single-axle trailer adequate?

J

james gill

New member
I got a 97 22' cruiser in 2002, came from a short-lived dealership in Houston and I'm wondering if the single axle EZloader trailer it came with is adequate, before spending a lot of money on refurbishing it. I've noticed most of you have dual axle. I have taken it to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico from Texas two times with two blowouts, but then again, that's Mexico. I do hope to pull the boat "cross-countries" more often in the next 5 years, so I need a reliable rig. Also, I need to increase fuel capacity, will the new tanks fit my older boat, and any other ideas? I can only get about 13 gallons of gas out of each "18 gallon" tank.
Thanks,
James
 
It is marginal. I have one too in Alaska. However, I keep load range E tires on it, and I don't have the heat to deal with so I suppose it is an apples and oranges comparison. I have never had a problem.
 
I have a single axle and have wondered the same thing. But I also live in Alaska and haven't taken any long trips so far. I have an early 90's 22 footer and the larger factory tanks are the best addition I have made. No problems with the fit, they are transparent so you can alway see how much you have left and just about the whole tank is available.
 
Jim - it depends if the single axle trailer is the heaviest one E-Z loader makes, the one with the 3,700 lb rating with 15 inch rims and a high quality trailer tire. If so you should have few problems. I have dragged a 22 CD from coast to coast, from Canada to Mexico, over gravel roads, etc. and only had one tire go bad. My first trailer was lighter with 14 inch rims and was not adequate - both tires and roller assemblies couldn't take the stress. Of course if you blast down the interstate at 75 mph on hot days carrying full gas and water and much gear, problems can occur.The dual axle of course has redundancy. Depends on so many variables. Yellowstone
 
Yellowstone":3h36ndfa said:
Jim - it depends if the single axle trailer is the heaviest one E-Z loader makes, the one with the 3,700 lb rating with 15 inch rims and a high quality trailer tire. If so you should have few problems. I have dragged a 22 CD from coast to coast, from Canada to Mexico, over gravel roads, etc. and only had one tire go bad. My first trailer was lighter with 14 inch rims and was not adequate - both tires and roller assemblies couldn't take the stress. Of course if you blast down the interstate at 75 mph on hot days carrying full gas and water and much gear, problems can occur.The dual axle of course has redundancy. Depends on so many variables. Yellowstone
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That's what I have. No troubles at all, but I suspect that they are marginal if you load everything in the boat, instead of in the truck. Event then, if the person behind the wheel drives with his brain and not his foot, they are still probably fine.
 
Regarding the retrofitting of gas tanks, yes, they will fit in your vintage CD. As you already discovered, the 18 gallon tank pickup is at the sides, and even with the modest deadrise it keeps about five gallons unavailable. I retrofitted my 1999 CD with the 25 gallon tanks with little trouble. The hardest part was removing the filler and vent hoses from the nipples. They are all double clamped. If you go with the retrofit, I recommend getting new hoses too from the factory. (they are cut to fit) The new tanks do not have a place for brackets to hold the tanks against the sole. I used white oak strips well sealed and screwed down with good old 5200. I also put a heavy piece of neoprene under the tanks as a pad. That along with the nylon straps the factory furnishes with the retrofit will keep the tanks secure. The tanks are contoured to fit under the well. Also the star board
skirts are slotted to see the tank levels at a glance, (get those too) and the inboard side of the tanks have gallon references which I reckon are just approximations. Yellowstone
 
I'm wondering if the single axle EZloader trailer it came with is adequate
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No.

I base this on driving my 22 many miles, including a 1300 mile cross country trip. A single axle trailer, of any manufacturer is a joke under a 22. Weigh your boat at any CAT scale and then check the rating of your trailer, including your tire load rating. Then give yourself some safety margin...
 
Looks like we've got a duplicate thread going here, so I'll enter my post on both of them and one thread can be edited out:

James-

We've discussed tandem vs. single axle trailers before, but it's kinda hard to find the discussion because of the ambiguous thread topic which reads

Trailer Question

I'm recommending tandem, given the choice!

Be sure to ask is you have further questions!

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
Thanks everybody for your comments, I guess I'll not try to squeak by with fixing up my current single axle, but will go for a new tandem. I may be back here soon to check out your experiences with the trailer brands and options I find available locally. And for the new 25 gal. tanks, no C-Dory dealers anywhere close to me that I know of, would I order from the dealership that is allied with the factory?
Thanks all,
James
 
Why don't you give us the trailer info.

A 3500# axle will generally have 5 lugs, a 5000# trailer 6 lugs. What are the ratings of the tires, these will be on the sidewalls.

This basic info would be necessary to make any opinion on the feasibility of this trailer for your use.

Good Luck.
 
Fully loaded on the trailer (including trailer weight) it is not hard to get the 22 up to 4000 lbs--maybe closer to 4500 lbs with fuel and water.

If the trailer frame is good, you can add an additional axel; much cheaper than a new trailer.

We trailered the CD 22 well over 12,000 miles, and were glad it had dual axels--never any tire problems. (not true for our 25 trailer)...
 
Hi James,
I had the old flat welded-steel, single-axle trailer that came with my Classic when I moved it to Texas about seven years ago. It finally rusted away and I replaced it with a custom dual-axle Tech-Sun trailer. Tech-Sun is here in Webster or Seabrook, out by NASA. They did a good job. If you don't mind hauling over to Slidell, Champion builds nice custom trailers too.

If your old trailer is in pretty good shape, I kind of like the idea of just adding another axle. That seems the simplest solution to me.

Mike
 
Hi to all,

We have a SA trailer and we usually toe about 3000 miles per year. We have the best tires and keep them inflated to the max limit. Check the weight limit on your tire side walls,weigh your rig at a truck scale. Do the math and see how much you are under or over.

We always carry a spare and a good jack. Now with three years and 6-9000 miles no problems. I wanted a SA to save towed weight.

Fred Messerly
 
MikeMac":1xu6ec8w said:
If your old trailer is in pretty good shape, I kind of like the idea of just adding another axle. That seems the simplest solution to me.
Mike
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I agree. You really don't need brakes on both axles unless your state mandates it like WA does and the frame is good to go I'm sure. Axle/wheel combos are fairly inexpensive if bought as an assembly. You might also look into doing the disc brake conversion at the same time which will mean a new brake actuator but they too are cost effective if bought as a complete bolt on assembly.

Certainly cheaper than buying a new tandem....

Don
 
Hi Folks,

I have one of the older trailers, about 1983 vintage, when they made them to last. It is a single axle, but an additional axle can be added very easily in that the frame is galvanized 4 by 4. I had the axle moved aft to redistribute the weight. Very easily done. Consult a catalogue like Champion for more details.

I have to have the cross beams replaced and will let you know if it was easy to do or not.

Fred
 
mwilson-

There are tons of used (and new) trailers on ebay.

Generally, you can find a tandem trailer for anywhere from $1500 to $3000, depending on it's age and condition.

Trailers to wear a lot if used and left outside.

Buying a cheaper trailer may or may not save you money.

If you have to re-build the brakes, lights, bearings, get new tires, re-carpet the bunks, re- paint, etc., you could easily spend $1000 for parts alone.

Look on Craig's List, too, occasionally there are real bargains.

Don't forget to figure in the cost of repairing, rebuilding, and adapting the trailer to your needs.

You'll have to sell your old trailer yourself, as trade-ins on used trailers probably aren't done often.

Good Luck!

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
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