Single Axle Travel Trailers

[grittyoctopi]

Does anyone out there have one of the FR Single Axle trailers like the Rockwood Mini lite 1905 or the Geo Pro G19FD or similar TT's. If so how do they tow and how hard are they to back up. What problems have you had? What do you like or not like. We are looking to buy one of these or something similar. We would rather have double axles but will be towing with a Nissan Frontier (towing cap 6800). So we are somewhat limited in what we can pull.
Any comments positive or negative would be appreciated.
Thanks

[Big-Foot]

We tow an RPod 182G which weighs in about 3500# loaded.
It’s pretty easy to back up. The trick with backing these trailers is to get them turning, then get your front wheels cut back to straight or opposite direction to put the tow vehicle into what I call “follow” mode.. Make smaller adjustments than you would a tandem axle trailer as your trailer is generally coupled pretty closely with your tow vehicle.

[bikendan]

Having owned 3 single axle trailers, my dual axle trailers are so much easier to back. Plus if one tire blows, I still got three.
Single axles are squirrelier and a blowout is not fun.
The only pro to single axle trailers is the shorter length.

[Homersimpson]

We tow a Coachmen Viking 17fq (3,500 max) with our Chevy Colorado 5-cylinder (4,000 capacity). I can easily climb most hills, and I am not too embarrassed to be on the Interstates. Traded in a cramped Jayco 14rb to get more adequate room in the Viking. We haven't taken either setup more than two or three hundred miles from home, but we have had fun. When I retire next year, we plan to take this setup on a grand tour of the U.S.

[TheGerman]

I pull a Wolfpup 16FB with a 1/2 ton and there a no issues towing (not using a WDH either). Backing up can be a bit of a handful and might require some back and forth, however it does fit into a lot of smaller spaces. I camp in Forest Service and BLM spots, many of them older so sites are not designed for modern travel trailers. On occasion I had to back up around a <90 deg turn.

Having said that, there are a few double axle trailers in the 4000-5000 lbs range if you prefer two axles.

[JandS]

Another consideration in the 2 versus 1 axle equation is hitch weight (info from the brochures, i know not real world but OK for comparison), our 2015 Mini lite 1809S dual axle is 253 lbs versus 418 for the single axle 1905. At the time it was important for us as we were planning a 2008 explorer as a TV but with the F-150 we currently own it doesn't really matter anymore.

[Boomerweps]

A shorter, single axle trailer will tend to start to jack knife earlier than you might be used to. Just watch for that. It's just a single axle turns easier. Once it starts to turn too far when backing, you have to pull ahead a little bit to get it where you want it. Just plan on doing that more than you would previously expected.
Overall, they tow easy.
The hitch weight thing. It appears, the manufacturers count on using added tongue weight to increase the GTWR & cargo capacity. Plus, the teeter-totter weight effect is much more pronounced. It appears more often than not, the main large storage area is under a front mounted bed, adding more tongue weight.

[IsleDog]

we have a single axle 17RP (21 feet tongue to bumper) and it tows great. towed this weekend in some bad storms and high winds (and downed trees) with no issues. proper sway control fixes the squirleyness some mentioned. there is always a learning curve with any trailer. Just pick the one you like and spend a little time learning how to properly set it up and tow it. and ask more questions even when out camping, lots of us are more than willing to help a fellow camper.

Tow vehicle length made more of a difference than trailer length for me when backing up. you will have to back up and pull forward more as mentioned, but you should not have any issues. we fit in the smallest spots at the state parks and dont have to worry about pad length or slide width (we have no slides)

the teeter totter affect is much more pronounced with single axle trailers when loading, but you can measure your tongue weight and get a good balance and be set up to safely tow.

just do a through PDI and dont sign the bottom line until you are fully satisfied as getting the dealer to fix anything after then is like pulling teeth.

[BarabooBob]

I recently completed a 7000 miles trip pulling a 16BH wolf Pup and had no problems pulling or backing up. The number of axles does not make a trailer harder to back, it is the length of the trailer from the hitch to the axle that affects turning. Shorter trailers turn quicker and you have to plan what you are doing. Long trailers turn slower so you plan ahead, not catch up.
We traded in the Wolf Pup for a Viking 17RD and absolutely love it. We fit into sites that big trailers can't dream of getting into. ]
I pull with an F150 supercrew, 6 1/2 ft box, 3.5 Eco with the heavy haul package and I love the combination. We are going to the Rockies for a month next year and I am looking forward to an easy trip.

[Rivasiuk]

Rockwood mini lites have a gvwr of under 6500 lbs and they are all dual axles. Yes the advantage of you have a blowout it still has another tire to sit on. If you upgrade the tires to D or E then you have a good safety margin. I have the Andersen wheels jack for Dual wheels it is a curved wedge you backup on and lifts the other tire off the ground so you can replace it. No jacks required.

[bigred123]

I too have a wolf pup and find no issues....reall easy to handle. I did change the tires to Load range D as soon as i picked up the trailer for added safety. The load range C was boarder line when loaded. Higher tire pressure and they run cooler...very happy

[tc cruiser]

Originally Posted by grittyoctopi

Does anyone out there have one of the FR Single Axle trailers like the Rockwood Mini lite 1905 or the Geo Pro G19FD or similar TT's. If so how do they tow and how hard are they to back up. What problems have you had? What do you like or not like. We are looking to buy one of these or something similar. We would rather have double axles but will be towing with a Nissan Frontier (towing cap 6800). So we are somewhat limited in what we can pull.
Any comments positive or negative would be appreciated.
Thanks

Gritty
I have an E pro 19fbs which is similar to the Geo Pro 19 fd you quoted. I have no problems towing and backing this trailer into a spot with my Honda Ridgeline. I handles great on the highway with a Curt WDH/sway control.
TC

[RoyR]

Like you we were limited to what we could pull with our Honda Pilot so last year we bought a Rockwood Mini Lite 1905. I may be the only single axle trailer Rockwood makes, but I'm not sure. We like it very much, it's a perfect couples trailer. It tows and backs easily enough. The rear observation camera helps, not only for backing up but for seeing what's coming up behind or beside you. We towed it cross country and back (6 week trip) with only relatively minor issues, high winds being among them. I replaced the tires with Goodyear Endurance and installed a TPMS when it was still new. (I wanted to reduce the chance of a blowout with the cheap Chinese tires.) I wish we had more cargo carrying capacity but that's a sacrifice we had to make with limited towing capacity. The biggest issue I had with the trailer was the television mount being horribly inadequate. The tv would have fallen off the wall if the trip had been one day longer. I ended up making a custom mount for it myself as the warranty repair was no better than the initial mount. Hope my comments were helpful.

[Former Navy]

Our Travel Trailer is a Palomini 179RDS with a single axle. As some posts have stated, 4 is sometimes better than 2. I wish I had 4...cause it's twice what I have. But 2 is enough...unless one dies, sigh.

As far as backing them both up...it's really more about the warrior than it is about the weapon (as in golf too). Just watch an 18 wheeler sometimes. It's magic when you nail it!

Just enjoy and know that whoever is laughing at you trying to get into that tight spot...has been there at least once. More than likely twice or more!

[Larzy]

Originally Posted by Big-Foot

We tow an RPod 182G which weighs in about 3500# loaded.
It’s pretty easy to back up. The trick with backing these trailers is to get them turning, then get your front wheels cut back to straight or opposite direction to put the tow vehicle into what I call “follow” mode.. Make smaller adjustments than you would a tandem axle trailer as your trailer is generally coupled pretty closely with your tow vehicle.

I have a single axle TT and its the first one I've owned. I would have to agree with Big-Foot. Get them turning and then get your front wheels cut back to straight. Make small adjustments. Practice. If I can do it anyone can do it.

[amblt]

I've had many TTs in the 14 to 21 foot range and only the 21 was a dual axle. One was a 19' Rockwood 5th wheel which we towed with a 2003 S10 V6. Now that was a great combo. (see it in my avatar).



There was a slight difference in sway resistance with the dbl axle, but not enough to bother me.


Distance from ball to TT axle determines backing behaviour, as does TV wheelbase (I think).


I think the keys are: accurate weight and balance, getting the TT and TV as level as possible, and proper adjustment of the WDH.


Cheers

[tosh99]

I have a two axle 22 footer and I'll never go to a single axle if I can help it. On one of our first trip after buying this one brand new, the sidewall of one of the tires blew out and I didn't even feel it. Another vehicle flagged us down. I now have a tire pressure monitoring system.


My boat trailer only has one axle so I have to be extra cautious with it.

[HikerBob]

Our single axle 2011 Rockwood MiniLite ETC is a dream to pull with our Lexus RX300. Yes, it's the distance between the hitch and the TT axle that makes the biggest difference, though the turning radius of the TV plays a big part in getting into a tight spot, especially if there are boulders or trees lining the access road or pad. We camp almost exclusively in FS or BLM facilities and only had one problem with getting into a bowl of a site.

[rschoono289]

I also had an FR ETC (181) and backing up was always a challenge for me. The only big issue was the murphy bed which was oriented so you were laying parallel to the width of the trailer. We had a number of problems when my wife fell into the open area between front of trailer and edge of the murphy bed. (the black hole). Really enjoyed the trailer as its a good two person trailer. Pulled it through eastern Canada down thru North eastern states and back to Canada with no issues. Single axle TT have high tongue weight which impacts payload of your TV. Good luck in your trailer selection.

[johnsamz]

I have a Wolf Pup 16BHS that my wife and I love. When we bought it we thought our V6 Jeep Grand Cherokee would be a fine TV since I was towing a boat that weighed about the same. Well that was wrong and now we have a 2016 Ram 1500 with a V8. Towing went from terrifying to terrific[emoji16]

As for backing up I have had no issues especially once you get used to how quick it turns once it gets started turning which was similar to my single axel boat trailer.