Comprehensive Trailer Buying GuideKnow How To Choose a Trailer
#1 Gooseneck, fifth wheel or bumper type hitch. #2 Tandem, double or triple axles. |
#3 Springs. The right springs makes life much simpler if you use your trailer a lot. Torsion axles, the most popular in horse trailers, involve a round axle inside of a square tube housing. The gaps between the round axle and the square housing tube, have 3 to 4 solid rubber ropes that run along the steel axle. These axles are the least maintenance and easiest to replace, most popular on horse trailers. The slipper springs are cheaper. They are a leaf spring attached on end and the leaf spring slides on the other end (usually threw a equalizer in multiple axles) as the spring flattens under load. Also a low maintenance spring, more popular on heavy duty flatbed trailers. The shackle spring, popular because it’s cheaper, is attached with hangers and shackles to the leafs on each end. This spring gives you the least independence of the axles & the most wear. The spring bolts, bushings & equalizers need checked more often or replaced. They do work well on light trailers not used everyday. Popular in RV trailers. |
Comprehensive Trailer Buying Guide
#4 Wheels, tires and bearings I’ve wore out several trailers, axles, and those wonderful brakes. I switched to Dually’s just to be sure I had brakes. If you can, match the trailer wheel to your pickup truck wheel. Six bolt and 8 bolt. Truck wheels have been changing from deeper dish to a flatter wheel on HD trucks to make room for larger disc brake calipers. For over a decade, truck wheels where getting deeper dished. Trailer wheels can be flatter with less offset than your truck wheel so test the clearance to be sure your truck spare will fit without damaging your trailer. You will generally have more flat tires on your trailer than on your truck. The axles are closer together and they tend to throw whatever they pick up from the road at each other. I like the axle hubs that are greaseable from the outside generally or oil bath with a site glass and plug if you use your trailer often with maximum loads. Get the highest ply or load rated tire. C rated is 6 ply, D is 8 ply, and E is 10 ply and on up 2 plies at a time. |