Single Axle travel trailers.

[falconbrother]

Wanting your opinions on single axle travel trailers. Background:

Our first TT was a 16 foot Prowler, single axle. That single axle caused more than a few white knuckle moments for me, or at least I believe that it was the single axle. That is, in a gusting cross wind, passing semi-truck, etc.. it would sway, bad. I had always been told that double axle TTs wouldn't sway as bad.

Now I see a lot of 19 or 22 foot long single axle TTs, mostly the Wildwood brand. Other than the single axle they look pretty good (I'm not considering one because I want a slide out). If that 16 footer got wild I can only imagine how a 22 footer would be.

If you have pulled a single axle 19 - 22 foot long TT what was your experience?

I will say that other than towing we loved that little prowler and had some amazing trips in that camper..

[Bumpyroad]

my current TT is a single axle one with no issues. sort of a blessing when I have to replace 2 small/cheap tires instead of 6 big/expensive ones.
bumpy

[GordonThree]

profdant139 wrote:
We have been in 60 mph side gusts at freeway speeds with a little high-profile (lifted) single axle trailer. No problem at all. I think a lot depends on tongue weight.

x2 ... towed through strong cross winds on the Mackinac Bridge as well as various interstates.

having proper weights and a tow vehicle that weighs considerably more than the trailer helps a lot

[profdant139]

We have been in 60 mph side gusts at freeway speeds with a little high-profile (lifted) single axle trailer. No problem at all. I think a lot depends on tongue weight.

[falconbrother]

When we towed that little Prowler it was in the early 1990s. One moment I remember not being fun was on 544 from Conway to Surfside Beach SC. We were crossing the bridge over the intracoastal waterway and a hard gust of wind hit that trailer right at the top of that bridge. I was fighting to keep it in the road (and on the bridge). That was the last time I towed that thing. I guess it was about 1995 or 96. Scared me good. I suppose that a good cross wind would have the same affect on a two axle trailer. Nevertheless, that and a couple of moments like it convinced me that I needed to do something else for a while. Now, we're going back to trailers since it better suits what we actually do.

[ttavasc]

TomG2 wrote:
Backing is simply a matter of the geometry between the tow vehicle and the trailer and has nothing to do with the number of axles. Single axle trailers tend to be shorter which makes them more responsive to steering input. Therefore, they "Jackknife" more easily.

I hadn't thought of it in these terms before so thanks for the clarification. I have not towed a dual axle travel trailer but I have towed a dual axle cargo trailer - 6x12 U-Haul - and the perception I had with that was it was slower to start turning when backing up. But maybe not an accurate comparison. With a little practice you quickly figure out the behavior and it's not a problem.

[TomG2]

Backing is simply a matter of the geometry between the tow vehicle and the trailer and has nothing to do with the number of axles. Single axle trailers tend to be shorter which makes them more responsive to steering input. Therefore, they "Jackknife" more easily.

[tragusa3]

I had a bearing failure on our single axle when we had it. In the middle of nowhere. Cost us 3 days of downtime before we could roll again. Not sure if a double axle would have saved us, but I pretty sure it would have. At the very least, it would have allowed us to limp to a campground.

[colliehauler]

TTAVASC said what I have found as well in the fact it is more difficult to back. Never found sway to be a issue (properly) loaded. If you load the trailer with not enough weight on the tongue it will cause sway.

[ttavasc]

We have about 10K miles on our single axle trailer and no issues using an Andersen No-Sway hitch. Overall length is about 22 feet. Most of those miles are longer trips. Always ensure that you have sufficient tongue weight. I like to have at least 12% or more of loaded trailer weight. I also have the hitch adjusted so that the trailer is just slightly nose-down. It tows nicely and no issues at all with wind or semi's passing. Best cruising speed is about 62mph.

One of the requirements I had when looking at the single axle trailers was an uplifted tire rating. Ours came with LT LR-C tires. Keep them at max sidewall pressure and check frequently along with hub temps when running long distances.

I do think that the single axle is more trouble backing up - it turns much quicker than a dual axle which took a bit to get used to. Overall though we're pretty pleased with the whole setup.

[GordonThree]

I have over 30,000 miles on my single axle KZ 200. I haven't had any issues with sway, semi's passing, strong winds, etc.

However, if I had a do-over, I'd go with two axles. I'd like to have more cargo capacity, and also think two axles would be better when a flat tire comes along.

I noticed several posters express concern regarding a blowout at speed with the single axle. Honestly it's not a big deal, all you feel is more drag on the truck motor and notice the trailer sitting a bit cockeyed in the rear view. Maybe if the entire wheel fell off it would be more exciting.

[profdant139]

I have had no sway problems with my single axle trailers. BUT if my little trailer came in a double axle, I would prefer that. I have never had a high speed tire failure, but it will not be pretty when it happens. I watch my tires like a hawk and maintain them carefully. I have towed for more than a hundred thousand miles. No problem yet. But there is always tomorrow to worry about.

Bottom line -- if you have a choice between a 19 foot single axle and a 20 foot double, I would get the double.

[Mark_and_Linda]

I have seen several single axle trailers that I would like if they had two axles. I would be concerned with a blow out on a single. On the sway...what about a Friction Sway Bar?

[72cougarxr7]

I have a single axle Prowler and never had any issues with sway.
Towed it from northern NY to central Illinois and also towed through some winding Adirondack mountain roads.

I do notice the weight on my truck since the axles is a ways back it puts a lot of weight on the tongue. I may invest in a WD hitch, even though the trailer is not very heavy.

[fitznj]

I've towed 2 axle trailers for > 20 years. Recently I towed a friends single axle TT and did notice that the trailer did tend to bounce the TV more when going over bumps. I did not have the WDH attached and so that could have made a difference.

Sway caused by semis was about the same and gusts of wind were about the same

[jfkmk]

I too have a single axle trailer and never had a problem with sway. In face, it gets pushed around less than my old class c when a semi passes.