Quote:
Originally Posted by specialkay
Put a third axle under it and go trucking.
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I was thinking about this while cruising west on I-80 in Nevada today. The way I see it, keeping my stepdeck and just adding a third axle offers many advantages and a few disadvantages. I'm comparing the new 121" tridem to the existing spec (61" fixed tandem, 40.9' wheelbase).
Advantages
1. Increase the load on the end of the trailer way above the current 34,000 lbs both for US and Canada
2. Shorten the wheelbase by 2.5 ft to 38.2' which will make it easier to: pull the step on the highway, back up, go around corners in a city
3. Decrease stopping distance (more brakes!)
4. Strengthen the entire trailer ( more LBS in 4' of length)
5. Increase capacity for overweight loads with a permit
6. Improve the looks (subjective, but that's how I feel)
7. Increase the resale value (trailer dealers don't like my 61" spread, it's unusual for Ontario, Canada)
8. Increase my pay at Landstar by 1% off the gross which can make me $200 from $20,000 gross in a month
Disadvantages
1. Increase the weight by 1,700 LBS
2. Decrease maximum legal payload by from 49,000 LBS to 47,300 LBS
3. Increase rolling resistance (but this can be dealt with by creating a cheap manual lift axle in the middle of the tridem)
4. Increase maintenance costs (tires)
So, there's 8 advantages and 4 disadvantages.... Anyone wants to add anything?