Single axle, tandem axle?

[old_toys]

another plus for the tandem axles is if you get that dreaded blowout, they make this nifty cleated ramp that you can backup or pull-up on and it lifts the bad tire off the pavement so you can change it out without any jacking. been there done that a bunch.

 

[CharlesinGA]

another plus for the tandem axles is if you get that dreaded blowout, they make this nifty cleated ramp that you can backup or pull-up on and it lifts the bad tire off the pavement so you can change it out without any jacking. been there done that a bunch.

While I'm sure there are trailers with leaf spring/equalizer suspension that these work on, many people on various forums report that they could not get the trailer high enough due to the deflection of the equalizer, and then there is always the risk of the shackles flipping on the axle with the bad tire. Every time I have seen these demonstrated in videos, it was done with torsion axles which operate independently of each other.

Does you trailer have torsion axles or leaf spring axles?

Charles

 

[rvlifer]

Our rv has tandem morryde independent suspension. No axles. The suspension is welded directly to the frame. Each wheel is independent of the others. It has huge benefits over traditional rv suspensions. If i have a flat i could run on one wheel for a period of time if needed. I wouldnt do it if i was anywhere near gvwr since i would be overweight for what the tire could handle and i would be crawling along at very slow speed.

I never did it and never plan to. That is what roadside assistance is for. But the suspension is strong enough to do it in an emergency. For any rv over a certain weight i wouldnt want any other type of suspension.

 

[Sunnyfalls]

Stabilizer jacks are not designed to lift a trailer. They are actually not stable when extended past half way. If you are on the side of the road with the jacks extended, a passing truck may cause the trailer to move enough to collapse the jacks.

Huh? You must have the lame scissor "stabilizers" that most RVs come with. We removed the two crappy ones that came with our trailer and installed four real scissor "jacks"...each rated for 7,500 pounds...placed on the proper jacking locations of our trailer steel frame...and our trailer maximum weight is 3,500 pounds. So NO, they are NOT going to collapse. We often use them...for changing tires, brakes and bearings when home or while on trips. Our trips are often longer than 12,000 miles...like our documented initial trailer pickup trip...so we need this capability.

 

[Sunnyfalls]

Does you trailer have torsion axles or leaf spring axles?

Personally, I wouldn't consider anything but bolted on torsion axles...and preferably just a single axle. Torsion axles provide a much smoother trailer ride than leaf spring axles...an important consideration if you camp off road. And believe me...replacing a welded on axle is a real PIA... This becomes an important consideration if you put lots of miles on a trailer that can out live you, your kids and grandkids...thereby requiring many axle replacements (or perhaps a Casita axle upgrade from 3,500 to 5,000 pounds)...which is relatively low cost and easy to do with a bolt on axle...so much so that some just replace their entire axle when it comes time to replace the brakes/hubs. But we do ALL our maintenance ourselves, and often in remote places, and sometimes out of the US. If you hire people to do your maintenance, than this likely doesn't matter.

 

[old_toys]

While I'm sure there are trailers with leaf spring/equalizer suspension that these work on, many people on various forums report that they could not get the trailer high enough due to the deflection of the equalizer, and then there is always the risk of the shackles flipping on the axle with the bad tire. Every time I have seen these demonstrated in videos, it was done with torsion axles which operate independently of each other.

Does you trailer have torsion axles or leaf spring axles?

Charles

got torsion axles

 

[blw2]

Actually, a single axle of the same length is easier to back up. You don't have the wheels on each side fighting each other when turning. The pivot point on a dual axle is between the tires. This makes one tire flex in one direction and the other flex in the opposite direction. The pivot point on a single axle is directly below the center of the wheel.
You can see this in the picture
View attachment 175943

I folded an axle once like that making a sharp turn. Not an RV but a heavy gooseneck trailer with marginal axles. What a nightmare! It's raining hard on an Easter Sunday in the middle of nowhere on I-10 West of Tallahassee. I was making a sharp left turn into a gas station...and being mindful of this scrubbing I was watching in the mirror trying to take it easy. All a sudden the outward leaning wheel just laid down with a bang. Broken axle. Thankfully there was a decent hotel at that exit, where I holed up for a few days waiting for parts.

two lessons learned:
1) if my work ever asked me to travel on a holiday again, especially Easter, my answer is NO. I'm going to church!
2) If I'm ever specifying a trailer design, I'm going for grossly over-rated axles, wheels, and tires. I want them strong enough to take the abuse that they get in normal use. Trailer tires take a beating, even if you try hard to baby them...

 

[Adventurous Traveler]

Tandem Axle vote here.

One of the RV industry's greatest injustices is using cheap axles and suspensions on many pull-behinds, especially on the lower price spectrum. More NHTSA complaints are needed to bring light to this potentially fatal accident waiting to happen.

 

[old_toys]

your tandem axle wants to turn really easy if you have this setup

 

[gwinger]

your tandem axle wants to turn really easy if you have this setup

OUCH!!!!

 

[gwinger]

Huh? You must have the lame scissor "stabilizers" that most RVs come with. We removed the two crappy ones that came with our trailer and installed four real scissor "jacks"...each rated for 7,500 pounds...placed on the proper jacking locations of our trailer steel frame...and our trailer maximum weight is 3,500 pounds. So NO, they are NOT going to collapse. We often use them...for changing tires, brakes and bearings when home or while on trips. Our trips are often longer than 12,000 miles...like our documented initial trailer pickup trip...so we need this capability.

It appears you have torsion suspension. The wheel does drop as far as one with springs, so you do not need to raise the trailer as far. You also never mentioned that you put the stabilizers on the frame near the wheel.