I am currently in the market for a newer bass boat.  And have been looking around and some of the 20-21 foot boats i have been looking at only have a single axle trailer which has got me kinda worried as i thought as a general rule anything over 19ft had tandems.  My question is should i be worried about buying a 19-21 foot boat that only has a single axle trailer or am i just worring bout it to much.  The boats i am looking at are 19-21 foot stratos or simalar with 150 plus hp outboard.  Thanks for the input.

thats a good question. i would assume the factory knows whats best for the boats.

Tandums are a pain to push around the yard. And I'd never go back to single axle.

Tandum with good trailer brakes life is sweet.

Garnet

With a 19' - 20' fiberglass bass boat you are only a few hundred pounds short of the weight limit for a single axle trailer. They only have a 3,500 pound axle, plus close to the total weight the tires are rated for.

As for pushing it around in the yard by hand, I can't even push my 18 ft Stratos that's on a single axle around in the yard, toooo heavy.

My 20' Javelin is tandom axle and trust me, there is no comparison on how much better the Javelin tows over the Stratos. The tandom is also much easier to back, does not want to take off in one direction or the other.

If I was going to get a 19 foot Stratos, it would have a 200 on it and if I was getting a 20' it would have a 225. Going with the max rated HP improves resale value plus you can under power a Stratos real quick. Luv the boat, but they need the HP to fully enjoy one.

As for trailer brakes, they are great on the road, but if you don't tow a long distance after coming out of the water so they can dry out, they are more trouble than they are worth, the rust and freeze up.  It's only five miles from the yard to the boat ramp and the brakes on my Javelin stayed frozen most of the time.  I finally took them out and just put them in when I'm going to make a long trip, which is seldom now days.

My Skeeter sits on a tandem trailer and it is just short of 20 ft. Makes alll the difference when towing. I personally would never have a 20-21 ft boat on a single axle trailer.  

well this is kinda confirming what i was already thinking.  I was not sure about weights of s 20 ft boat but figured it to be around 3k lbs so i guess i will not consider any boats that don't have tandem trailers.

most fishing boats now come with tandem wheels, not because of the weight issue, it's the movability.  Single axles turn quicker, which is good if you are trying to park it in a tight area, but they are also harder to back up because they want o turn quicker and are more likely to wobble going down the road.  Single axles are usually easier to move around with your hands, you can pick the front of the trailer up and move the boat around or move the tongue over to the ball of the truck easier.  Tandem axles are harder to just pick up and move the tongue over to the ball of the truck.

Tandem axles stay straighter which are better on the highway because it helps keep it from wobbling and backup up it stays straighter easier.  They added bonus is if a tire blows you have the other tire to hold the boat and you can drive to a safe area and replace it or fix it.  While a single axle if it blows then you have to pull over right away.

Well what are your guys opionions would you pass on a decently priced newer 20ft bass boat because it only had a single axle trailer.  The backing is not an issue as i grew up on a farm and have been backing trailers since i was 10.  The stability is kinda a concern as i will just be pulling it with a half ton extended cab chevy p/u.  what are your opinions?

Matt

if its a good deal you could always buy it then have an another axle put under it if you felt it needed it.