Trailers

Over the years I've always bought trailers for the task at hand. I'm on my 4th trailer and haven't worn any of them out but just changed to what my needs were at the time. Costly!

A GN with 20ft x 8ft of deck and 4/5ft of dovetail is a great all around trailer size. Large enough to load most items with room to spare but small enough to make it easy to get around town.

Next is axle choice. Here again it pays to get what the future will require and thats dual tandums. Stay away from tri-axle trailers!

I don't mind electric brakes. There about the best bang for the buck and do a decent job. There's a huge push for the elec/hydraulic disc brakes now, so if you buy electric be sure and buy extra brake shoes, spring kits and magnets.

Here (AZ) it's a steel decked trailer as a wood deck, the sun tears up to fast, less than 10yrs.

Trailes are sold with the old saying, pay me now or pay me latter, but your gonna pay for me!

If you spend $12000 now for the correct trailer, thats $400/yr over the next 30yrs. I've already spent that and still don't have the correct trailer!

T_Bone

Tri-axle trailers will apply reverse torque (severe upward weight) to the hitching on uneven ground surface.

I'm not talking about ruff terrian road surface but a gently rolling road surface that causes the tri-axle suspension to become loaded.

When I first bought my tri-axle, I used a 5/16" ball with a 3/16" chain to move the empty trailer onto my shop pad to install my pintel hitch. I snapped that 3/16" chain and put the first ding into my new F350.

So I did another experiment. I used a 1/4" chain again on the 5/16" ball with 3800lbs load weight on the flat deck placed fully forward and I once again snapped that 1/4" chain. A 1/4" chain has approx 2600lbs breaking strength.

My conclusion: There will be a no load weight "sweet" spot on the flat deck on a tri-axle trailer, like there is with a tandum axle trailer.

If you observe the rear tire on a tri-axle while in a tight turn radius you will see the rear tire fold under the wheel center. Under the correct conditions, I could see poping the tire off the rim if one was not careful.

T_Bone

You brought up a good point but can you buy super-singles tires/wheels at a competive price when comparred too standard 16" tires/wheels?

I really don't know as I forgot about the super-singles.

I remember my dad building a 8ft camper in the 60's for a pickup bed that was over weight (1x2 frame with 1/4plywood sheeting and a fiberglass seal) and even super-singles wouldn't hold the weight and got sidewall bubbles in the tires after a few thousand miles. lol

T_Bone