Rear Axles. One or two. How does one decide?

[BravestDog]

My questions are regarding rear axles on the class 8 motorhomes.

How does one decide whether you need one or two rear axles?

Is it lenght, weight...?

Is one axle sufficent or do you need two?

Please add anything relative to this topic that I am unable to think of at this moment.

Thanks.

[Warpath]

It definetly has everything to do with what your doing with your conversion.

As a general rule of thumb, if you are going to be 40'(overall) or shorter and hauling a smaller (26' or less) tag trailer a single will be fine.

A single will have a little better ride, over a dual axle due to the added weight on the 23,000 lb. axle, but a dual will handle better as you get closer to that max.

Bill

Bill

2003 28' Show Hauler Motorhome on a 1995 FLD 120 www.showhauler.com

[madbrit]

My conversion has only one rear axle.

Having two gives one the possibility of loosing traction on rough terrain when the undriven axle lifts the driven wheel off the ground and then you have to lock in the other drive.

I doubt that I will ever get near the gross weight of the rear axle. With a gross of 12,000 lbs available on the front axle, the empty truck front axle weighs in at 9,420 lbs with the fuel tanks half full (125g). The rear axle can gross at 20,000 lbs and as an empty box it weighed 8,200 lbs. So a gross vehicle weight of 32,000 lbs will give me 14,380 lbs of conversion with no more than 2,580 lbs added to the front but I can add 11,800 lbs to the rear. This means I that anything I add such as generators etc should have a 4 to 1 bias to the rear.

Another valid point is that a second (tandem) rear axle gives you 4 more tires and another set of brakes and suspension to upkeep too.

If you are building your own conversion, like I am, you will find that axles sure do get in the way of black and grey water tanks. Probably why you also find some strange looking conversions with huge rear overhangs, possibly due to the converter not wishing to extend the frame on the semi-truck they decided to use.

You will need a wheel base to the rear axle of at least 265" using a day cab and a 24ft body. Now if you are only building a longer motorhome with no intention of pulling anything long, then you will need to have a much longer wheelbase and then maybe another axle, but I would look into using a tag axle with only 2 tires and a steerable one if possible as they turn tighter and with a lot less scrubbing of the tires.

Don't forget that most States have a max length of 65ft for trucks and trailers, very few allow longer. Hence I sold my 40ft MCI bus and went for the Freightliner. It ends up around the 35ft mark and the 26ft tag trailer is a shade under 30ft including the tongue.

Hope this helps. Email me if you need more info.

Peter.

[geof]

Warpath....have you started your new conversion yet?...geof

[Warpath]

No, if we do start it this year, it won't be until September. I am really struggeling with this, I love how this thing looks, drives, and about everything else. So I may just hold off a few years and try to grow tired of it. This is actually a first for me, usually I get tired of a motorhome in 1/2 a season, this Show Hauler truely blows me away each time I am around it.

Yesterday we finally got a nice day and I started a few little projects on the rig and I was sitting in the captains chair just itching to hit that go button and head out of here! We still have about 4 inches of snow, but I am already looking for the first destination maybe late March.

Bill

2003 28' Show Hauler Motorhome on a 1995 FLD 120 www.showhauler.com

[vapoppa]

hey bill glad thing is goin' gggooooooDDD ! your doin' stuff to your rig is the best/worst thing about these. you find that just a tiny tweek here or just this one more thing an' it'll be perfect, yeah i surley do like/love that aspect of our rigs. oh, i'll keep tryin' to get the pictures on--- it's kinda a challenge now-- what do you mean i'm not smart enuff-- . alie[my best half) and i were talkin' the other day an' i believe we're going to go 'bout 50 miles away for the weekend-- just to stay in practice. i'm so bad i sleep in the coach now and agaun. take care-- mase

[5erFool (John)]

Mase:John
If I had that beauty my best half would just HAVE to get ready to sleep out in it on a regular basis...Yeah... or at least she would maybe miss me while I was out there... guess it would be worth getting in trouble just to get sent to the "dog house"...LOL...hope you don't mind but I have made the pic of your rig my wallpaper,,, here and at work... you would love the admiring looks it gets from all my co-workers..(Is that yours???...Don't I wish) whodathunk nurses would love it so much..(I do).. I am looking forward to seeing the inside though
If you get near central ILLINOIS give me a shout... I would gladly buy dinner for a chance to tour your fine machine...
Good Truckin'
John

[vapoppa]

WOW--- I'M SPEACHLESS--- no really--- thank you so much for the compliment-- . i'll have to redouble my efforts to get the inside and especially the back posted---- wow--- thanks. mase

[madbrit]

Mase,

I would like to to see your conversion too, do you have pics posted anywhere?

Peter.

[Warpath]

Here is the outside



2003 28' Show Hauler Motorhome on a 1995 FLD 120 www.showhauler.com

[madbrit]

Yes, that is a very nice looking rig.

I will now go away and polish my '94....... LOL.

Thanks for sharing.

Peter.

[geof]

Mase..didn't your conversion have a Zebra stripe cloth on the interor furniture....or Have I got it confused with another coach?....geof

[vapoppa]

nope geof, mine has the stock cab interior. the on you're thinking about was one i found on truck trader a few months back and sent the link to bill. but thanks anyhow----, mase

[vapoppa]

ok-- everybody hope and pray that THIS time bill got the photos--- i sent him each one in a separate e-mail as an attachment-- we'll have to wait and see--- mase