Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Time to order new 14 ft v-nose. Do I get a 6 ft wide single axle or a 7 ft wide tandem axle? I want to go on extended trips out west (just me and the queen) that may last one or two months. Your opinions would be greatly welcomed.

Thanks,

Mike

I'd get the 7' wide with tandem axles for ea few reasons.

1) the extra width will be noticeable inside
2) Will typically have brakes.. very importnant to me .
4) 4 tires on the road.... blow out will not be so bad

I built a 14' toy hauler our of this:





and now it is like this inside for hauling my dirtbikes and camping: I have a fron cabinet and countertop to install and a few other odds and ends... but it works great so far.

I agree with the 1st post I have a 7x16 tandum with electric brakes and it's just right for me but if I did it again I think I would rather have a 7x18 esp,for 2 people.
I can't see myself in any thing less than a 7x16 it fills up fast when you start adding things,I wanted a full bed a leather couch and shower bathroom,as long as I put the bed up I have plenty of room when the bed is down there's not much space left over.
One thing I didn't consider was I now have a rear wall on wheels that I have a window AC in and I lost about 1 foot on the inside,but I rather have a good AC that cools it down in the summer time when I use it the most.
A couple things I am glad I ordered when I bought my trailer 1 was I had them build it taller than a stock trailer,I did this so my golf cart would go in but now I see that it's really nice to have the extra head room when I am on the inside,next is a screen RV door really nice thing to have and the rear stabilizer jacks without those down it's real shakey.
For me I wanted something close to a store bought toyahuler without the retail price but more than something where your still just camping.

Mike:

I would say go with the bigger 7 foot wide 6.5 foot tall trailer.
The tandem axles are a must have for smooth travel with your bikes inside.
You didn't mention your tow vehicle, what are you driving?

Here is my trailer on Day-one.







Gadget Man

Do I get a 6 ft wide single axle or a 7 ft wide tandem axle?

What's the tow vehicle going to be and is MPG a major consideration or not

MIne is shorter with a single axle but I can tell you that the 7' wide and extra 6" in ceiling height is very nice.
Barb

7 wide will fit a full 80" bed sideways. My only complaint is my truck mirrors could be a bit wider.

Prem,

Tow vehicle is a 2005 Dodge Ram 1500 Quad Cab 4 X 4 Hemi, I'm not going to get great mileage no matter what I tow.

Mike

I started with a 6x14 with 6'6" ceiling. I learned two things I should have went wider and I should have went longer... I need a toy hauler not just a camper so it really limits what you can install in the rear of the trailer.. Everything has to fold up out of the way and can't stick off the wall very much. 6' wide was just not wide enough for us. And 14 long was fine for a bed and bath. But not long enough for any real living space. I would say 7x14 tandem axle at the Min. And really 16 or 18' will pull about the same if you have a truck, but give you much more living space.. Like others said though, It really depends on what your tow vehicle is.. If its a decent 1/2 ton truck I say 7x16 or 7x18. If its a small SUV or truck then I would stick to the either a 6x14 or 7x14 depending on the exact TV you have.. I myself would not own a single axle inless it was very short as in 12' or less. Tandems pull much better and if you have a flat or a bearing issue a tandem is much better. The Only downside is two extra tires to maintain/replace. I think the one drawback is worth all the gains you get with a tandem..
Here is what my 6x14 looked like. Figured since your considering the exact same size wouldn't hurt to see an example. I did really like this little trailer and if it would have been 7 foot wide I would have kept it much longer. FWIW I had a hard time selling it also cause everyone that called wanted around a 7x16. Again talking about a toyhauler.

Just seen you posted your tow vehicle.. If you have a Dodge ram quad cab with a hemi.. GO bigger.... My 5.7 Toyota Tundra lost about 2MPG going from the 6x14 you see above to my 7x24' Vnose I own now.. I also haul an extra 1200# machine in the new trailer.. IME big trucks take a big hit on milage once you stick a couple thousand pounds or so behind them.. After that the difference is very small for a little more trailer..
lol just to make a point.. That extra 2 MPGs I gave up gave us this. MUCH nicer trailer and a ton of living space compared to just a place to sleep and shower. When I only haul one machine like before the difference in milage is even less

Don't go narrower than 7' and buy longer than you think you need / want. I have a 7' X 16' but I wish it was 18' or 20' long. There just isn't much room left over after loading two Brute Force 750s in it.

Mike,

Well, if MPG becomes a priority/interest, you can optimize by getting an aluminum cargo trailer with a V-nose (there are 4 or 5 brands). Some of the 12 ft. V-nose models are actually 14 ft long inside. A single axle will save weight and rolling friction increasing MPG. The aluminum models with single axles would allow you to get a V-6 truck, also increasing MPG.

I went from towing my Featherlite with a V-8 and automatic transmission to a V-6 with manual 5-speed and gained 5 MPG towing.

Those AirTabs on the back of the trailer will help the MPG also. (See my album photos)

Prem

Mike I too want to make a trip out west big circle north west. west, southwest.
I only will be carring my mobility scooter so my choice is a 7X12 Vnose that gives a couple feet up front for "kitchen"
like others have said it would allow me to sleep crossways or in my case two bunks each side facing front to rear with a small aisle
for those late night porta-potty breaks.
A 7X14 would be ok too I don't think the length would make the gas mailage go down much if any from the 7X12

let us know what you end up with I may just get the same thing if you find one for a good price.
feel free to PM me if you like

pete

Those of you with lots of towing experience:

If I decide to go with the 7 ft wide tandem, will it be necessary to use some type of anti-sway device?

thanks,

Mike

dudleydoright wrote:Those of you with lots of towing experience:

If I decide to go with the 7 ft wide tandem, will it be necessary to use some type of anti-sway device?

thanks,

Mike

Tandem axle trailers are less prone to sway than single axle. Largest factor will be how you load it.