When it comes to towing heavy loads, conventional wisdom states that more trailer axles are better. Just look at those specially built haulers that carry million-pound superloads—they have more axles than the parking lot at a rodeo. But what if more isn’t always better? Randy Stamper at Hart Trailer argues that a well-built tandem-axle is better than a triple, and after listening to him explain why, I reckon you’ll agree.
“We don’t want to thumb our nose at what people want,” Stamper notes, “but on the other hand, we feel the obligation to do what’s best for them.”
Hart believes so strongly that heavy-duty tandems are better that the company won’t build a trailer with triples. Really. They get so many requests that Stamper decided to go on the record with a video that gives a step-by-step walkthrough showing how they reached that conclusion.
He brings in 7,000-pound and 8,000-pound axles with 16-inch wheels and tires for reference. Then, he has a set of 10,000-pounders with 17.5-inch wheels and 12,000-pounders with 19.5s. Seeing all of them next to each other shows just how big the differences are. Not only are the 19.5-inch wheels a whole lot sturdier than the 16s, with the ability to mount a much stronger tire, but the bigger axles wear significantly upsized hubs and brakes as well. You could mount a bigger tire on a 7,000-pound axle if you wanted, but the braking capacity is only half of what you’ll find on the 12,000-pound units.
Beyond that, Stamper argues that there’s a more fundamental problem with triple axles. Because those trailers pivot at the center of the middle axle, they drag the other two and wear down the tires and spindles with every turn. You don’t have that with tandems. Because of this, Stamper says, “We believe that two axles are better than three axles any way you configure it.”
I believe all this explains why a pair of 12,000-pound axles is superior to three 8,000-pounders. Even though the GVWR might be the same, other factors simply are not. I’ve always heard it said that there’s more than one way to skin a cat, but in this instance, one is certainly better than the rest.
The Triple Axle Myth: What Trailer Owners Need to Know
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