
As said I don't worry about flat tires as much, I have four now.
Still carry a spare. Can't move it by hand in the barn any more.
Duel has breaks, single didn't.
No see-saw effect when towing. Also just more stable towing.
Of course when it comes time for new tires it will cost twice as much.
But if you have a bigger boat you will need a duel axle, anyways.
Get a galvanized or powder coated.
Enjoy.

[GregPavlov]

One difference I noticed is that the dual axle should put less wear and tear on my tow vehicle. It weighs 80-100 lbs more but the trailer rocks less and absorbs bumps better.

One thing: if someone has a single axle that sways a lot, they really should check the ratio of trailer weight to tongue weight, because most of the time the problem there is that it's out of wack.

[egladding]

Originally Posted by Custom Eyes

Besides handling the weight, have a dual axle with brakes on both axles is awesome! My last boat had a dual axle with dual axle brakes. This one is dual axle with only single axle brakes. Night and day difference. With the single axle brakes, you have the typical push by the trailer when you stop. Can't really feel the brakes unless you're stopping hard. With the dual brakes, you could feel the trailer braking with no push on the tow vehicle at all. If anything, you could feel the trailer giving a little pull back on the tow vehicle. MUCH easier to brake and much more stable when braking hard or on slipper roads. I'll never own a dual axle again without dual axle brakes also.

Custom Eyes, did this trailer have electric brakes? If it had surge brakes which all my boat trailers have had, I don't think you would feel any pull back from the trailer since it would extend the tongue and release the brakes. I have a tandem axle with the single axle brakes and agree that you still have the push from the trailer while stopping. I don't think I will ever own another boat without a tandem axle trailer. They track better, ride better and all around pull easier. The only downfall is moving it by hand is **** near impossible!

[Custom Eyes]

Originally Posted by egladding

Custom Eyes, did this trailer have electric brakes? If it had surge brakes which all my boat trailers have had, I don't think you would feel any pull back from the trailer since it would extend the tongue and release the brakes. I have a tandem axle with the single axle brakes and agree that you still have the push from the trailer while stopping. I don't think I will ever own another boat without a tandem axle trailer. They track better, ride better and all around pull easier. The only downfall is moving it by hand is **** near impossible!

No, it had surge brakes. There's that fine line where the trailer is still braking and giving a little pull-back before the tongue pulls back out completely and releases the brakes completely. It's not like they would pull the truck back hard, but the assist in braking was very noticeable over my single axle trailer I have now.


One downside I was thinking of the other day after looking at my trailer tires. You'll definitely get more tire wear on a dual axle than single. When turning, all 4 tires cannot rotate equally, so you're always going to have at least 2 tires being "dragged" a little bit, causing more wear. Especially cutting sharp turns at the boat ramps.

[egladding]

Originally Posted by Custom Eyes

No, it had surge brakes. There's that fine line where the trailer is still braking and giving a little pull-back before the tongue pulls back out completely and releases the brakes completely. It's not like they would pull the truck back hard, but the assist in braking was very noticeable over my single axle trailer I have now.


One downside I was thinking of the other day after looking at my trailer tires. You'll definitely get more tire wear on a dual axle than single. When turning, all 4 tires cannot rotate equally, so you're always going to have at least 2 tires being "dragged" a little bit, causing more wear. Especially cutting sharp turns at the boat ramps.

Gotcha. Is there any way to adjust the braking pressure that is applied on surge brakes other than how hard you apply your brakes which transfers to the pressure applied to the actuator in the tongue? I obviously don't want my tires to lock up when I tap my brakes but I feel like the push from the trailer could be a little less. If I come to a stop quickly I can feel them working but it seems other than an abrupt stop, there isn't much stopping power. My 25ft go fast boat I had definitely had more stopping power.

[Ndstallmann]

I agree with custom eyes, I also had a dual axle with dual brakes, now I have dual axle with single axle brakes. The stopping was much better with dual axle brakes!

[Lake Wisconsin]

Originally Posted by egladding

Gotcha. Is there any way to adjust the braking pressure that is applied on surge brakes other than how hard you apply your brakes which transfers to the pressure applied to the actuator in the tongue? I obviously don't want my tires to lock up when I tap my brakes but I feel like the push from the trailer could be a little less. If I come to a stop quickly I can feel them working but it seems other than an abrupt stop, there isn't much stopping power. My 25ft go fast boat I had definitely had more stopping power.

Biggest factor will be to make sure you have well bled brakes with no air, and you are using a good brake fluid. When I went to synthetic, it seemed to help.

[Burr]

My last single axle trailer bounced up and down so much - on a rough road it was concerning with the boat bouncing up and down so much - with the tandem axle the boat rides smoother than my truck. The sway from side to side as mentioned is also a thing of the past.

I look at it as pushing the trailer around by hand is a thing of the past. I don't even attempt it. I'm able to back my trailer where I want it - if you can't, that may be a con. Most often being able to back it into the place you want it is more backing skills than it is needed - however when I had a single axle trailer my storage location was in an area that could only be accessed by pushing the trailer too. Each person will have their own situation to deal with - I'm more than happy to give up pushing my trailer by hand to get the benefits of a tandem.

After having a tandem, I've decided any boat I own in the future that is 17.5' or longer will be sitting on a tandem. I like them that much.

[skeeter012]

Originally Posted by Burr

My last single axle trailer bounced up and down so much - on a rough road it was concerning with the boat bouncing up and down so much - with the tandem axle the boat rides smoother than my truck. The sway from side to side as mentioned is also a thing of the past.

I look at it as pushing the trailer around by hand is a thing of the past. I don't even attempt it. I'm able to back my trailer where I want it - if you can't, that may be a con. Most often being able to back it into the place you want it is more backing skills than it is needed - however when I had a single axle trailer my storage location was in an area that could only be accessed by pushing the trailer too. Each person will have their own situation to deal with - I'm more than happy to give up pushing my trailer by hand to get the benefits of a tandem.

After having a tandem, I've decided any boat I own in the future that is 17.5' or longer will be sitting on a tandem. I like them that much.

Trailer sway and bounce has everything to do with tongue weight and suspension not how many axles you have. Most likely to light a tongue weight.

[egladding]

Originally Posted by Lake Wisconsin

Biggest factor will be to make sure you have well bled brakes with no air, and you are using a good brake fluid. When I went to synthetic, it seemed to help.

My trailer is brand new. I would assume the brakes should be good but you never know. I do feel the trailer slowing down when the tongue compresses but still feel the push. It is single brakes on the tandem trailer and the boat is 2300lbs dry with no gear, fluids etc so there is some weight back there.