Trailer Modification

[Mikex]

Hi all,
Wanting your thoughts on increasing the load capacity of a 2003 MacGregor trailer:
1) Has anyone installed 15" wheels & higher load capacity tires?
2) Or is it more advisable to install a second axle?

We would like to take our boat down south this winter but need to make it reliable. The 3500 lb capacity worries us.

Thanks in advance,
MacX

[NiceAft]

Many members have hauled their Mac's very long distances without any modifications. One member went from Florida to Alaska. I believe Kevin brought his X home from out west. Don't take this the wrong way, but are you new to moving your boat on a long haul? Please don't take that last question as offensive.

There are precautions to be aware of when you trailer, but with propper preparations, you can do it safely, and without modification to the trailer.

It will be interesting to see the responses.

Ray

[mastreb]

The factory sold an upgraded trailer with 15" wheels, which is the variety my boat came with. Many others on this forum have upgraded to 15" wheels, and many have added 2nd axles. If you browse the trailering sub forum, you'll find many examples.

I towed that stock upgraded trailer with stock tires from San Diego to New York and back, and even had the tires badly under inflated because I'm not all that clever, and it still did 8200 miles just fine, although I did finally decide something was wrong when the tires started throwing chunks off and had radials put on in Albuquerque on the way back. Apparently the trailer gods find my supplication to be acceptable, and Catigale's to not be, although he has fought them and won.

Corrosion, not tolerances, is what kills these trailers. Search the forums for the best ways to combat that and they will last maybe 8 to 10 years.

[DaveB]

I would highly recommend a second axal. My MacX has the duel aluminum trailer that weighs 1000 pds without brakes.
Boat weighs 3500 lbs min. on a trip. That's 4500 lbs and more.
Traveling is much more safe and ride much more smoother on a tandem axel.
I did have stainless steel disk breaks but haven't put them from old axel.
I have a 1999 F150 extended cab with the 6 cylinder v6 @202 hp and standard trans rated at 2000 lbs tow past 7 years.
Many 400 mile trips in FL.(owned the truck since new and towed compac19/compac16 and Potter 19 with same truck over the years)
(also owned power boats up to 23 ft I also towed )
I have been without trailer brakes past 4 years.
This is flat land running, works for me.(new ford V6 has 302 hp but same torque as my engine and torque is what counts)
The Auto Trans. rated at 5500 tow plus, even in 1999.
Dave

[Chinook]

I agree with the value of a second axle. We have trailered from west coast to east coast and back 3 times, as well as long hauls to Mexico and interior BC, probably 40,000 miles on our stock 26X trailer, which we modified with second axle and stainless steel disc brakes prior to our first long haul. In all those miles of trailering, I've had tire failures at highway speed on two different occasions. Both times, the tire completely shredded, but there was no loss of control with the trailer. I simply pulled over to the side of the road and changed the tire. On one other occasion, a wheel bearing failed and the entire wheel separated from the trailer and rolled on down the road, all by itself. It all turned out ok, and again, the trailer handled fine until I could pull over. In that case, I limped home for the final 6 miles of the trip on 3 wheels. I doubt the outcomes from these trailering incidents would have been the same if we'd only had a single axle under the boat.

[Tomfoolery]

1) Has anyone installed 15" wheels & higher load capacity tires?
2) Or is it more advisable to install a second axle?

There's a third option, of course - replace the existing 12 year old 3500 lb axle with a new single axle of higher capacity. Loaded as most are, those 3500 lb axles are right at the top of their load 'rating' (I don't know what criteria they use for rating those axles and bearings). The original suspension is pretty stiff, with VERY thick leaves, so I'd use an elastomeric suspension system like the M's have.

This is more costly than upsizing wheels and tires on the same 5-on-4 1/2 stud pattern, but less costly than adding another axle, as you have to move the original axle to keep them centered about the original location (unless you need to adjust the tongue weight, in which case you move the center a little either way as needed).

My trailer was modified with the second axle, and that was actually a selling feature for me. The PO towed it with a minivan, to all of the Great Lakes, and they added the axle (moved the original forward) as much for stability as for load capacity, and they had the boat loaded to the gills for extended cruising. They had drum brakes on both axles, but they were frozen partially on when I bought it, and I burned them all up getting it home. I've since put disc on one axle only, but do be aware that some states (Maryland included) require brakes on all axles, while many or most do not.

Because the original suspension was an overbuilt 3500 lb leaf stack, and the new axle also had 3500 lb springs, I modified them to approximately 2200 lb per pair, and it rides far smoother. The equalized suspension is good, otherwise it would have been like 7000 lb plus in springs (equalization makes it like half that as far as how it takes bumps), but softening them really smoothed the ride. I'm very happy with my Frankentrailer, and don't forsee any more mods.

[Obelix]

We added a second like axle to our 2008 Aluminum trailer prior to towing the boat coast to coast. We moved the original axle (with disk brakes) 16” forward and mounted the 2nd axle 32” after the front axle, those keeping the load-center approximately the same.
I like the additional safety factor this set-up is providing. The only downside is the high forces required, when pushing the trailer through extreme turns using a dolly.

Obelix

[Chinook]

The only downside is the high forces required, when pushing the trailer through extreme turns using a dolly.

Obelix

I noticed that downside right away, after adding the second axle to our trailer. I had to make a tight backing turn to park the boat. It was easy with a single axle, but very hard after the conversion. Then we moved and I had an easier parking location. However, I noticed that I was getting very uneven wear on the outside edge of the tires on one side of the trailer. I took it into a trailer repair/fabrication shop and the guy said that the trailer had been torqued out of alignment. This was undoubtedly due to my trying to turn too sharply while backing up. He was able to straighten the trailer, and I had no more excessive tire wear problems. I now am very careful to avoid trying to back into spaces which are too tight.

[Daniel]

I agree whole heartedly with Obelix in his comment about safety. We too added a second axle to our for a number of reasons.
1. more capacity
2. more stability....you don't have worry so much about weight distribution in the boat or on the trailer for the trailer to pull straight.
3. more safety. Blowing a tire on a single axle is not an easy task to control regardless who is driving.

[EZ]

Given the age of your trailer, I would consider inspecting/replacing the tongue. The factory does not paint or apply any coating in the inside of the tongue so it is just unprotected carbon steel.

There have been a couple of posts on this board from those who have had their tongue fail while towing due to corrosion.

[Mikex]

Thanks everyone for your input.
Our trailer has very little rust due to not much use and we pull it with a 2500 Diesel truck so hitch weight is not a problem.
Adding a second axle would be safest solution but not the cheapest and because it is a steel trailer of this vintage, we are
reluctant to spend too much money on the trailer.
Because tong weight is not an issue we are very tempted to go with the 15 inch wheel & tires.

MacX

[Starscream]

Dual axles certainly are worth it for the peace of mind.

I had a blowout on my trailer when I was towing the boat home when I first bought it. At that time it was single-axle and I found it to be quite squirrely at anything over 100 km/hr. When the blowout occurred it was actually not the major event that I thought it would be. The tire completely shredded but I was able to pull over on the shoulder and limp to the next exit on the rim. I changed the tire in the dark and was back on my way.

I added dual axles shortly after, and noticed a huge difference in tracking and much less worry/stress.

Lessons learned:
1) The stock jack in a Dodge Durango is not high enough to lift the trailer wheel off the ground. I suspect this might be true of most SUV and light truck jacks. Good thing I had a good selection of 2x4's with me to build an extension with.
2) A spare tire gives you peace of mind. When the spare tire is on the trailer being used you don't have a spare tire anymore and every mile you have to drive is nerve-wracking. This was my decision maker in going to dual axles. After the blowout, for 200 miles in the middle of the night, I was just waiting for the other tire to blow out and wondering what the heck I would do if it did.
3) The single axle blowout, in my case, wasn't a major affair at all. However, it happened on a straight section of highway and it could have been worse in traffic or on a curve. To me, it just seemed very controllable, and with the dual axles I feel confident that a blowout is handle-able in most cases.

Oh yeah...the dual axle trailer is for sale...see add in classifieds of this website. I am having a new custom trailer fabricated with all the bells and whistles for loading and towing including four-wheel electric brakes. A needless expense, to be sure, but with the family on board peace of mind is priceless.

[kurz]

I agrree with all - and I have also 2 axles, but imagine also how rare tire blowouts are.

I did thousends of miles with trailers (not just with boats...), never had a spare tire. And also watch all the motorsicles... Do they carry spare tires???

but since I have the dual axle trailer... the I even also have a spare tire with me... Just becouse I got it for free...

[Herschel]

and they will last maybe 8 to 10 years.

I have a 1998 dual axle trailer for my 26X. The PO (I bought her in 2003) added the second axle. I have replaced tires twice due to dry rot, which is to be expected when you don't store on concrete ( I do now). I have added disc brakes with new tubing and a new actuator and hitch receiver. I also sanded and repainted about two years ago and put on new bunk wood and carpet. Trailer has been stowed outdoors the whole time, five years in Detroit and eleven years in Florida. It did fine on a 1000 mile trip last year. So, like most stuff, you can get some extra years out of it with a little time and money.

[Bob McLellan]

I did not modify the trailer, but replaced it with one previously used on a power boat. On the boat I have, the bunks run fore/aft. The dual axle seems to tow smoother than the single and when I had a wheel come completely off when towing on a freeway, I was sure glad I had the extra tires. I also was also able to limp home on three wheels. The family is now looking for a small travel trailer and I won't even consider anything without dual axles.