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DKOTLAREK's avatar
DKOTLAREK
Explorer
Mar 29, 2018

SWIVEL WHEEL SW58 DUAL WHEEL TRAILING UNIT

Hello, all...New member, Long time camper!!!

I currently own a 2015 KZ 24' travel trailer (weigh is 4400 pounds). I tow it with my Toyota Sequoia 5.7L V* (tow capacity is 7700 pounds.

I recently bought a golf cart to tote round my neighborhood and would like to take camping, also. We do only camp with our camper approx. 3 times a year, and always stay within the state of NC. We do some cabin camping quite a bit, so I would just trailer it those times. We'd like to use our camper more, but I rent it out through my rental business and it is always booked solid!!!

Anyway...I've been looking at the Swivel Wheel SW58 dual wheel trailing unit. Everything I read on their site and other forums say this can only be used on a 5er or a coach and that it has not been tested on a travel trailer.

I cannot see why it cannot be used on my travel trailer. My trailer has 2 huge beefy I-beams that run the entire length of the unit, as well as large metal cross beams every few feet. My thought is to remove the bumper completely (I'll get back to that in a moment). I would have my welder manufacture a large cross beam that would be welded across the rear of the two large frame rails. Attached to that beam would be the two female receivers at the exact location as the trailing units 2 male receivers. As far as the bumper, we would weld 2 more male receivers at the right location so that when the camper is being used without the trailing unit, I could just pin the bumper in place.

It is my understanding that there is very minimal tongue weight difference with this dual wheel unit. It is attached at two receiver points so it does not violate NC law (I am a police officer and checked with SHP & Motor Carrier Enforcement). The weight of the trailing unit is just a few hundred pounds. My golf cart is just under 1000 pounds. That makes my entire load right around 5700 pounds...200 pounds under my Sequoia's capacity. I use a 10,000 pound load stabilizing hitch with anti-sway friction attachment.

Can someone shed some light on this, please?


Thank You...
Dan
  • Don't know about Virgina or North Carolina, but in Indiana if you have one of these trailers, it has to be titled, licensed (and plated) as a trailer. If it has a wheel and the wheel touches the ground, it's a trailer. (even if it's only 1 wheel). Also, needs tail lights too.

    I've never seen one on a travel trailer. I have seen them on 5er's. Indiana considers this 'double towing."
  • Its going to take away tounge weight and add to the overall length. This could cause say concerns.

    I'm sure you could have something fab'd, but I don't think you would be happy with how it tows.
  • One problem is that some municipalities consider these a double tow, regardless of that the manufacturer claims. If doubles aren't legal where you are, it may be a problem.
    The other is the tremendous amount of weight it will add to the back of the TT. Way more than is safe for handling IMHO.
  • Possibly not going to work. The bi issue would be tongue/pin weight.

    Assuming the swivel wheel is roughly 50% on the wheels and 50% on the rear of the frame (let's call it the rear bumper but actually attached to frame)...figure around 1500lb total or about 750lb on the rear bumper.

    MH: It's not an issue as it's directly attached to the tow vehicle. As long as it can support 750lb, you good.
    5th wheel, you start at 20-25% pin weight. Let's assume 2500lb pin weight. The wheels are approximately 2/3 of the way from the pin to the rear bumper. When you run the math, that means, for every 2lb you put on the rear bumper, you take around 1 lb off the pin weight...so about 375lb...that leaves you 2125 pin weight. So if you were only at 20%, that still leaves you with 17% pin weight...a little light but it will probably be fine. If you started at 25% or it was a heavier trailer, even less of an issue.

    A TT on the other hand has wheels approximately 55-60% from the ball to the rear bumper and around 10-12% tongue weight. At 60% every 2lb on the rear bumper takes 1.67lb off the tongue. So taking your measurements, 4400lb and assume 12%, that means you start at around 440lb tongue weight. Let's assume 60% back and 750lb at the rear bumper...that's going to take around 500lb off the ball...oops, that's a negative 60lb tongue weight.

    There are some things you can do to compensate but you are so far off, it may be too extreme to solve.
    - Add extensions to the swivel wheel attachments. The longer you make them, the more of the weight rides on the wheels rather than the rear bumper. You might be able to get as much as a 33/67 split but make sure you don't overload the swivel wheels as they may have been spec'd assuming a 50/50 weight split.
    - Move cargo forward in the TT. The more weight you can move to the front, the more the tongue weight increases...the challenge is moving enough to get the tongue weight up at least to 10%...less than that and most TT dont' tow well.

    So it's possible but really probably not a good idea.

    You aren't talking about a really heavy item, so probably simpler to get a hitch for the car and have the wife tow the golf cart separately if it's only occasionally and not too far.