caravaning - Two axles V One axle

Submitted: Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 14:13
ThreadID: 65911 Views:2804 Replies:10 FollowUps:4
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Hi all
With all the Knowledge on this site I hope you can help. I am seeking advise from members if you have or know if there is a problem with travelling with a caravan with 2 axle /4 wheels . Is there any road surface I have to look out for ie sandy roads, muddy /wet roads , corrugated roads. I have a stone guard fitted which should take care of the rear window and the stone chips.
We are planing a trip to Darwin , WA, Perth then back to Sydney. We plan to be away for up to 6 Months.
Waiting to here from you.
Terry

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Reply By: Member - Mark G Gulmarrad - Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 14:24

Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 14:24
TERRY

2 axles will suit you better if you haven't had a lot of experience towing.

they will back easier for you too.

hope this helps,cheers.
AnswerID: 348728

Reply By: Motherhen - Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 14:44

Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 14:44
Hi Terry

My husband insisted on this one.

Our previous van was a small single axled wind-up.

Advantage - could spin it round by hand if stuck.

Disadvantages; stuff was tossed from one side of the cupboards to the other (we travel off the bitumen frequently), damage to fittings, milk bottles and cartons leaking from the bottom from the bouncing. I wouldn't even try and take eggs! Husband's reasoning had more to do with safety in case of a blowout or losing a wheel, and general stability of the unit. There is also less thrust up and down on your tow hitch with the van stable on dual axles.

We now have a tandem axled caravan, and everything rides smooth. I am well and truly convinced.


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AnswerID: 348729

Reply By: Notso - Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 14:44

Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 14:44
I started off with a single axle and now have a dual.

The single was a little easier to manoeuvre. The dual is more stable and has less for and aft pitching when on rough roads. It also has a lower ball weight than the single axle, make sure you still use load levellers, Weight Dist Hitch, Anti Sway etc.

Make sure you don't have your tyre pressures too high, generally follow the tyre placard recommendations.


AnswerID: 348730

Reply By: Member - Axle - Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 14:46

Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 14:46
Hi Terry, Tandem axles are nice to tow on most road surfaces. The only prob that can occur is uneven tyre wear with some supension set ups. we have a windsor tandem with independent supension and its been alright.( What happened to the landy?..lol.)


Cheers Axle.

AnswerID: 348731

Reply By: Ozboc - Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 15:18

Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 15:18
How about on the sand *( soft) is there a huge difference / advantage ?

Boc
AnswerID: 348736

Follow Up By: OzTroopy - Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 15:32

Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 15:32
1500kg trailer ... as an example ....


Single axle = 750kg weight resting on ground in two places.

Dual axle = 375kg weight resting on ground in four places.

Lower tyre pressures as per vehicle and try and match axle widths to tow vehicle.

Tight turns cause major drag in sand with a tandem.
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FollowupID: 616968

Reply By: Member - DAZA (QLD) - Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 15:38

Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 15:38
Hi All

Single and Tandem Axles both have their advantages, as said
previously they are a lot easier and safer to tow,and larger vans
require Tandem Axles, we tow our van on the beach with out
any problems, in sand we just drop the tyre pressure as we do the
vehicle tyres, just remember that caravans don't track the same
as the towing vehicle, just take your time, think about what you are
doing and you wont have any problems.

Cheers
Daza
AnswerID: 348738

Follow Up By: Member - DAZA (QLD) - Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 15:58

Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 15:58
PS.Terry,
I checked out your van on your profile, looks very nice, you
wont have any problems, ists a nice setup,
Have a great trip you lucky buggers.

Cheers
Daza
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FollowupID: 616972

Reply By: Member - Oldplodder (QLD) - Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 17:33

Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 17:33
Not sure what size van you are thinking of.

Noticed in our travels that most vans under 15/16' (5.5m) seem to be single axles, while the ones over that length are dual axle.

Assume it is to do with load as mentioned above.

AnswerID: 348752

Follow Up By: Member - DAZA (QLD) - Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 17:39

Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 17:39
Hi Old Plodder

Terry has a photo of his caravan on his profile, check it out.
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FollowupID: 616995

Follow Up By: Member - Oldplodder (QLD) - Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 18:05

Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 18:05
Thanks Daza,

Bit longer than 15' I think. :o)
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FollowupID: 617002

Reply By: Member - Richard H (NSW) - Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 17:57

Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 17:57
I've had both, single and double axle vans. I prefer the double as it tracks better and there is less tendency to sway.

Of course it is usually the case that a double axle van is larger than a single.

This means that you can cart more crap around the place than you can with a single, though, sometimes, I wonder.

Think ahead on the basis of , "You never know, it may come in handy". Give your possessions a trip around Australia, I know we have!

Another contributor to this thread mentioned containers leaking etc. We have over the years created a substantial collection of quality plastic containers, eg. Tupperware, Nalgene are two brands that come to mind. Aside from weighing less than glass these don't leak or have the lids come off.
AnswerID: 348757

Reply By: bruce - Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 20:16

Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 20:16
Our old 2001 dual axle " Avan" tows very well behind our older 96 ef Falcon wagon and we have done a similar trip( although not from Sydney) and had no trouble whatsoever , and all of the black top of that road is in good condition...maybe a bit in far west QLD. that may not be overly great but you just have to adjust a little for that bit (west of Mt Isa I believe ) or it was in 2005...no stone guard fitted...and we had no trouble with rear window stones...it is a great drive with so ,so, much to see...lots of free camping areas if you are into that , and if you ask about as you travel you will be told the best caravan parks to use...cheers
AnswerID: 348775

Reply By: snailbait (Blue mntns) - Friday, Feb 13, 2009 at 10:22

Friday, Feb 13, 2009 at 10:22
Hi all
I wish to thank all that replied to my question
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AnswerID: 348820

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