Tire & Axle Question #2

Dog Folks wrote:
When backing up with more than one axle, one axle has to literally "scrub" or slide on the roadway to make the turn. If you haven't seen it have someone else back up a dual axle trailer in a tight turn and watch the tires on the "inside" of the radius. One tire will stop and scrub or may actually rotate in the opposite direction.

I am not an engineer by any means, but with the tires side by side in a dual configuration, on one axle, I wonder if they could "scrub" enough to make a tight turn.

A dual tire on one axle is a very interesting idea, but I also have to wonder why no production manufacturer has tried it.

Keep us posted on what you find so that we all can learn.

Well for the amount of time I spend backing into a space, or in very tight turns, it is of little consequence. I live in Oregon, so the pad is always wet, so of little issue! :)

Dog Folks wrote:
When backing up with more than one axle, one axle has to literally "scrub" or slide on the roadway to make the turn. If you haven't seen it have someone else back up a dual axle trailer in a tight turn and watch the tires on the "inside" of the radius. One tire will stop and scrub or may actually rotate in the opposite direction.

I am not an engineer by any means, but with the tires side by side in a dual configuration, on one axle, I wonder if they could "scrub" enough to make a tight turn.

A dual tire on one axle is a very interesting idea, but I also have to wonder why no production manufacturer has tried it.

Keep us posted on what you find so that we all can learn.

Newmar has built 5 ers with tandem axles with duel tires on them back in the late 90’s…

Double and triple axle tires will scuff in a turn. Seems that would also limit the amount of 'sway' when towing a heavy trailer. A single axle will wander all over the road.

How many times are you going to ask the same question??

Once for each axle?

When backing up with more than one axle, one axle has to literally "scrub" or slide on the roadway to make the turn. If you haven't seen it have someone else back up a dual axle trailer in a tight turn and watch the tires on the "inside" of the radius. One tire will stop and scrub or may actually rotate in the opposite direction.

I am not an engineer by any means, but with the tires side by side in a dual configuration, on one axle, I wonder if they could "scrub" enough to make a tight turn.

A dual tire on one axle is a very interesting idea, but I also have to wonder why no production manufacturer has tried it.

Keep us posted on what you find so that we all can learn.

If I were thinking of doing this, and I'm not, I would look long and hard at the strength of the main beams of the trailer. Using only one axle would certainly put a lot of strain on the support beams of the trailer. Three, or even two, axles spreads the strain over a larger area. I think with only one axle the main beams will start to bow.

Also a 40' toyhauler would be extremely hard to balance since the weight changes so much depending on whether it's empty or loaded. All in all it seems to me to be a bad idea.

If I were to do something like that I would leave out the center axle and up grade the front and back.

But why tho?

I have never done this.
I have seen it done on a large sailboat trailer on the east coast where toll roads abound.
The owner reported that it made the trailer very balance critical and rough road situations were real bad news. It did pay for the cost of the modification in a season's worth of regattas.

Most states are 550# per inch of tire width. Figure it out.\

Matt