Another trailer question... - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

Wolfgang · 09-21-2009, 05:06 PM

Got rid of some of my company vehicles, including the cube van. Have a line on a 14' V-nose trailer thats in real nice condition. Has a side door and swing aways in the back. My only concern is that it is a single axle.
Any drawbacks to going with a single?

IHI · 09-21-2009, 06:04 PM

Very minimal payload- say ya got a 3500lb axle, subtract weight of trailer from that and the difference is all you have left for cargo

You get a flat tire and your SOL unti you fix it....no limpin it anywhere

Nice thing-only one set of brakes and 2 tires to worry about

SDC · 09-21-2009, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IHI

Very minimal payload- say ya got a 3500lb axle, subtract weight of trailer from that and the difference is all you have left for cargo

You get a flat tire and your SOL unti you fix it....no limpin it anywhere

Nice thing-only one set of brakes and 2 tires to worry about

Most single axle 3500lb trailers don't even have brakes....

IHI · 09-21-2009, 07:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SDC

Most single axle 3500lb trailers don't even have brakes....

Say whaaaaa??? I thought ALL enclosed came with brakes on the axles? I've never gave anything under 20' a second glance, but just assumed for safety sake they had'em? If no, that's ridiculous.

Schmidt & Co · 09-21-2009, 08:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IHI

Say whaaaaa??? I thought ALL enclosed came with brakes on the axles? I've never gave anything under 20' a second glance, but just assumed for safety sake they had'em? If no, that's ridiculous.

Never had a trailer for work, but have had a couple of camping trailers. My first one was a Coleman pop up, no brakes. It only weighed about 1,000 lbs and I had no problem stoping it with a GMC Blazer.... Now my 25' travel trailer was another story. Got a suburban, weight distribuiting hitch, brake controler etc...

nEighter · 09-21-2009, 08:34 PM

A trailer company could redo it for you for a couple grand I would think. I worked at my uncles welding shop as a kid (14-16) and we did all kinds of retrofits and rebuild/repairs. Contact one and see what they say, also.. they could give you the skinny on what you actually have. Good luck Wolf

Steve G. · 09-21-2009, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nEighter

A trailer company could redo it for you for a couple grand I would think. I worked at my uncles welding shop as a kid (14-16) and we did all kinds of retrofits and rebuild/repairs. Contact one and see what they say, also.. they could give you the skinny on what you actually have. Good luck Wolf

For a couple a grand could just get another one also...
The axles are usually 2000#, 3500#, 5200#, 6000# etc, look at the metal tag around the front of the trailer to see what is.

Wolfgang · 09-22-2009, 05:02 AM

Yeah, kinda thinking I'm going to hold off and wait for a deal on a double axle so I dont get caught up in the "I wish I woulda got...." after thoughts.

woodchuck2 · 09-22-2009, 06:55 AM

I wouldnt even bother with a single axle, hell even my dual axle is overloaded and i still dont have everything i need to carry. Right now seems to be a good time to buy. There is a 16'er here in town i would love to buy but cant afford right now. I beleive a local contractor may be downsizing or going belly up because he is selling both his trailers. The 16'er can be had for $2300 and it has some shelving. Here is a link, http://www.wantaddigest.com/view/cat...ity%20Trailers They are about half way down the page from Brant Lake. One is a 7X16 and the other is a 6X12. The 2006 below that is a great deal too.

IHI · 09-22-2009, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by woodchuck2

I wouldnt even bother with a single axle, hell even my dual axle is overloaded and i still dont have everything i need to carry. Right now seems to be a good time to buy. There is a 16'er here in town i would love to buy but cant afford right now. I beleive a local contractor may be downsizing or going belly up because he is selling both his trailers. The 16'er can be had for $2300 and it has some shelving. Here is a link, http://www.wantaddigest.com/view/cat...ity%20Trailers They are about half way down the page from Brant Lake. One is a 7X16 and the other is a 6X12. The 2006 below that is a great deal too.

I agree with the mentality of not being worth the effort since it's so small and waaay under rated for carrying tools like we may carry, but i can also see if he's getting it for next to nothing it may be a tick better than what he may currently have? If nothing else, if he can limp this jr. trailer for maybe a year or so until he can save up for a stronger platform, it'd always make a nice "storage shed" in the future.

SDC · 09-22-2009, 07:57 PM

Here is my old trailer, single axle no brakes 6'6" wide 6'6" tall 12' to the "V" 3500lb rating it is overloaded with just tools never mind anything else nad it was an aluminum trailer with means the trailer doesn't count for as much for the gross weight.

I cannot find a new trailer pic but it is 6'6" wide 6'3" tall 12' long, 7700lb rating and i still cannot fit it all in.
Night and day with the brakes, I can load it right up no issues at all, rides better with a duel axle as well. Next time I will go bigger.

MetalBender · 09-22-2009, 08:17 PM

At one time I had a single axle enclosed trailer. I was pulling across a bridge over the Missouri River into Council Bluffs Iowa out of Omaha and hit a piece of metal from a dryer and blew the tire. The trailer was all over the road and took the truck with it, rear doors came open and dumped equiptment all over the bridge even though they were latched(not locked). Something large must have hit the brake, yes the brake 10'6" Tapco, and made the biggest piece of it about 2ft long! Nobody stopped to claim they hit it though. Little Giants got bent, brake destroyed and material everywhere. I will never own a single axle trailer again except for one to pull behind the lawn mower. Had a flat for who knows how long on the 24' enclosed pulling from DesMoines and never knew it till we stopped for fuel and saw the rim with just the bead still on it.

IHI · 09-22-2009, 08:18 PM

My bus only has 14' on the floor and 3' of attic and we're packed tiiiight, and overloaded to boot, but after seeing what i can and cant haul and am in the market for a trailer to replace the bus to cut down on insurance and maintenance, i've walked through a few buddies 16'ers and have pretty much decided to go 20' with 5200lb axles so i have ample payload capacity and heavier tires that will last longer...cost a lil more initally, but 20'ers are still compact in the big picture and can be ordered to be stout