How To Determine The Correct Axle Placement For A 16' Tandem Axle Trailer

Published 10/19/2023

Question:

Tech question regarding axle placement. I bought a 16 ft deck tandem axle car trailer. 5 foot tongue. Made from a boat trailer. The axles are a bit too far back Id say. It is a fairly easy project for me to move the axles forward. But I cant find a definitive answer on where to place them. Can you point me to a drawing or something that would give me standard dimensions of car trailers

asked by: Rob R

Expert Reply:

I have attached a photo that shows how you determine where the centerline should be between your axles.

When determining axle placement, an important factor to consider is the tongue weight. You want the tongue weight of the trailer to be approximately 10 % of the gross trailer weight. Moving the axles rearward will increase the tongue weight of the trailer, and placing the axles forward will decrease the tongue weight.

expert reply by: Jesse M