Single axle vs tandum

Off-topic side comment:

That pic of the Pontiac wagon gives me the itch to get my '65 Falcon wagon out of mothballs and back on the road!

DutchmenSport wrote:
I think the length and weight of the trailer will determine if it should be single or tandem axle.

For what it's worth, my parents towed this 18 foot, 1963 Phoenix travel trailer for years and never had a problem. It's a single axle. I never thought about it when I was a kid. It wasn't until I considered purchasing my first TT that the tandem axles became a consideration, and that was actually AFTER we purchased it.

Now, if you look at the set-up my dad had in 1963 (I think the year of this photo is 1965), it was towed with a 1963 Pontiac station wagon. I remember Dad has air bags added to the rear shocks. He always used weight distribution bars, but sway control was unthinkable back then.

We traveled all over the country, from New York, to Florida, to Wisconsin, to South Texas for at least 7 years (from the time I was 8 to 15 years old). I do not remember ever having issues with the camper. He never said a word about sway, concerns about flat tires (although I do remember a flat on the car once ... and a water pump going out in Wisconsin).

I've seen lots of new trailers (although smaller in size than mine) with single axles. I would honestly believe, that with proper hitching, a single axle would do just fine.

Great Picture!! But, to the original posters question; I've had both. I never had a sway problem with the single axle. But, I suppose it could bonce more. It was only a 16 foot and I was pulling it with a half ton pickup so I never noticed the bonce myself. It did turn and back easier with less tire scrubbing and all the associated twisting of the axels a twin axel would have. If the single axel is rated heavy enough for the load I see no reason it will not work just fine.

I have a simgle axle Lance 1575 and I am very happy with it . I do not have any sway because I use a great WD -Equalizer 4points . Also reduce weight and I can pull it with an Explorer without fear

I'll never pull a single axle again. Too much bounce and sway for me, especially if you ever have to go through elk mountain near cheyenne Wyoming. Had a flat on my tandem axle and was able to pull off the tire and limp the whole setup to a repair shop nearby.

I think the length and weight of the trailer will determine if it should be single or tandem axle.

For what it's worth, my parents towed this 18 foot, 1963 Phoenix travel trailer for years and never had a problem. It's a single axle. I never thought about it when I was a kid. It wasn't until I considered purchasing my first TT that the tandem axles became a consideration, and that was actually AFTER we purchased it.

Now, if you look at the set-up my dad had in 1963 (I think the year of this photo is 1965), it was towed with a 1963 Pontiac station wagon. I remember Dad has air bags added to the rear shocks. He always used weight distribution bars, but sway control was unthinkable back then.

We traveled all over the country, from New York, to Florida, to Wisconsin, to South Texas for at least 7 years (from the time I was 8 to 15 years old). I do not remember ever having issues with the camper. He never said a word about sway, concerns about flat tires (although I do remember a flat on the car once ... and a water pump going out in Wisconsin).

I've seen lots of new trailers (although smaller in size than mine) with single axles. I would honestly believe, that with proper hitching, a single axle would do just fine.

Although they're also designed differently otherwise, single axle is the norm in European trailers in this size range. In my opinion a properly balanced single would be preferable to a double if only for the fact of their being easier on tires. Scrubbing, for example, is a phenomenon limited to multi-axle setups.

Some folks think that doubles somehow serve for a sort of "redundancy safeguard"- mistakenly, in my opinion, since a double only divides the load and can't itself take up where the other leaves off in the event of a flat or some other catastrophe.

For me, tandem is the only way to go. It makes towing so much easier especially on rough roads. Less bounce and smoother ride. There are a few times when getting into a really tight spot that a single trailer might do a little better, but those are rare. Although, I am not sure who makes a tandem 16 footer.