Double Axle Trailers ?

[Jon H]

Two axle trailers ?

I think it makes sense from a belt and braces point of view

But are they as easy to use when launching and what about manoeuvrability by hand (that is moving around the yard when not attached to a car)

I will be using on a circa 6M Rib

[willk]

Better on the road, better on the slip - killer to manhandle.

[Tim M]

Do a search - there is a good thread on this from some time ago when I had the same dilemma as your self.

Edit: here it is: http://rib.net/forum/showthread.php?...light=trailers

[Ian Sharlot]

They are great on the road and when you get a blow out you can sometimes take one wheel off and carry on with three, They can be hard to handle on the drive. As you are so far from the sea, I would probably go double on any thing 6 and above.

[Mollers]

Twice the maitainance cost.

[Ian Sharlot]

Ah, Yes but also twice the change of getting home

[Mollers]

Originally Posted by Ian Sharlot

Ah, Yes but also twice the change of getting home

Only if your remiss enough to let your hubs go to rats. Personally, I prefer to maintain them rather than having a wheel overtake me as an indicator of work being required.

[Ian Sharlot]

Very true Mollers, But trailers are one thing that do get missed out.

[BruceB]

The trick is to wind up the jockey so that all the weight is on the rear axle and little or none on the front.
Then it handles just like a single axle trailer. It was impossible to manhandle mine into its space unless you did this, its just too heavy.
I think the twin axle tows much better than the single and the extra maintenance etc was thought worth it compared to the cost and difficulty of being stuck at the side of the road somewhere in the middle of nowhere, in the rain, on a sunday evening, on a single track road, with nowhere open for miles and no mobile signal in northern Scotland where we live and play.
It just depends on where you prioritise your requirements as back near civilisation I probably wouldn't bother with the extra axle........

[Hugh Jardon]

Originally Posted by Jon H

Two axle trailers ?

I think it makes sense from a belt and braces point of view

But are they as easy to use when launching and what about manoeuvrability by hand (that is moving around the yard when not attached to a car)

I will be using on a circa 6M Rib

two axle trailers

v difficult to manouver by hand, almost impossible depending on weight on board. i could not move mine even with no boat on board (750kg trailer) but the comfort of knowing if you have a problem with one tyre/bearing you can get to safety or home on the other 3 perhaps.

specify taper bearings rather than sealed

single axle trailers, both of mine handled towing at speed much better than the double axle trailer i had!, easy to manouver,

single axle may come in lighter than double axle so this could be important if you are near the weight limit for towing of your car

when getting the next trailer i will be going roller bearings that can be removed and checked and would consider a double axle after my incident

[codprawn]

My brother and I managed to move our RIB around on a triple axle trailer and it's a monster - it was on a dead smooth floor though.

[Sharky]

I trailer an 8m inboard on a double axil trailer but take two wheels off when manovering even with the car as it saves the tyre scrub

[yorfuoj]

no doubt for me, I vote for twin axle !

positive :
- safety if you break a tyre or bearing
- less load applied to the above parts
- able to keep on running on 3 wheels in case of ...
- if punctured tyre, it is not immediately destroyed - and the rim too
- smaller wheels, so lower, easier to recover the boat
- better stability
- no sensitivity to longitudinal load unbalance
- other forgotten ... to be added by reader

negative :
- slightly more expensive - but this is cancelled at the 1st incident
- more difficult to move by hand - but just replace the genuine jockey wheel by a side one made by Fulton, able to lift 1 ton without effort - for 100£ it becomes a single axle when necessary !

[Rogue Wave]

encore!

[Simon B]

I've just been wrestling with a 2.75T plant trailer, it weighs about 750kg empty. I too found it a pig to move around especially with the jockey wound up high, contaray to BruceB's? post.

Anyway the tyreless jockey colapsed so that the trailer was now resting on all 4 wheels with 0kg nose weight. Bizarely the thing moved like a dream. Wouldnt reccomend just dropping the jockey without a jack or something, might be a case of one of things things that'll go down quick but take ages to get back up...

[CJL]

I went to Arthur at DeGraffe and asked the same question for towing a 6m RIB behind a 2ltr TDI golf.

He recommended the cheaper single axle trailer as easy to manoever, identical ride and half the trouble.

Plus it means that you will have spare cash to get bearing buddies, two speed winch, disc brakes, flush kit etc etc.

Bigger isn't necessarily best!

Chris

[Nasher]

I'd still like to see a set of these mythical trailer Disc brakes that are LEGAL to use in the UK considering the auto reverse legislation.

Nasher

[Jono]

Originally Posted by Nasher

I'd still like to see a set of these mythical trailer Disc brakes that are LEGAL to use in the UK considering the auto reverse legislation.

Nasher

Seek..and ye shall find.. http://www.dixonbate.co.uk/Powerboat/disc_brakes.asp

[Nasher]

Wee (Pompey Expression I've adopted since living here) They're good.

Has anyone actually got some I can have a look at?

Nasher.

[fred bolton]

Originally Posted by Ian Sharlot

They are great on the road and when you get a blow out you can sometimes take one wheel off and carry on with three, T.

Legally??