rjstractor
Maple Valley, WA
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Joined: 01/20/2003
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noteven wrote:Do you detractors run up to every tag/pusher axle equipped heavy truck you see and help save them from the disaster equipment that’s about to fail them?
Explanations of how more axles with brakes under a load is a hazard are welcome.
For the record, I think this is a pretty cool invention for some applications and the inventor seems to have done his homework. However, the example you cite of commercial trucks with drop or tag axles isn't really relevant to this product. Commercial trucks use drop or tag axles to meet axle or bridge weight laws, not because the truck itself can't handle the load otherwise. Most drop axle trucks are designed to be within design limits for all components fully loaded even with the drop axles up. The drop axles are just to make the truck legal.
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StirCrazy
Kamloops, BC, Canada
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Joined: 07/16/2003
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jimh425 wrote:
Funny that some of you compare this poor design supported by the hitch to axles attached to the frame like when the axles are fairly close together like on a dual/triple axle trailer.
its not supported by the hitch, it has two frame mounts and and a hitch extension so it is actualy frame mounted.
having said that, yes the tires will be subjected to a higher amount of scrub than a trailer set up, but it would be a reasonable solution to some one who uses the camper once and a while, or if there camper is ok on there truck but if they want to tow there boat they need a bit more... we can think of ways that it wont work all day, but I can also think of a fw situations it would be good.
Steve
2014 F350 6.7 Platinum
2016 Cougar 330RBK
1991 Slumberqueen WS100
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Kayteg1
California > Nevada
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I don't think tire scrub is big issue.
I park my boat on T-shaped driveway and at some point I had 2-axle trailer pushed at close to 90 degree. Now I have pretty clear rubber scrubbing marks on my driveway, but I am not worry about tire life.
Boat trailer tires in 99% of occasion are replaced due to age, not wear.
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StirCrazy
Kamloops, BC, Canada
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Joined: 07/16/2003
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Kayteg1 wrote:I don't think tire scrub is big issue.
I park my boat on T-shaped driveway and at some point I had 2-axle trailer pushed at close to 90 degree. Now I have pretty clear rubber scrubbing marks on my driveway, but I am not worry about tire life.
Boat trailer tires in 99% of occasion are replaced due to age, not wear.
I don't think it is as big of an issue as some are making it out but it is definatly more of an issue than a pull behind two axel trailer. because they are conected to the truck with no pivioting ability every time you turn it will force sideways pressure onto thoes tires so the lateral load may not be as hard as jack knifing a double axel trailer into a camp spot, but it will be way more often.
what I would be concerned about more is if it has some sort of verticle movment weather it be spring loaded or hydraulic.. I dont go 4x4ing but I do take some uneven roads to get into some sites and that would be a lot of stress on the unit if it was suporting the whole back end of the truck through a dip.
Steve
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Grit dog
Black Diamond, WA
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This thing isn’t tire scrub like a tandem trailer. The pivot point is the rear axle of the truck. In a tight turn, it will partly drag the wheels sideways. Under an unknown load.
This looks like something I’d fab up to redneck a heavy load a short distance.
2016 Ram 2500, MotorOps.ca EFIlive tuned, 5” turbo back, 6" lift on 37s
2017 Heartland Torque T29
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HMS Beagle
Napa, California
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Joined: 08/22/2003
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Grit dog wrote:This thing isn’t tire scrub like a tandem trailer. The pivot point is the rear axle of the truck. In a tight turn, it will partly drag the wheels sideways. Under an unknown load.
This looks like something I’d fab up to redneck a heavy load a short distance.
The pivot point isn't the rear axle (unless you have 90 degrees of front wheel cut). Most full size pickups have a turning radius of ~50', so if the tag is 6' behind the rear axle your scrub angle is about 16 degrees. Not great, but isn't going to kill the tires unless you do circles all day long.
Lots of speculation about something that no one posting yet has seen or used. It would be more informative to hear from someone who has used one. I haven't, it doesn't look like the best solution for most people but might be pretty good for some.
Bigfoot 10.4E, 2015 F350 6.7L DRW 2WD, Autoflex Ultra Air Ride rear suspension, Hellwig Bigwig sway bars front and rear
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HMS Beagle
Napa, California
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I'm not going to argue it is a good idea for everyone, but the claim is they have over 100,000 miles of installed experience. With that existence proof, dismissing it out of hand without more knowledge than you read in an on-line article is probably premature. Every one of the alternatives you suggest is far more expensive than this, with the exception of 19.5 which solve only a tire capacity problem. He is not the first to do it, there have been campers sold with tag axles in the past and there are or have been other vendors for pickup truck tags. As far as I know, no deaths resulted from them. Comparing to jumping off a bridge is fallacious.
I believe the concept is workable, but probably a good solution only for a narrow set of circumstances. The reliability and safety depend a lot on details which I don't have and weren't illuminated in the article.
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noteven
Turtle Island
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Joined: 02/13/2011
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So he sneaked a bad dangerous idea past these people?
"In 2017, after several people showed interest in purchasing our unit, I decided to design a tag axle to sell. We faced two initial challenges. Number one was to submit a “Request for Interpretation” to DOT/NHTSA. That process took 18 months, moved through NHTSA Chief Crash Avoidance Office to Chief Counsel and resulted in a favorable interpretation of the design. NHTSA, Chief Counsel, determined that the unit would be considered a trailer not a tag axle and would carry its own GVWR. The designation was as a Weight Distribution Truck Camper Trailer (WDTCT) requiring a VIN number, lights and brakes."
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Hemi Joel
Minnesota
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Joined: 07/24/2014
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Many of the big campers have a center of gravity behind the rear axle. No tires, springs, or bigger truck will cure the effects of that. Maybe this thing would.
2018 Eagle Cap 1163 triple slide, 400W solar, MPPT, on a 93 Dodge D350 Cummins, DTT 89 torque converter, big turbo, 3 extra main leafs, Rancho 9000s rear, Monroe gas magnums front, upper overloads removed, home made stableloads, bags.
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StirCrazy
Kamloops, BC, Canada
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Joined: 07/16/2003
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HMS Beagle wrote:I'm not going to argue it is a good idea for everyone, but the claim is they have over 100,000 miles of installed experience. With that existence proof, dismissing it out of hand without more knowledge than you read in an on-line article is probably premature.
I agree with you aside from the one point of giving validity to the "100000miles of installed experiance" I hate statments like this as they are designed to do nothing but misslead people. so did he install 20 units? that would mean on average there is only 5000 miles applied to the unit, 10 units would mean 10,000 average miles, if he did 50 units then an average of 2000 miles.
its like a group of 10 mechanics who worksed in different places for 10 years, get togeather and form there own company and start saying we have 100 years of experance.... no you don't you have 10 years of experiance 10 times......
Steve
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