if I had a 2 wheeled (total, not 2 a side) trailer with 3500 pound axle under it, could I put a maverick on it to tow safely? My understanding is our cars come in a little under 3000 pounds. let me state that I know a 4 wheel trailer is ideal, but that is not my question. I am also aware that you can rent, buy, borrow, steel, build, own, jump, sink, paint, clime ... a 4 wheel car hauler from many places for very little, very much, no money. got all that, thoughts on the 2 wheeled 3500 pound trailer? (sorry, long day with 6 kids in the house half in diapers)
The 3500 lb axle must support the trailer plus load. So, if your Maverick weighs in at a lean 2800 lbs, that leaves 700 lbs available to carry the trailer. Pump those tires up to keep the heat down, pack them bearings with new grease and give her go, buddy. Not the first time a trailer has been pushed to the limit.
I would say NO for various reasons. The axle is rated for 3500 lbs GVWR ....weight of the car and trailer may exceed that. You can move the car back and forth to attain a 15-20 percent tongue rating but you're running the ragged edge. What are you pulling it with? Is it set up for elect trailer brakes? Is the trailer going to have elect brakes? (it should). How far are you going to tow it? TOO many variables. It's not impossible IF you know what you're doing.
I wouldn't tow it across the country or anything...but you'd probably be ok for a bit. How far and how long a distance are you talking about?
NO WAY would I tow a Maverick on a single axle trailer unless it was less than 5 miles. That think will whip you around like a dog wagin' his tail.
Yeah, I'm with Craig on this...I towed a car with a single axle trailer once.....ONCE!. The trailer/axle was rated more that heavy duty enough to carry the car and it's own weight, but that thing swerved and swayed behind me the whole trip. I'm pretty sure if I hadn't been pulling with a dually, it would have whipped me. I think no matter how heavy the axle/trailer rating..... it reaches a point where a car is just too big, and a trailer to carry it too long, for a single axle. Ya gotta admit.......you don't see many trailers longer than 10-or-12 feet with single axles
last week a Guy I know loaded his 3500 lb. trailer down with 100 x 35 lb. bags of white rocks. he got about a mile, turned a corner and blew a tire. when the weight shifted it folded both spindles on the trailer....when he went to unload the trailer, to his surprise...he found the white rock bags weighed...80 lbs. each. (8000 lbs.)
I've used those trailers twice now. The first time was to bring my maverick home in the spring. It didn't start whipping till about 60 mph. Yesterday was the second time to drag a 78 Monarch home. The pivot point on the cradle the wheels sit in was a bit buggered up on the trailer so the car pulled at a bit of an angle. Started whipping at 45-50 mph. They are handy and light to pull around town, but not suited very well for highway speeds, I think. In the U Haul pamphlet, they say do not back up with them at all. Jack knife very easily. So that's a limiting factor for them too. Downside to the U Haul regular trailers I found was the ramps are steep enough that there is a chance the vehicle cross member will hit the cross member at the rear of the trailer as the car is going up the ramps. Had to put the end of the ramps up on a curb to ease the angle of them. That may be an exception though, it was a 57 Dodge Regent that sat kind of low.
He is talking about an actual trailer, not a car dolly. U-haul is 100% correct about backing with a dolly though, it is impossible!
