I wouldn't doubt that a company like Dexter would come out and say the MH are not to be used since it removes liability for them. /QUOTE]
There's the rub.
Why would there be any liability if the axles were up to uses other than what they were originally designed and built for? Dexter says what they say because there's all of this confusion. Dexter realizes that somebody will use the mobile home axles in applications they were never intended to be used in.
Dexter's line of standard trailer axles is built heavier, with better componentry, and doesn't come with the warnings that the axle manufacturer themself puts on their own line of mobile home axles.
They build the mobile home axles to an entirely different spec, for an entirely different use....it really is that simple. What you'll "save" up front will eventually cost you in the long run.
Or the short run if you put on some miles.
We buy equipment hauling trailers from several manufacturers including Redi Haul, Tarnel, and Felling. If any of them could save a few bucks and yet still turn out a product that wasn't compromised in some way, they'd do it in a second. You just won't see mobile home axles on anything from any reputable manufacturer though. Several years ago, companies like Dyna Weld did build equipment trailers with mobile home style rim clamp hubs, but they were not mobile home axles. The hubs had full-size bearings, and the hubs themselves were deeper....much like standard trailer axles are. The larger bearings with more space between them allowed them to carry heavy loads all day long.
Not only are the axles inferior, but as someone else mentioned, 14.5 tires are pretty low-quality as well. Choose the tire dealer of your choice, someone you trust. Ask them what they think of regular 14.5 tires. Ask them what they would put on their trailer.
Inferior axles, inferior tires. There's really not any getting around the facts.
Homebuilt flatbed trailer
- Thread starter Whatswrong
- Start date
- Views: 28527
tulenutn2o
Platinum Member
What exactly constitutes "limited use"? Is it 1 delivery? 2? 3?. I seem to see mobile homes get delivered ,set-up, and the axles go back to the home manufacturer and re-used. My argument would be: Load of manufactured home, no. of miles, no's of uses. That figure, in a lot of cases, is well under what a typical private party will use. My set-up has worked for me for many years and thousands of miles- According to dexter, I can only see where you need to pay attention to the possibility of more wear and maintenance. I have seen my share of factory built trailers with broken axles( bought new after mine was built using so called throw away MH axles). It's funny, I just keep on truckin'. If a particular states laws aren't against it. go for it.
Gale Hawkins
Super Member
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2009
- Messages
- 8,268
- Location
- Murray, KY
- Tractor
- 1948 Allis Chambers Model B 1976 265 MF / 1983 JD 310B Backhoe / 1966 Ford 3000 Diesel / 1980 3600 Diesel
Mobile axles are illegal for general trailer use because they are too LONG.
In some states it seems it is illegal to reuse MH axles (now used) when building NEW mobile home units.
While I would not do it loaded I pulled our old shop built three axle 25' heavy equipment trailer at over 70 MPH coming home with it and it towed perfectly fine. A trailer shop or ebay sellers will sell you bearings, brakes, tires, etc for your trailer built on "shorten" MH axles all day long.
I found there is more myth than facts on the web after buying this trailer.
In some states it seems it is illegal to reuse MH axles (now used) when building NEW mobile home units.
While I would not do it loaded I pulled our old shop built three axle 25' heavy equipment trailer at over 70 MPH coming home with it and it towed perfectly fine. A trailer shop or ebay sellers will sell you bearings, brakes, tires, etc for your trailer built on "shorten" MH axles all day long.
I found there is more myth than facts on the web after buying this trailer.
BruceWard
Platinum Member
My father had a trailer built around 27 years ago from 5" channel and two mobile home axles. He used it for more than 15 years hauling his two 40 horsepower tractors or 14 round bails of hay at a time. Most trips were a few miles moving hay from one farm to another but he frequently moved tractors and hay 60 miles between our two main farms.
After he sold the cattle it set in a field for about 10 years rusting and rotting.
A year and a half ago he replaced the tires and I took it off to my uncles shop to fix it up. We stripped it to bare metal, repainted, replaced all the wood and added new toolboxes and flip down ramps. I used it a little with the old mobile home axles and they were workign fine other than the brakes having corroded badly over the years.
I bought two newer mobile home axles. My uncle cut them down and we installed them in place of the originals.
This trailer has performed very well with load up to and exceeding the axle rating. Some pieces of 3" channel that were used as cross braces under the wooden floor had bent from the weight of the hay but the axles and springs had held up just fine. We repacked the original bearings in the original axles and they were fine.
I have pulled the trailer up to 80 MPH on up to 120 mile trips since replacing the axles. I have not had a single problem with the mobile home axles, the 14.5" tires, the springs or the fasteners.
After he sold the cattle it set in a field for about 10 years rusting and rotting.
A year and a half ago he replaced the tires and I took it off to my uncles shop to fix it up. We stripped it to bare metal, repainted, replaced all the wood and added new toolboxes and flip down ramps. I used it a little with the old mobile home axles and they were workign fine other than the brakes having corroded badly over the years.
I bought two newer mobile home axles. My uncle cut them down and we installed them in place of the originals.
This trailer has performed very well with load up to and exceeding the axle rating. Some pieces of 3" channel that were used as cross braces under the wooden floor had bent from the weight of the hay but the axles and springs had held up just fine. We repacked the original bearings in the original axles and they were fine.
I have pulled the trailer up to 80 MPH on up to 120 mile trips since replacing the axles. I have not had a single problem with the mobile home axles, the 14.5" tires, the springs or the fasteners.
Nobody is saying that a trailer with mobile home axles under it won't "tow just fine". The only point I'm trying to make, is that mobile home axles are not even in the same league quality-wise in comparison to the standard trailer axles made by the same companies that build mobile home axles. Everything about them is lower-grade and always has been. They're built to a price point, and to perform a certain task.
Like I said earlier, we've all used them. It just seems like lots of folks are convinced that because "they work" somehow means they're comparable. I'd say that believing that they're comparable is akin to someone believing they can turn their 1/2 ton pickup into a truck that will do the job of a 3/4 ton pickup by bolting on an overload spring kit.
Those not believing the Dexter info I posted above should click on the following link. It's from a trailer supplier that does indeed sell parts for servicing mobile home axles. Pay particular attention to the text in the *specifications* section. This place sell parts to service the hubs. What exactly do you suppose is meant by "light duty use"? All things considered, should the parts that will be ultimately taking the brunt of the load on an equipment hauling trailer be described by the place that sells them as being suitable for light duty use?
MOBILE HOME SPIDER HUB IDLER - Trailer Repair Parts
Like I said earlier, we've all used them. It just seems like lots of folks are convinced that because "they work" somehow means they're comparable. I'd say that believing that they're comparable is akin to someone believing they can turn their 1/2 ton pickup into a truck that will do the job of a 3/4 ton pickup by bolting on an overload spring kit.
Those not believing the Dexter info I posted above should click on the following link. It's from a trailer supplier that does indeed sell parts for servicing mobile home axles. Pay particular attention to the text in the *specifications* section. This place sell parts to service the hubs. What exactly do you suppose is meant by "light duty use"? All things considered, should the parts that will be ultimately taking the brunt of the load on an equipment hauling trailer be described by the place that sells them as being suitable for light duty use?
MOBILE HOME SPIDER HUB IDLER - Trailer Repair Parts
tulenutn2o
Platinum Member
If it ain't broke don't fix it. Maybe Dexter just wants to sell more axles. I use what I got and whats cheap. Serves me fine. MH axles for me. I'd be curious as to the capabilities of the $1000 trailers out there with real axles versus MH , I would bet that most of the MH axles give less trouble for the simple fact that they haul homes cross country. I have only approached load capacity of my axles 1 time. And if whats been said on here about MH axles only being good for 5k ea., I was under by 500lbs. No bearing,hub, or tire failures. I'm sure we all would like to be able to buy a nice new, approved trailer, but can't. We got tractor stuff to get. No sales for dexter here.
BruceWard
Platinum Member
Dexter has plenty of financial reason to talk down thier 6K mobile home axles so that they can sell us axles for $500 instead of $50 off of a mobile home.
Brokenot has plenty of reason to talk down mobile home axles so we will buy trailers from his company and other manufacturers.
I like being able to replace the whole axle in 30 minutes for $50 instead of spending hundreds of dollars and hours to replace worn brakes. I also like being able to buy once used recently manufactured tires and wheels for $25 each.
My other experience with mobile home axles was in a civil war renactment group where we hauled around a full scale 6 pounder cannon on a trailer with mobile home axles and tires. We would drive hundreds of miles each way on weekend outings. We carried one spare and I can not remember using it. I went on propably 50 such trips over a 4 year period. Easily cover 20K miles with that mobile home axled and tired trailer hauling a cannon.
Brokenot has plenty of reason to talk down mobile home axles so we will buy trailers from his company and other manufacturers.
I like being able to replace the whole axle in 30 minutes for $50 instead of spending hundreds of dollars and hours to replace worn brakes. I also like being able to buy once used recently manufactured tires and wheels for $25 each.
My other experience with mobile home axles was in a civil war renactment group where we hauled around a full scale 6 pounder cannon on a trailer with mobile home axles and tires. We would drive hundreds of miles each way on weekend outings. We carried one spare and I can not remember using it. I went on propably 50 such trips over a 4 year period. Easily cover 20K miles with that mobile home axled and tired trailer hauling a cannon.
I'm not trying to sell anyone anything. Threads like this can get frustrating because it seems that facts from several sources are trumped by opinion and anecdotal *evidence*. The links I posted couldn't be any clearer. The last one I put up listed the bearing part numbers for the mobile home hubs. Here's a link to a set of "standard" 6000# rated trailer hubs. (The same weight rating as mobile home hubs carry.) What you won't see here, is any "light duty" commentary. What you also won't see, are replacement parts that cost "hundreds of dollars".
Trailer Hub & Drum - 5,200 and 6,000 lbs Axles - 6 on 5-1/2 Dexter Trailer Hubs and Drums 42656
No-way, no-how can it be rationally argued that myself, Dexter, or anyone else is only *claiming* that the mobile home stuff is vastly inferior because we have something to sell you for more $$. (Maybe the whole shebang is a vast conspiracy and even the bearing companies are involved? The smaller bearings will carry as much weight, and provide the same service life as their larger bearings....but they only make the larger bearings so they can charge the customers more money?)
I've gotten similar responses on other forums, and I can assure you I have no agenda....other than providing some facts. I don't sell trailers or trailer parts, I'm a mechanic. I've seen the bits and pieces side-by-side on the bench, and I've seen the side-by-side service life in daily use. Just around the corner from our shop is a tire dealer that does sell car and light truck tires, but whose core business is trucks, trailers, and equipment tires. On several occasions, they've commented on the 14.5 tire life issue when we've brought them in for repair or replacement.
Ignore what I've said if you wish and talk to your local bearing supplier and tire dealer.
There is no comparison.
Trailer Hub & Drum - 5,200 and 6,000 lbs Axles - 6 on 5-1/2 Dexter Trailer Hubs and Drums 42656
No-way, no-how can it be rationally argued that myself, Dexter, or anyone else is only *claiming* that the mobile home stuff is vastly inferior because we have something to sell you for more $$. (Maybe the whole shebang is a vast conspiracy and even the bearing companies are involved? The smaller bearings will carry as much weight, and provide the same service life as their larger bearings....but they only make the larger bearings so they can charge the customers more money?)
I've gotten similar responses on other forums, and I can assure you I have no agenda....other than providing some facts. I don't sell trailers or trailer parts, I'm a mechanic. I've seen the bits and pieces side-by-side on the bench, and I've seen the side-by-side service life in daily use. Just around the corner from our shop is a tire dealer that does sell car and light truck tires, but whose core business is trucks, trailers, and equipment tires. On several occasions, they've commented on the 14.5 tire life issue when we've brought them in for repair or replacement.
Ignore what I've said if you wish and talk to your local bearing supplier and tire dealer.
There is no comparison.
Gale Hawkins
Super Member
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2009
- Messages
- 8,268
- Location
- Murray, KY
- Tractor
- 1948 Allis Chambers Model B 1976 265 MF / 1983 JD 310B Backhoe / 1966 Ford 3000 Diesel / 1980 3600 Diesel
Bruce it is the trolls like brokenot knowingly making untrue statements that make forums a turnoff for so many. They blow in here then there creating confusion for these would wish to recycle used parts.
It does not take a lot of brains to figure out if a heavy MH can be towed at high speeds for 1000-2000 miles over a period of one to a few days that the same three axles and six tires can do the same for an equipment or other special use trailer.
The welded back plates does save labor in the build process but does not keep one from rebuilding the brakes.
Thank you for posting from you experience and not for your pocket book.
It does not take a lot of brains to figure out if a heavy MH can be towed at high speeds for 1000-2000 miles over a period of one to a few days that the same three axles and six tires can do the same for an equipment or other special use trailer.
The welded back plates does save labor in the build process but does not keep one from rebuilding the brakes.
Thank you for posting from you experience and not for your pocket book.
I'm not making any statements that are "knowingly untrue". Good grief. What could my agenda possibly be? I'm ALL FOR recycling used parts. What I'm also ALL FOR is doing so with my eyes wide open. I said, (more than once), that I've used mobile home axles myself. What I didn't do, is come up with a bunch of nonsense when I used the mobile home axles to convince myself that what I was installing was as good as what else is available.
No troll here. Trolls typically don't provide links with supporting information. They also don't invite nay-sayers to ask local people they trust whether or not they information they've provided is accurate.
All of us that are *into* this sort of stuff, (professionally or as a hobby, or both), have more than likely built relationships with several local vendors that sell parts or entire assemblies. Once again, choose one you trust and ask them if anything I've posted here is inaccurate.
From Wiki:
*Troll*
"In Internet slang, a troll is someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum, chat room or blog, with the primary intent of provoking other users into an emotional response[1] or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion."
Now really, does that sound like what's going on here?
No troll here. Trolls typically don't provide links with supporting information. They also don't invite nay-sayers to ask local people they trust whether or not they information they've provided is accurate.
All of us that are *into* this sort of stuff, (professionally or as a hobby, or both), have more than likely built relationships with several local vendors that sell parts or entire assemblies. Once again, choose one you trust and ask them if anything I've posted here is inaccurate.
From Wiki:
*Troll*
"In Internet slang, a troll is someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum, chat room or blog, with the primary intent of provoking other users into an emotional response[1] or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion."
Now really, does that sound like what's going on here?
