Why no TT's that fully supports their own weight.

[braindead0]

Like four wheeled farm trailers. Many trucks have huge towing capacity with limited payload so a four wheeled fully supported trailer is often the only way (weigh? 😉 you could use all that towing 'capacity'.

Increased cost is an obvious downside, however I would think the additional cost in larger TT would not be a huge bump.

Is handling an issue perhaps?

Other reasons I'm not considering? For all I know there are some out there, I tried searching but as soon as you put 'trailer' in a search the first bajillion pages are RV dealers with the normal inventory.

[goducks10]

Just buy the right truck and you won't have payload issues.

[DutchmenSport]

The problem is, you separate the axles and you end up with, NOT a trailer, but a "wagon":



Click here too! Really cool photos!

I like this one... A LOT!



FYI: I learned how to back up double "wagons" when I was 15 years old, working the summer bailing hay with a local farmer in Central Indiana. Yes, you can back them up, but it's a skill most people will never conquer!

In case you are interested in seeing what the INSIDE of these beauties look like, Click Here! Really, really cool photos!

[the_bear_II]

Tiger02 wrote:
I would say handling and backing would be the biggest issues.

X-2

[GordonThree]

Needless complication it sounds like to me.

Plenty of folks tow "like a dream" overloaded payload wise with their half ton trucks. I was towing overloaded for three years and nothing bad happened. The only complaint I had was having the back suspension bottoming out now and then, causing the trailer tongue jack to drag on steep driveway aprons.

I happened to have the opportunity to upgrade to a bigger truck with more payload. I traded bells and whistles for more truck.

[braindead0]

RinconVTR wrote:
As in a farm trailer design with steerable front axle?

Impossible to pull at speed, unless you like rolling over at the first 30mph turn.

?? Tractor's pull double trailers all the time and speeds far exceeding 30mph..pretty sure the second (and third for triples) have a steerable axle.

TT's generally too light to handle it? Some other factors not present in double/triple road rigs?

[RinconVTR]

As in a farm trailer design with steerable front axle?

Impossible to pull at speed, unless you like rolling over at the first 30mph turn.

[colliehauler]

I have seen 5th wheel version but not travel trailer versions. I know they made them in the 50's for trailers. Stability would be the number 1 concern.

[braindead0]

Good point on backing, no mean feat with 2 hinge points.. I drove a tractor/farm trailer for a couple of years. Learned to drive that setup backward nearly as well as forwards.. so didn't occur to me.. and that was 30 years ago so I've likely lost the skill by now 😉

So now you have to add another $1000 for an integrated trailer dolly. Deploy the trailer dolly handle and wheels. Unhook from your TV and dolly into the campsite. TT already has batteries and the 'dolly' wouldn't have to support tongue weight, just a deploy able wheel and handle arrangement with something like a starter motor for power.

edit: or, 2 starter motors (or similar) that can hook up to each of the front wheels.. A way to stow the hitch out of the way, and then a tethered controller allowing you to control both front wheels independently. Sorta like those huge wheeled dollies they use to move buildings..

[DrewE]

Backing up a trailer with two separate axles is very nearly impossible, at least without a tremendous amount of practice; it's the same basic physics in play as backing up a car on a tow dolly. You have two pivots in play that have to be kept lined up.

Since access to a great many campsites require one to back in a trailer, this is a very significant drawback.

I suspect there could be some rather troubling shimmy or wander problems at highway speeds, but presumably proper design and damping and such could keep them under control.

[Tiger02]

I would say handling and backing would be the biggest issues.