WIDE-TRAX Axle

[burnmark]

The Heartland North Trail TT has a slightly different looking axle, they call it the WIDE-TRAX Axle. A little more spread, and I think lighter duty looking.
Any experience or insight on this set up? I do like the looks of the TT, just curious about the undercarriage.

Thanks,
m

[APT]

No one will produce the same trailer with regular and wide space axles to compare. So you are left with marketing reasons and speculation as to why and what is "better".

I have to tow my TT with a WDH with my prior F-150 and now my 3/4 ton Suburban. Handling varies more with my Reese dual cam adjustment than anything else. A friend of mine pulled my TT with a 2012 Silverado dually, no WDH. I followed him and was rock solid at 70-75mph. So might other designs.

The only problem I have is tight turns on asphalt. There is more side flex/stress on the axles, wheels, tires with wider spacing. I notice because I live in a cul de sac and have to turn two times for every camping trip.

I would not let the wide spaced axles have a deterrence or preference on any given TT.

[thomasmnile]

burnmark wrote:
The Heartland North Trail TT has a slightly different looking axle, they call it the WIDE-TRAX Axle. A little more spread, and I think lighter duty looking.
Any experience or insight on this set up? I do like the looks of the TT, just curious about the undercarriage.

Thanks,
m

This horse was recently flogged in another thread. Enter "widely space wheels" in the search box at the top of the page and enjoy.

Different manufacturers call this arrangement different things. Jayco refers to them as " Tracker Wide Stance Axles" on their ultra lite models such as the WhiteHawk we own. In reality they are just a set of Dexter 3500 lb. axles set far apart. Others have posted the perceived advantages. One thing I have learned, if you wanted to install the Dexter EZ-Flex equalizers you can't. Dexter (as of now) does not have an EZ-Flex that can be used with this axle setup. Wet bolt kits to help your spring eyes and shackles live a longer life is all you can do.

[JJensen79]

I have a Heartland 32BUDS with the same axle set up. It is nice and stable at highway speeds and doesn't bounce as much going over rail road tracks or speedbumps. On pavement you do get more tire scrubbing when making tight turns. Overall it is a nice setup.

[69_Avion]

Usually, a wider axle will be more stable. If the frame is the same width, and the axle mounts the same way to the frame, then there will be more leverage on the axle tube.

[Dtaylor]

I have them on my Wilderness. It does make it more stable during highway driving. You do not get the same amount of bounce. Towing in the wind is better as with the passing of trucks. A slight negative is in very tight turns, you do get a little more tire scrubbing than the standard spacing. Since 99% of your driving is highway, I see this as not being a issue.

[ls1mike]

goducks10 wrote:
If it was anything special then all TT's would have it.

My Passport has it. Having towed a traditional TT with the closer axles. I will say it is more stable in the wind and when larger vehicles pass. That is using the same Equalizer E2 hitch on the two types of trailers.

I would say it isn't anything special. The axles are the same just spread out. I had to tow my BIL's old 34 footer a bunch of times and with my hitch setup properly for it, it never towed as nice. My current trailer is 35 feet over all, his was 34 feet. They were in about 600 lbs of each other.

I towed the trailer at least 7 times a pretty good distance when he worked for the carnival....That right there is a pretty long story in itself.

[goducks10]

If it was anything special then all TT's would have it.

[Beachums]

From what I read, it is simply a marketing name used to describe a more spread axle placement.
Because the axles are farther apart, it will be more forgiving to outside inputs (cross winds, passing trucks) than the traditional narrowly placed axles.