Overload of the Day

[56wrench]

I had built a tandem axle 16’ flat trailer almost 30years ago with old mobile-home axles and I’ve still got it as a spare. I never had any problems but I did upgrade the brake assemblies to the bolt-on backing plates although I’ve had to rebuild the spring hangers a couple of times

 

[gwhammy]

I think trailer house axles are rated at 6000 lb. It's the tires that suck. When I worked for my brother right out of school he took a set of the wheels and heated and bent on side down and put 15 inch wheels over them then heated and bent then welded the two together. Actually worked fairly well but all we were hauling was small bobcats.

 

[hosspuller]

I would expect house trailer axles to be designed and spec'd to be single trip. Cheap tires, bearings and brakes. That they last years for some folks is sheer luck and light loadings. (Loadings = distance, pounds, and lubrication) For example: Bearings are designed for L 10 revolutions at z loading. Z plus loading equals a shorter life. Z minus loading means a longer life.

details: https://insights.globalspec.com/art...g notches for,= radial load; F a = axial load

 

[crane operator]

Years ago I pulled a triple axle homebuilt trailer that had trailer house axles. The axles were too far ahead, so there wasn't enough hitch weight. So it would wag the dog if you let it, or didn't pay attention to how it was loaded.

If you loaded it heavy, it liked to roll the tires off. I don't think the axles we're welded in terribly straight either, because it always ate tires. It was the most miserable trailer ever built. I developed my fond love of trailer house axles from it.

 

[gwhammy]

I do a fair amount of demolition of houses and trailer houses. When I'm sorting out a trailer house the axles are 10 cents a lb. just like the rest of the scrap iron.

 

[Old Doug]

Trailer house axles are like alot of stuff if the trailer is built wright,pulled with some respect and loaded wright they did a good job. The tires they came with them maybe didnt last great but would run along time after the tread started coming off.

 

[crane operator]

He was only running about 30mph, no trailer lights, and looked like two ratchet straps. It must have been about perfectly balanced on the trailer, to maybe being tail heavy.

It was sure doing a fierce wobble/ sway going down the road.

 

[suladas]

From the looks of the trailer it would probably be wobbling like crazy empty.

 

[CM1995]

How I hate mobile home axle trailers. Learned how to pull and more importantly stop, a Bobcat 843 (the one with the Perkins) on a 2 trailer axle "skid steer" trailer behind an '88 F350 with 351 Windsor, talk about a gutless no-stopping wonder.

The axles were the traditional house trailer type with the wedges on the hub, not sure the technical term. Tires were always cheap and wore out. Trailer brakes would've been a luxury since the trailer lights didn't even work..

Times were different back then, when I turned 16 dad tossed me the keys to the aforesaid contraption and said "get to work". Baptism by fire is a lost art of learning now a days..

 

[gwhammy]

When I worked for my brother right out of school we pulled 722 bobcat and 743 with a ford econline pickup and chevy luv some of the time. We did have hydraulic surge brakes on the homemade trailer. The luv had a small block in it. Those were the days.

 

[mekon]

When I was young in the late seventys my learned towing was pulling a Clark Melroe 610 skid loader on a home made trailer with questionable surge brakes and lights behind a 1/2 ton chev 235 in line six and three speed on the colum shift.
Boy am I glad those days are long gone.

 

[skyking1]

I had a 59 apache panel with that running gear. The only thing I towed with it was pretty epic. We had a little single axle flatbed trailer.
About 50% of the guys in my junior class skipped one Monday after one of the guys buried his short bed Ford 4x4 on Manastash ridge right up to the windows in a drift.
Guy #2 was on the first rescue mission when the tire chain on the front axle broke, on his Jeep pickup truck, and took off the tie rod and brake line. I dragged the trailer up there and we kicked the wheel as he drove it forward, and got the front end up on the trailer like a tow dolly and got it off the hill.
The rest of the class unloaded snow machines and took everybody up there and basically manhandled the first truck out of the drift. That Ford looked comical, it looked like somebody set a canopy and the top of a truck cab on the snow. The hood had drifted over.

 

[Bumpsteer]

Had a part time service garage in town 30 years ago.....stopped in for something. Dan was working on a mobile home axle trailer.
We discussed my need/want for a similar trailer.
Told me he would beat my ass if one ever showed up in my driveway.....

Ed

 

[skyking1]

I need 3 to put on my shed and tow to the new home. They will be used as intended.
It is an oversize load and a one way trip.
I also need at least a 20' deckover trailer and will use proper axles or just buy one outright.

 

[Old Doug]

My Dad had a trailer built in the late 70s it was a 23 foot bumper hitch with 3 trailer house axles. It was very light weight and well built for what it was . The brakes were never hooked up. When i got my license i pulled it alot with my 1969 c10 250 3speed . We never had a set of ramps i used 2 landing strips alot for ramps.

 

[Old Doug]

I need 3 to put on my shed and tow to the new home. They will be used as intended.
It is an oversize load and a one way trip.
I also need at least a 20' deckover trailer and will use proper axles or just buy one outright.

I have a deckover it is a good trailer but from the deck down its all trailer house. I got a set of hubs to make it use 8 hole wheels that will go on it. If it was realy what i needed and If money wasnt a deal i would just buy 2 axles.

 

[skyking1]

I am thinking a couple of 7000 pound axles wheels tires. I will haul all the house lumber on it that can't be delivered. I don't want to mess with fenders in the way so a deckover is the thing. I might make it tilt or have a beavertail so it can haul some little iron.

 

[Old Doug]

A deck over will haul alot more than a car trailer. Every trailer has its drawbacks . It would take a very special deck over to haul my skid steer i had trouble loading it on a car trailer with ramps because it sets so low the weights were draging trying to go up the ramps.

 

[Acoals]

I do a fair amount of demolition of houses and trailer houses. When I'm sorting out a trailer house the axles are 10 cents a lb. just like the rest of the scrap iron.

That's right...

I have had guys get all upset with me when they saw that, like I was burning $100 bills ... Lol

 

[suladas]

That's right...

I have had guys get all upset with me when they saw that, like I was burning $100 bills ... Lol

I did 2 mobile homes a bit ago I was tempted to sort out the metal but decided not to, just not worth it. My guess was between the axles and frames it was maybe 5000lbs of steel for both. $200 in disposal fees to get rid of it, but no extra bins, or pay an extra $400 for 2 more bins and anything over $200 would be extra profit.