I am trying to find a trailer i need something with 25' of floor plus a dove tail to haul scrap iron on behind my c70. I am going to look at a 30' gooseneck 3 axle trailer. What is the pros and cons between a 3 axle single tire and 2 axle dual tires? My loads are more balk than weight on a 20' i am lucky to get 6ton.
Hard to keep tires on the three axle trailers as they "scrub" terrible when turning. Takes a lot more effort to turn on dry pavement when loaded than a tandem also.
3 axle is a cheaper trailer, if your only going 12k payload that's a lot of dually trailer for a lighter load
I just got back from looking at the 3 axle trailer . I am about 90% sure it wasnt built by a manufature. It was a very heavy trailer the frame was 8" channel . Its neck had cracked were it meet the frame and the bubble gum repair weld didnt hold. I told the owner it looked home made he said it had a name on the title but i didnt need to see it. I thought at the time i would give half the asking price but on the way home i wondered if that was a good deal or not. You never know till you look.
They both have their pros and cons. I’ve owned both. Seems like I always had flats on the third axle after the first two tires helped line up the crap in the road. Tandem duals are generally more stable and if you blow a tire you can keep going to a safe place to change it. If you run in soft stuff I have found a 3 axle with singles is easier to pull. Structurally they should be the same as the axle ratings are close to the same. I’d say get the best deal on a trailer and don’t sweat how it’s setup.
If i could get what i realy think i want or build it i think one axle with short 22.5s and air brakes .
This one is in springfield for just under $9,000. Looks like big welded on stake pockets, maybe make some sideboards to stack up the scrap iron? I wouldn't have a single tire triple axle, especially not a homebuilt, and definitely not one that was on trailer house axles. I still remember pulling that trailer.
According to Dexter, the biggest problem with triples is overloading. As the road surface changes, one of the axles loses contact, then two axles or less are carrying the full load. The axles are designed to twice the rated load not triple. Ride over a curb, and a single axle has the full load.
That is a little high but very interesting . Put fenders over tires build a removable section to lengthen the rear out some and sides it would work. Before the covid i looked at a like new single drop one axle trailer it had been stored inside all its life looked new for $7000.00 i thought it was high. Then a short time later i saw its twin for sell for the same money but its paint was faded . If i only had a time machine.
I would rather have a heavy two axle set up with 17.5's. One of my goosenecks is rated for 18,000 GVW with 8k axles with 17.5. It hauls a 12,000lb mini most of the time. You can get trailers with 17.5's rated up to 24,000lb. They are a lot harder to find used though, most common are the tandem duals or triples. Hauling a lot of scrap you would appreciate the 17.5's, they hold up a whole lot better than 16's, and are much more resistant to punctures at the landfill, scrapyard, ect.
I've got a three axle gooseneck I built around 30 years ago. They are harder on tires and do bend 7000 lb. axles but I was fairly heavy most of the time. Went to 17.5 tires and pretty much cured tire blowing problems. Hauled skid steers with all the attachments on it. Still one of my favorite trailers. I'll flip it over every now and then and take an excavator and re-arch the axles. My other gooseneck has tandem duals on 12,000 lb. axles. I put new 14 ply tires on it when I got it and haven't had tire problems in the two years since it was put together. It hauls a 18,000 lb. excavator most of the time. Are you looking for a gooseneck or pintle hitch trailer?
I've got a 25K capacity gooseneck on two axles. As mentioned, 3 axles scrub quite a bit when turning. I didn't want the hassle of changing an inside tire on dual wheels so I opted for 17.5 tires over 16s and am running singles. It was actually less cost to go this route too. I highly recommend Kaufman trailers in North Carolina if you're looking at new. They were willing to do any modification to the trailer I requested, they're built to order.
I have Chevy c70 air brakes it has a fifthwheel, gooseneck and pintle hitches. I would rather have a gooseneck . My loads are bulky not heavy. I saw a gn for sell last night it said 24" if it had a 24" floor and a 5" dove tail it was priced ok and close by i think i would have tried it buy it was just 24" overall .