Single Axle to Tandem Axle

[Bkcreation34]

I have a 6X10 CT and I was wondering if anyone has done this before but take a single axle trailer and convert to a tandem axle and would it help having a tandem axle for towing. Where it would balance the load more and take off the weight more off the hitch? I have a V6 Ford Escape with the towing package and 4X4. But with the 6X10 I can tell it is pulling it and the towing power is 3500 lbs and the dry hitch weight is 350 pounds for the escape. I took off the factory hitch was to small and upgraded to a 2inch reciever which I feel much safer now. I am going to put on trailer brakes this spring and also upgrade my brakes on the escape to power stop brand brakes that our made for heavy towing. But when towing it now it feels like it struggles some and feels it has a hard time shifting in gears and lag from it. I just don't want to ruin my escape. But I don't have alot of weight inside of it I am going to remove the platform bed which is made strong and that was alot of weight from that so once I get rid of that I hope that helps. I just want to know if possible a trailer that is a single axle can be converted into a tandem axle. And if that will help.

[A Plus MM]

No I have not seen anybody convert a trailer to tandem axle and there may be a couple good reasons for that...
1. A 6x10 trailer is pretty small for 2 axles
2. The frame was only built for 3500 lbs (or less)
3. You don't want to make the tongue too light, it will cause trailer sway, maybe just redistribute the weight inside the trailer to better balance it.
Now, with that all being said, I broke rule #2 myself (without any problems so far) and replaced a bad 2900 lb axle with a 5000 lb axle. The new axle has brakes (which the old one didn't) and I added air bags to my springs on my Trailblazer that I use to pull my 6x12. I already had an occasion where I had a mechanical failure on my Trailblazer (ball joint failed and front tire folded under) on a off ramp doing about 45 mph and lost all brakes on the tow vehicle. Lucky for me (blessed is more correct) my trailer brakes didn't fail. I still went for a ride and it took 2 tow trucks about a hour to get me back on the road but without the brakes on the trailer - it would have pushed me and been a LOT worse.

[dustboy]

I think adding an axle will have the opposite effect that you want. The axle and tires will add ~200 lbs to the dry weight, and you will be adding the extra rolling resistance of 2 more tires and the friction of the bearings. Not to mention you will need to modify the spring mounts, and change the fenders..that's a pretty serious fabrication project!

The tongue weight should be 10% of the total trailer weight, which should be maintained with the right weight distribution. If the fully loaded trailer is 3,500 lbs then you will have maxed out your vehicle's tongue weight. Sounds like you won't ever be carrying that much.

Adding brakes is definitely a good idea.

[Bkcreation34]

I know I am not maxed out at 3,500lbs I guess I am just wanting to be safe more or less. When I tow it the CT does not even sway it rides the road straight as possible. That was all included in my design of the CT. I have everything well distributed and I am just looking on taking out the platform bed to make more room and also a space in there to have a folding table from the wall to eat on when it is rainy or cold weather. I think everyone goes through the same thing of they design it and then after using it for a while you think of new designs on new layout.

[eamarquardt]

I just can't believe some of the statements on this string.

I have a 5 X 10 tandem axle dump trailer that I built. It weighs 2000# empty. I've had it loaded with 10,000 of gravel (once and I only drove it a few miles on side streets at 25 mph). It tows like a dream. It backs well. It is not sensitive to not having the load exactly balanced. I've had to swerve in an emergency and the trailer handled exceptionally well. It has electric brakes on one axle and surge brakes on the other.

With the tandem axle it is very manageable in spite of its weight and the loads I've had in it. I can't imagine that a single axle trailer would be nearly as easy to load, balance, and tow. It has never even hinted at "trailer sway". A 4 X 8 single axle trailer I used to have was very sensitive to balance and would "wag the dog" that was towing it if not loaded properly.

Here is picture:

It would be easy to mount spring hangers and springs on a separate piece of angle iron or flat stock and bolt it to your trailer after removing the current running gear.

See:

Adding an axle and spreading the load over a greater area of your existing frame will increase the strength and capacity of your trailer.

I can see only benefits from adding a second axle to your trailer. It will easier to balance, tow nicer, be safer during emergency maneuvers, and easier to back. It will be a bit more difficult to move by hand but that's manageable. I got 22 mpg on a trip driving 65-70 with my new Traverse w/o the trailer. I got 20 mpg driving at 55mph towing my trailer empty. I doubt that the added "friction" of the second axle would change your mileage one iota. Most of your trailer drag is aerodynamic not rolling resistance.

There you have it! More "World According to Gus" based upon my first hand experience with my 5 X 10 tandem axle (hydraulic/electric brakes) dump trailer.

Cheers,

Gus

[dwgriff1]

If the question is: Can it be done? The answer is of course. If you have torsion axle it relatively easy, though both axles will need to be moved.
Should it be done? That is a more relevant question, thinks I.
I have a single axle 6 by 12 and once contemplated making it a tandem, but gave up on the idea and I am glad I did. I am sure I bump against the maximum weight once in a while, but not too often.
When I convert it to a camper I'll go out of my way to keep the fittings light weight.
dave

[jeff0520]

Alignment would become critical if you did it. I personally wouldn't do it unless there was a reallt good way to get avle alignment just right. trailer axles out of alignment will chew up tires, and not handle well. The flatbed trailer I drive at work has the axles mounted up aginst excentric plates so you have a way to align it.

[eamarquardt]

Alignment would become critical if you did it. I personally wouldn't do it unless there was a reallt good way to get avle alignment just right. trailer axles out of alignment will chew up tires, and not handle well. The flatbed trailer I drive at work has the axles mounted up aginst excentric plates so you have a way to align it.

It's really not that hard to get things within 1/16 (or less) of an inch with a tape measure. I've never seen a small trailer with any method of aligning the wheels.

Cheers,

Gus

[8ball_99]

Its VERY easy to make a single axle trailer into a tandem.. Most any dealer sells kits that comes with 4 new hangers the axle and new bolts for all the spring angers.. They have a flange that almost makes them a pressed fit into the hanger thats why you get all new ones.. And yes a Tandem PUlls MUCH better and is much safter for a lighter tow vehicle.. In a single axle you have to have it loaded exactly right to keep it from swaying at speed but also not to overload your small hitch.. With a tandem the weight distrubustion in the trailer is much less a concern, inless you are really loading it.. If you have a large tow vehicle a single axle is much less of a concern.. Example is with my 3/4 diesel I can load something heavy on one of my single axles and just put a lot of the weight on the truck.. I'm not going to overload my class 5 hitch so it doesn't matter if I have more tongue weight then needed.. It also won't matter near as much if I have a blow out with my truck since it weights twice what a single axle trailer can fully loaded.... If your pulling a Single axle trailer with a 3000 pound light suv and you have a blow out.. Hold on Your in for a white knuckle experiance.. With a tandem you will look at your wife and say what was that..

Oh and BTW like he said above all you need is a tape measure. Its not like on a car.. If your with in an 1/8th of an inch your golden. I've probably owned 10 different trailers in the past 15 years and my dad does commercial lawn care so he has had even more.. You would be amazed at how many factory made tandems are have their hangers more then a 1/4 out of spec...

[OverTheTopCargoTrailer]

Now I want a triple

[Shadow Catcher]

One problem not stated is that many/most toll's are based on number of axles. Plus there is the expense of replacing tires

[eamarquardt]

One problem not stated is that many/most tole's are based on number of axles. Plus there is the expense of replacing tires

Good point in some parts of the country. Toll roads and bridges are rare in the western part of the country.

Cheers,

Gus

[dustboy]

Toll roads and bridges are rare in the western part of the country.

$20 to cross any of the 7 bridges in the SF Bay with my tandem. Ouch.

[eamarquardt]

Toll roads and bridges are rare in the western part of the country.

$20 to cross any of the 7 bridges in the SF Bay with my tandem. Ouch.

Yeah, the "Bay Area" is "special".

Cheers,

Gus

[Shadow Catcher]

I80through Ohio is a toll road and tolls figured per axle. It was supposed to become a freeway when it was paid off. The current governor is pulling the vulture capitalist thing and wants to "borrow" on its future profits to replace money he removed from the Ohio transportation budget. The unintended consequence is that that heavy trucks use roads not designed for them. I20 is three miles south of us and you will often see 'centipedes' heavy haulers with so many axles it is hard to count. Needless to say it is starting to look like one continuous set of pot holes. The winters we have been having with freeze thaw cycles with a temperature swing of 70+ degrees from one day to the next are not helping. Ohio and the north can have a 140+ degree difference in road temperatures winter to summer that is very hard on pavement.