opinions on mobile home axles for trailer building (2024)

Only if you don't intend to haul more than perhaps 4-5,000 lbs and not very far and not very far for very long When the bearings go you can replace them pretty cheap but when the brakes go it's cheaper just to replace the whole axle.

Having said that, if you shop around you can buy a new trailer with proper axles for less than you can make one yourself...unless you happen to have free steel lying around and you value your time at $zero.

I did some searching on this a few years ago. The consensus of the various folks who hang around the fabricating and boat-trailering forums (there actually is, or was, one) was no, they are built for heavy loads but not for driving them very far or often.

Now that's just second-hand info from anonymous sources, so give it whatever weight you think it's worth

Depends. They are made to move a trailer from point a to point b and be within the law. Some axles are better than others. Some have el cheapo brakes, no backing plates to keep the dirt out and thinner tubing plus a mono leaf spring instead of a few leafs. So it depends how much you are going to use your trailer and which axles you can find and if you can get a couple extra cheap grab them for parts. Also the tube will need to be cut down because it will be too wide for normal trailer use. Here are some of the 500 trailers i have made over the years when i was in the biz and we started out with mobile home axles but ditched them quick and went with factory new ones. Just my .02....Bob

http://s110.photobucket.com/albums/n86/aametalmaster/Trailers i have built/

Sea Farmer said:

Now that's just second-hand info from anonymous sources, so give it whatever weight you think it's worth

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Many years ago I had a gooseneck trailer with mobile home axles, and it did ok for a couple thousand miles, but then I started having trouble with wheel bearing going out, brakes not working right. The tires go pretty quick and I remember it was cheaper to just buy a whole 'nuther axle with the wheels/tires complete than it was to buy two new tires ! (still, maybe I was comparing proper steel belted radial tires to the POS poly cord tires on the original axles...can't remember now...ancient history... ) I recall the special wheels those things use being a PITA as well....can't remember why...maybe they required special equipment to change the tires on that most tire stores didn't have..

Milacron said:

I recall the special wheels those things use being a PITA as well....can't remember why...maybe they required special equipment to change the tires on that most tire stores didn't have..

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Yup the rims have a big hole in the center know as open center rims and we had to supply the local tire shop with a plate setup to fit his changer. Plus the rims are in 1/2 sizes like 14.5 so good tires are expensive...Bob

Now M's response is first-hand info from a known source!

So give it whatever weight you think it's worth

axles

the 14.5 tubless tires are tough to find new when on the road. used is inpossible.
now you know why a trailer toter truck carries at least four spares.
good luck trailer

stan martin said:

I I don't know what the difference would be hauling a mobil home down the freeway, or hauling something on a trailer with mobil home axles.

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Well you are about to find out, as I'm about to tell you.... the big difference is all the stuff is BRAND NEW when it's hauling a mobile home ! Even crappy made equipment will last a little while when it's new...but then put some time on it and see what happens...

Having said that, my observations are based on the state of mobile home axles 20 years ago. For all I know they are better now.... or maybe they are made in China and worse now ?

trailer said:

the 14.5 tubless tires are tough to find new when on the road. used is inpossible.
now you know why a trailer toter truck carries at least four spares.
good luck trailer

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I was driving on a back road in Maryland a few years back and a house trailer tire came rolling down a hill towards me, it went by and crashed into some trees. I told my buddy someone must be moving a house trailer up the road. Sure enough there was a ratty old house trailer with 2 tires on the left and 3 on the right and it was still moving down the road...Bob

Milacron said:

Well you are about to find out, as I'm about to tell you.... the big difference is all the stuff is BRAND NEW when it's hauling a mobile home ! Even crappy made equipment will last a little while when it's new...but then put some time on it and see what happens...
/QUOTE]

Another difference might be that mobile home axles are probably designed for one or two hauls. Mobile homes are not RVs/motorhomes; they aren't intended to be driven around. The buyer drives them to their intended location, places them on some sort of foundation, and then sells the axles. T

After they are placed, they usually aren't moved except by tornadoes -- no wheels needed for those moves

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I have been using two equipment trailers built on trailer axles for 10 to 15 years (triple axle). They hold up as well as any. Yes, you have to perform maintenance on them, like packing the wheel bearing routinely. If you are too lazy to do so, you will have big problems, but thats true of all. I agree, that if you burn up an axle, it is usually less expensive to just pick up a new one. The high dollar oil filled ones are better, but you get what you pay for. I use these for my backhoes, trenchers etc. For the big stuff I obviously use others that are appropriately sized. My biggest excavator weighs 95,000 lb.

If you look around you can find axles that have backing plates and leaf springs. I have a couple spares but have only replaced one axle, when one of my ex employees didn't bother repacking the bearings when told to.

It just depends what you are going to do with it. If you want a commercial hauler, pay more.

One of the key indicators of cheap is if the Brake plate is welded to the axle. The better axles are bolted on. Mobile home axles are for nearly one time use and they cut corners in the manufacture. I have heard and read that the bearing sets are smaller and that the axles are forged but not precision ground. The tires will have something like "For Mobile Home Use Only" and will get you in trouble on the road both performance and the law wise.

Another issue is with the doughnut style wheels. I think the main problem as viewed by the DOT is that they can be mounted a little skewed and can work themselves loose in transit.

Here is a link by a trailer manufacturer talking about mobile home axles (of course they are biased but have some good info). One thing that I am researching is I have a 10,000 pound commercially built equipment trailer that has doughnut wheels. The link indicates that this is an indicator of a mobile home axle and I do not believe that this is true. I do think the industry is moving away from doughnut wheels though

You will find plenty of people out there that use these axles and they are happy with them. I don't know that I would be.

http://www.championtrailers.com/Mobile home axles.pdf

Mekanizm said:

The link indicates that this is an indicator of a mobile home axle and I do not believe that this is true. I do think the industry is moving away from doughnut wheels though

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I've got a 12k trailer that has those wheels on it, factory built from the early 60's. They are a pain in the ass. It usually takes a travel indicator to get them on right, even then its still a crap shoot, and one wheel on that trailer likes to rotate on the hub, had it on and off a bunch of times trying to fix it, still does it.

Never had a problem with the axles, and I've driven it cross country, brakes have been fine, however my spare is from a mobile home.

bbemory said:

I have been using two equipment trailers built on trailer axles for 10 to 15 years (triple axle). They hold up as well as any.

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Based on my experience and based on many conversations I've have with others that have used mobile home axles over two decades, I'd say that's just flat out wrong that they 'hold up as well as any'

Also without stating the weights on your equipment trailers, and more importantly the MILES they have run in that time, your statement is nearly meaningless anyway.