Is a tandem axle cargo trailer worth the extra $ over single

dpgllg wrote:
OP Here,

Thanks to everyone for your response.

I do not know what the weight requirements will be as we are just getting started. Just as when you buy a truck no one has ever complained about having to much truck! I don't want to have to buy another trailer a year down the road.

Based on feedback here I'll be looking for a tandem axle trailer in the 12 to 14 foot range.

One question as I will be looking at used trailers as well is how can I tell what type of axle is on the trailer?

Thanks again

Dave

Nice part is, with a tandem, you’re pretty much guaranteed to get brakes and with a single pretty much guaranteed to not get brakes if that’s of concern to you.
You can push the easy button and get a tandem if your cool with $1000+ more than a comparable single, or dial in your needs a bit more for a simpler less expensive setup potentially.
Good luck shopping.

I need a 54" to get around the flatbeds I tow with. 36" might work with a typical full size SW rig. BUT, add a camper and the supports, or a dw, or _________.

For OP, ONLY real way to know how big a rig you need, is to take and make up a plan of where you want to keep things inside, how, in what kind of containers things are held in.
Examples, if you think 6' is wide enough, the inside is probably 5' 10" due to sides. So if you are thinking 2' for shelves per side, 2' of walk way. The walk way s only 22". Or if you get 25" containers, put them long way per width of trailer, you are now down to a 2" width pathway. So a 7 or 8' trailer may be a better option. BUT, now you ahve probably added another 200 lbs to the trailer. Which if you get one with say 2 3500 lbs axels, 7000 lbs plus say 1000 lbs of HW. Giving you a max 8000 lbs of total trailer and cargo. Tare of trailer goes from 1200 to 1400 lbs, You guestimate initially 6800 lbs of cargo inside.....if you add said 200 lbs ot the hitch, you stay under the axel ratings. or need to go with 2 4000 lb axels.
You can not just GUESS or otherwise what sized trailer you need. Be it cubic feet, width, height, rated gvw.... guesstimating is good, then add some lbs of air for cargo weight, maybe some inches to width if possible, length, height etc. THEN, and ONLY then, you may not need to expand later. WIth this said, having to go bigger, expand if doing a business, can be a good thing too. Or you may find you want one trailer going one way, a 2nd another way. In which case, having two trailers, one smaller, the other larger per say is good also.
Also, MANY cargo/equipment trailers are sold by payload. This payload is the sum of the axel(s). With a small prints note of " must have adequate hitch wt" ie weight of trailer. If you are assuming say 10% HW on the above 1200 lb trailer, with 7000 lbs of axels, they may say, you have 7000 lbs of payload, but you need 1200 lbs of HW. NOT, the 700 or so you may be thinking. SO you are 500 lbs overweight per manufacture specs. You will again need a trailer with the 4000+ lbs axel option. I ran into this specing an equipment trailer. I was putting 12000 lbs including a 1000 lbs of air for stuff I could not think of, they tried to sell me a dual 12K trailer, with 4500 lbs of HW needed. I wanted a dual 7 or 8K trailer so I only needed around 1600-2000 lbs of hithc with a total trailer weight of 16000-17000 lbs.
A lot of things many of us are not positive about. Watch out for sales snakes.

Marty

blt2ski wrote:
many of the flat front trailers also have a tongue that is 6-12" too short depending upon how wide the trucks hips are. Keep this issue in mind when looking at trailers of any type or style

True story. Most low end trailer manufacturers do a short tongue on flat front trailers: 36"

I need a 48" tongue (A Frame) for ease of cornering with my truck camper.

I talk about the 48" A Frame in in this video

dpgllg wrote:
One question as I will be looking at used trailers as well is how can I tell what type of axle is on the trailer?

Leaf spring is clearly visible on a leaf spring trailer.

This video of my 6x10 shows a torsion axle. I installed a lift kit in this video.

dpgllg wrote:
I don't want to have to buy another trailer a year down the road.

Buy one size bigger than you need today, then your bases will be covered. Ask me how I know this.

That’s right Marty. We have a flat nose single axle trailer in the family fleet complete with two camper jack shaped dints in the tin on the front...

While a V nose is better from an aerodynamic standpoint, ie better mpg's, lower HP needed to pull the same load etc..... If you find your self in a place, we all do, that you need to jack knife the trailer backing into somewhere. This style does not allow it. For that matter, many of the flat front trailers also have a tongue that is 6-12" too short depending upon how wide the trucks hips are. Keep this issue in mind when looking at trailers of any type or style.

Marty

Should be a label attached to the axle unless it's worn off or missing etc. 2 different types of axles regardless who makes them. Spring and rubber torsion. Spring suspension is obvious. Torsion, well no springs. Cummins12V pic shows what a torsion susp will look like.

If you opt for a V-nose trailer, you will gain add'l space inside.

wnjj wrote:

dpgllg wrote:
One question as I will be looking at used trailers as well is how can I tell what type of axle is on the trailer?

If you look at one side and see 1 tire, it’s a single axle. If there are two, it’s a tandem.

Sorry, I couldn’t resist. :B

By type do you mean weight rating or brand or ?

I was looking for Brand

Dave

dpgllg wrote:
One question as I will be looking at used trailers as well is how can I tell what type of axle is on the trailer?

If you look at one side and see 1 tire, it’s a single axle. If there are two, it’s a tandem.

Sorry, I couldn’t resist. :B

By type do you mean weight rating or brand or ?