MacGregorSailors.com

Let me start this by saying....I have no 26m...and have not trailered one...but have pulled many trailers of various configurations and weights...over 25 years.

That said...I do have a 12k lb, 3/4 ton crew cab, diesel, heavy duty truck and am looking at the 26m for all-night runs from FL to NC with 3 sleeping kids in the truck.

I think the dual axle for any "long run" is prudent...and I think the tail wagging the dog will be tough with a 4:1 ratio to the "tail."

Not too highjack the post...am I off-based?

If the original poster is concerned...there's no kill like over-kill...why not go up in number of axles or weight of tow vehicle for stability and blowout (in my case) in the middle of the night?

Respectfully submitted for consideration,

David

The longest trip I've towed mine was about 800 miles. I previously had a boat the same weight as my . It had a dual axle trailer so I was worried about the single axle Mac trailer at first.

I've found the boat to tow quite stable behind an extended cab Z71. The only time I experienced fish tailing was when I was simply pulling it too fast (75mph).

I've had a blowout which destroyed the fender. Murphy's law, it was two in the morning and raining. Fortunately, it didn't damage the trailer suspension or boat and I have a spare. That said, the main reason I still kick around the idea of adding a second axle to my rig is so that a blowout won't risk my trailer or boat and would give me time to leisurely pull off to a safe flat area to change it.

When I converted my trailer to tandems I took out one leaf of the OEM spring and matched the second axle to the same specs w/surge brakes. Estimated GVW of 5,000# which gives a better ride for the boat. We also are able to slide the entire axle assembly to give a 350/400# tongue weight with a 260# E-tek and 24 gallons of fuel in the stern. I tow with an 08 Jeep Commander with a 2" lift and an 8" drop hitch rated at 500#, tires at 50# all around. I have air bags in the rear coil springs so my rig is flat level. Max tow speed = 65 and I slow down when a TT tries to pass me as I prefer the pass to be as quick as possible with no wind blast. Unfortunately I always catch up to them on an up grade and we do the dance all over again.

Cat, you do better than me, I only get 12.5 at high altitude and big hills with my 5.7 Hemi.

Bob

bscott wrote:When I converted my trailer to tandems I took out one leaf of the OEM spring and matched the second axle to the same specs w/surge brakes. Estimated GVW of 5,000# which gives a better ride for the boat. We also are able to slide the entire axle assembly to give a 350/400# tongue weight with a 260# E-tek and 24 gallons of fuel in the stern. I tow with an 08 Jeep Commander with a 2" lift and an 8" drop hitch rated at 500#, tires at 50# all around. I have air bags in the rear coil springs so my rig is flat level. Max tow speed = 65 and I slow down when a TT tries to pass me as I prefer the pass to be as quick as possible with no wind blast. Unfortunately I always catch up to them on an up grade and we do the dance all over again.

Cat, you do better than me, I only get 12.5 at high altitude and big hills with my 5.7 Hemi.

Bob

Did you do the work yourself? When you said you slid the axle assembly, did you mean that you slid the original forward or back some or leave the original in place and squeeze in the second axle before or aft of the original? Got pics--especially when the work was being done?

I'd been considering adding just a second axle without tying into the surge break system--wasn't sure.

My tow beast is a ranch truck by day so I have beefy MT tires which kill my highway gas mileage--10 mpg towing at 65mph. Ouch! I've seriously considered picking up four used rims from a junkyard and putting on a decent set of Highway tires for towing but that's expensive and a lot of work swapping out farm tires to street tires and back...

Doug,

I had a trailer repair guy do the work as he did two other tandem conversions for me.

We fabricated a 3/8"angle iron mini ladder the length of the axle assembly that we welded the tandem axle mounts to then drilled 3 mounting holes in 3" increments so that we could slide the entire assembly to get the tongue weight we wanted. The final resting place moved the center of the the walking beam about 3" forward of the original center line of the single axle. The forward spring mounting ended up about 1" past the bend of the trailer but the 3/8 slide has shown no evidence of bending The total cost with the new axle w/surge brakes, extended brake line, slide assembly, brake bleeding, fenders, paint and 4 new tires and 2 wheels was just shy of $1,850.00. A lot of $$$ but the trailer needed help and is now alot stronger. The actual axle location will depend on how you load your boat and I have not tried to move the assembly since we made the conversion, A trial end error test would best be conducted at a launching ramp where you can off load the boat to move the assembly.

The air bag system on the Jeep was $110. I feel extremely secure driving this rig compared to what it was before the conversion.

Bob