Help from people who use bumper pull trailers

[dpgllg]

Hello,

I have a 5th wheel RV and do okay towing and backing that but I need an enclosed cargo trailer for a small business I am thinking of opening up.

The trailers I am looking at are either 6 or 7 feet wide by 12 feet long. They come with a single OR tandem axles. The tandem axel trailers cost anywhere from $1200 to $2000 more than the single axle trailers. The tandem axle obivously can haul more weight (which really isn't an issue for me) and comes with electric brakes. There are no brakes on the single axle trailers.

My question is the tandem axle worth the extra cost? Is a tandem axle easier to back up than a single axle or visa versa? I know going in that backing this trailer up is going to be a lot differant than my 5th wheel.

Like I said I do not need the tandem for weight but the brakes would still be a help. I would be towing this trailer with a 2013 Chevy 2500HD Silverado Diesel with tow package.

Your thoughts appreciated!

Dave

[wnjj]

dpgllg wrote:
How hard is it to add the brakes? I'm disabled and would need my son-in-law to help get them put on.

It's mostly bolt-on. You pull the existing hubs off the spindles, bolt on the brake backing plate the install the new hubs/drums. Then you connect 2 wires per side up to a new 7-way plug along with a breakaway battery and switch.

The kit I used came with everything including hubs with pre-greased bearings & seals, heavy gauge 2-conductor wire, the 7-way plug, and a breakaway battery, box & switch. You have to verify the spindle dimensions first since there are multiple sizes plus wheel lug spacing and number.

Again, be sure the trailer axle has the mounting flange or you'll need someone to weld. Some info here: https://www.etrailer.com/faq-Adding-Electric-Drum-Brakes.aspx

Also, it's possible a complete axle swap is easier/cheaper but you'll still need to buy and run the wiring, plug and battery so probably not.

[Boomerweps]

A double pull trailer is obvious.
Whether brakes are on a trailer is not.
I have seen all kinds of traffic checks but checking for non-commercial trailer brakes hasn't been one.
Yes, the state laws of the state you are in are enforceable against you. Unless a reciprocal agreement is in effect between the states or superseded by federal laws.
Then again, police even have a hard time knowing the laws. A year after PA did away with license plate stickers to show current registration, PA cars were still occasionally pulled over by OH cops for expired registrations ;( I scraped mine off to help avoid their confusion.

[dpgllg]

wnjj wrote:

dpgllg wrote:
OP Here,

I think based on all of the responses the best choice would be to find a single axle trailer with brakes. I do need the ability to hand move it into the spot I want to keep it in. We also might be taking it out of state so this way there is no chance of any possible violation.

I have found some but the singles with brakes are almost as much as a tandem with brakes. I will keep looking and maybe I can find a nice used one at a reasonable price.

Dave

A complete brake add kit is about $270 if the axle has the flange on it (square plate with 4 holes). What price difference are you seeing for with vs without brakes?

I found a used 6x10 with a side door for $1500 but this was several years ago.

Right now on my local Craigslist a 7 x 12 single axle with brakes is $4000 and one without is $2800.

How hard is it to add the brakes? I'm disabled and would need my son-in-law to help get them put on.

Dave

[wnjj]

dpgllg wrote:
OP Here,

I think based on all of the responses the best choice would be to find a single axle trailer with brakes. I do need the ability to hand move it into the spot I want to keep it in. We also might be taking it out of state so this way there is no chance of any possible violation.

I have found some but the singles with brakes are almost as much as a tandem with brakes. I will keep looking and maybe I can find a nice used one at a reasonable price.

Dave

A complete brake add kit is about $270 if the axle has the flange on it (square plate with 4 holes). What price difference are you seeing for with vs without brakes?

I found a used 6x10 with a side door for $1500 but this was several years ago.

[dpgllg]

OP Here,

I think based on all of the responses the best choice would be to find a single axle trailer with brakes. I do need the ability to hand move it into the spot I want to keep it in. We also might be taking it out of state so this way there is no chance of any possible violation.

I have found some but the singles with brakes are almost as much as a tandem with brakes. I will keep looking and maybe I can find a nice used one at a reasonable price.

Dave

[wnjj]

wa8yxm wrote:
Most states, As I understand it, Respect your home state..

BUT in an accident... If you can not stop in time and thus rear end the driver in front of you .. you WILL get the ticket.. Brakes on trailer or not.. You WILL get the ticket.

And if the "injured" party (The guy you hit) has a sharp lawyer and you do NOT have brakes on a heavy trailer.... (This applies to towed cars on a Motor home as well) Well. Again a sharp lawyer will add a few zeros to the law suit.

I think reciprocity only applies to drivers’ licenses and vehicle requirements are not necessarily covered. In some cases they may not care as much (i.e. trailer brake requirements if your rig can stop sufficiently) but other things like double towing probably not so much.

[wa8yxm]

Most states, As I understand it, Respect your home state..

BUT in an accident... If you can not stop in time and thus rear end the driver in front of you .. you WILL get the ticket.. Brakes on trailer or not.. You WILL get the ticket.

And if the "injured" party (The guy you hit) has a sharp lawyer and you do NOT have brakes on a heavy trailer.... (This applies to towed cars on a Motor home as well) Well. Again a sharp lawyer will add a few zeros to the law suit.

[Optimistic_Para]

CavemanCharlie wrote:
In MN brakes are not required on anything that weighs less then 2900 pounds. I don't believe that a trailer licensed here would be ticketed in another state because of a difference in laws. I will admit that I am not 100 percent sure of that though.

It's an interesting problem. If something is legal in your home state, but not in another state you are traveling through, whose laws apply?

Take double towing - say you are pulling a boat trailer behind your fifth wheel. This is legal in a lot of states but not all of them. Not legal in PA, NY, NJ, or MA for example. So if your tow vehicle, fifth wheel and boat trailer all have TX plates, where it's legal, think that's going to save you from a ticket from a PA or NY cop?

I don't think so, but then, I'm not a lawyer and I haven't tried to research it in law books. I wouldn't even know how, really.

And I suspect that the people who claim it's perfectly fine aren't lawyers and haven't researched it in law books, either.

[CavemanCharlie]

Grit dog wrote:

Optimistic Paranoid wrote:
And AFAIK if you cross into another state, THEIR laws control, not the state your trailer is registered in. In NY, anything over 1,000 lbs needs brakes. Here's the different laws:

https://drivinglaws.aaa.com/tag/trailer-brakes/

More bullsheet from O P. For the rest of us living in the real world, never seen a 3klb gvw trailer that came with brakes...ever and unless you are gettin the finger wave from a DOT cop (I mean the kind that requires a latex glove, not to be confused with the finger shake gesture, lol) noone will ever look at your little single axle trailer for brakes.
Why? Because they don't need them and they aren't required in 90% of states. Just like other obscure laws.

And to add back that often missing aire of practicality, an HD pickup has no need for trailer brakes on a small little trailer like that.

In MN brakes are not required on anything that weighs less then 2900 pounds. I don't believe that a trailer licensed here would be ticketed in another state because of a difference in laws. I will admit that I am not 100 percent sure of that though.

[wnjj]

If my single axle trailer gets a flat in a dangerous place, It will travel just fine on the rim if needed to get it moved so that’s a non-issue for me. A new wheel is cheaper than a new life.

On the couple of snowmobile low profile trailer tire blowouts I’ve had, the rim was done before I even got pulled over.

[Grit_dog]

Optimistic Paranoid wrote:
And AFAIK if you cross into another state, THEIR laws control, not the state your trailer is registered in. In NY, anything over 1,000 lbs needs brakes. Here's the different laws:

https://drivinglaws.aaa.com/tag/trailer-brakes/

More bullsheet from O P. For the rest of us living in the real world, never seen a 3klb gvw trailer that came with brakes...ever and unless you are gettin the finger wave from a DOT cop (I mean the kind that requires a latex glove, not to be confused with the finger shake gesture, lol) noone will ever look at your little single axle trailer for brakes.
Why? Because they don't need them and they aren't required in 90% of states. Just like other obscure laws.

And to add back that often missing aire of practicality, an HD pickup has no need for trailer brakes on a small little trailer like that.

[RobWNY]

Backing won't be much of an issue. You already have the concept down so it's just a matter of going slower and making adjustments that are not as pronounced as they would be with a longer trailer. I have a single axle landscaping trailer that doesn't have brakes. I haul a riding mower mostly but occasionally something heavy. Certainly I don't travel more than a few miles with anything heavy. If I had it to do over again, I would get a tandem axle trailer. Simply for the peace of mind of knowing if I have a blow out, I can safely get the trailer off the road to an area to change the tire.

[rexlion]

Backing sharply will scrub the tires on a tandem. Not a big factor though.

I have had several cargo trailers, both single and tandem, for my work. Now I greatly prefer single axle. Why? Because I'd get so darn many tire punctures with a tandem, always in the rear tires. Seems like the first tire would throw any nail or screw into perfect position to jab into the rear tire. Yes, a tandem will let you limp to the tire store... but in my experience a single axle trailer is far less likely to need the tire store!

In addition, your tire replacement cost will be cut in half when you need only 2 tires instead of 4.

[PastorCharlie]

To answer your question about the difference between backing a 5th wheel and a bumper hitch is the pivot point. The 5th wheel pivots at the back wheels of the tow truck and the bumper hitch pivots at the rear bumper of the tow truck.

That is what you will notice, not whether it has one or more axels.

A tandem axle is less bouncy as it tends to float over dips in the roads. I have towed trailers over 65 years and prefer a tandem when towing for many reasons. Brakes can be had on any number of axles. I would recommend following state laws wherever the trailer will be towed..