Two Wheels Or Not Two Wheels: Should You Choose A Single Or Dual Axle Trailer For Your Boat?

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Having a custom trailer made for your boat is the best way to ensure that your trailer is ideally suited to your towing needs. However, you will have some tough decisions to make regarding the design and configuration of your new trailer, and choosing an axle configuration can be one of the toughest. Single axle and dual axle trailers each come with their own advantages and disadvantages, so ensure that the axle configuration you choose is the right one for you (and your boat) before you take the plunge.

What are the advantages of choosing a single axle trailer?

• Price: Fewer parts means lower costs, and simple, single axle trailers can be considerably cheaper than equivalently-sized dual axle models. You will also find yourself spending less money purchasing tyres because single axle trailers only require one set.
• Ease of maintenance: Fewer parts also means less potential for anything to go wrong, and maintaining and repairing a single axle trailer is generally simpler and less expensive. The lower overall weight of the trailer can also lessen the load your towing vehicle takes (as long as the trailer is well balanced), reducing the amount you spend on rear tyre replacements and other forms of wear associated with towing.
• Easier to move unpowered: A single axle means that your boat trailer has a zero or close-to-zero turning radius; this makes it much easier to maneuver manually, especially in tight spaces. 
• Tighter turning radius on the road: This lowered turning radius also extends to towing, and tight corners and hairpin bends may be considerably easier to take towing a single axle trailer.

What about the disadvantages of single axle trailers?

• No redundancies: If a dual axle trailer suffers a puncture or blowout on the road, the remaining wheels are capable of carrying your boat to a safe stop where repairs can be made. Single axle trailers have no such luxuries, and a high-speed blowout can cause dangerous rolling or jack-knifing. Run-flat tyres can be fitted to your trailer to prevent this hazard, but they cost considerably more than standard tyres and can result in reduced fuel economy.
• Limited capacity: If your boat is particularly large (for instance, a sea-going yacht) even the most robust single axle trailer may have insufficient load-bearing strength and weight distribution. As such, dual axle trailers may be the only safe option.

What are the advantages of choosing a dual axle trailer?

• Increased road safety: Aside for the aforementioned blowout redundancies possessed by dual axle trailers, their larger footprint provides better stability during towing, preventing dangerous phenomena such as snaking.
• Less tyre wear: The wider weight distribution afforded by dual axle trailers also reduces the amount of wear individual tyres take. While you will spend more buying tyres initially, you may find yourself needing to replace them far less often.
• Less emphasis on even weight distribution: If you are using your boat to carry loads (such as luggage and sailing equipment) while towing with a single axle trailer, distributing the weight of your luggage is important to prevent dangerous overloading of the trailer's nose or tail. This is a far less pressing issue with dual axle models, which lean much less under uneven loads.

And the disadvantages?

• Difficulty moving manually: Increased weight and a much wider turning radius can make dual axle trailers difficult to move and rotate manually. Purchasing a motorised trailer mover can circumvent this problem, but these devices are expensive and few are suitable for use while submerged.
• Difficulty reversing: The addition of a second axle also changes the way your trailer handles in reverse, potentially making reversing down slipways and pontoons more difficult. 

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8 September 2016