[Rhodes22-list] Single vs Double Axle

Bill Effros bill at effros.com
Fri May 12 15:33:20 EDT 2006


Rory,

Been away, didn't have time to comment.

The jack stands have multiple uses, and are far from a pain.  They are 
the rotating type that clamp onto rails (although I believe Roger welded 
his).  They can be used to change trailer tires safely, even with the 
boat on the trailer.  They can be used to stabilize the trailer when 
it's windy and the boat is being stored on the trailer.  They can be 
used to lift the boat off the bunks for bottom painting, or centerboard 
work.  They can be used to reposition the boat for trailering, and for 
launching when the conditions are not quite right.

I always enter and exit the boat using the ladder at the rear.  I figure 
I'm no heavier when the boat is in the water than I am when the boat is 
on land--and if that ladder can't hold me, I'd sooner know before 
there's an emergency.  It holds just fine, but all of my extra weight on 
the stern can tip up a single axle boat easily if there is also a motor 
hanging off the stern.

I notice that big guys with dual axle boats tend to climb aboard off the 
trailer fenders because they're not sure their boats won't tip up if 
they enter from the ladder.

No problem, though, if you've got the rear rotating jack stands.  Flip 
them down, a few cranks to put the pads on the ground...

A few more words about the dual axles.  It is impossible to always keep 
the wheels from "hopping" or "skidding".  Just making a right turn into 
your driveway can do it.  It happens repeatedly when trying to maneuver 
in close spaces.  We tend to have very heavy boats on our trailers.  The 
stress placed on the tires during the "hopping" process is 
immense--watch one of the tires when the boat is on the trailer if you 
don't believe me.  The tires are fairly small, and they get horribly 
torqued until something gives and they hop.

It seems to me that more people with dual axle trailers have tire 
failures than people with single axle trailers.  If I'm right about 
this, I'd love to know if it is the hopping tire that tends to fail. 

I haven't had a tire failure on any vehicle in years.  I am perfectly 
comfortable driving around on my single axle trucks and cars--I never 
consider more axles for safety's sake...why should that be different for 
trailers?

Just thinking out loud...

Bill Effros



Rory Orkin wrote:
>  Jack stands seem like a real pain... I would think that if you have to do
> that then there is negative tongue weight on the ball when
> trailering..definitely not what you want. I would think that the boat should
> be farther forward on trailer and you are having some difficulty getting it
> far enough forward.
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