who makes these ultra-light trailers/wheels and are they highway legal?

kinda looks like motorcycle tire/wheel except axle only supported on one side so maybe BWM?

Hoping for light, not TOO much money, trailer with fairly large diameter for highway use towing ultra-light multipurpose boat/utility trailer behind small car at good MPGs.

 

Maybe look at the front wheels and hubs of a Piaggio 3 Wheel Motor Scooter

2020 example


Below shown some wheels for 3 and 4 and more wheeled recumbent cargo cycles and trailers (electric assistance), not allowed for road use on a trailer behind a car I think, Dutch link.

 

The axle bearings and tire diameter are key to successful towing. Too small a tire and you get overheated bearings sooner.
This means shorter intervals between maintenance.

 

If they're made for the RPM and load the bearings would be OK I think, but small tire outer diameter wheels are bumpy at high speed and have more rolling resistance.

 

That trailer was made by one of the roof rack companies. Expensive. Perhaps Yakima?
How could it not be road legal?

I thought tire pressure and tire tread width would determine rolling resistance.
Lower tire pressure would be worse, wider tread width would be worse.

 

An 8 inch tire has to spin 1.5 times as fast as a 12 inch tire to cover the same distance in the same timespan, creating 150% more heat in the bearings, given the same axle set-up, requiring re-greasing more frequently.

 

All correct !

Yakima RACK and ROLL width 66" $ 2,499.00

Yakima RACK and ROLL width 78" $ 2,749.00

 

thx, 5 Spoke Spare https://www.yakima.com/5-spoke-spare

I guess I'll stick to Harbor Freight or similar. Maybe remove a leaf from leaf spring, I hear they ride pretty stiff unless loaded.

 

car tires typically 15", so double

 

A few corrections from a real engineer:

1. Rolling friction, the contribution of the bearings is so trivial that it should be neglected here, not relevant to the discussion. On my boat trailer the tires heating energy is easily 100x the bearings energy absorption.
2. The statements about revolutions (8 inch rim turns 1-1/2 times as fast as a 12 inch) neglect the fact that the wheel turns are according to the tire Outside Diameter, which is far from the rim diameter. Even so, this also is a small contributor to the towing horsepower of a trailer at highway speeds, air resistance dominates. Of course, going uphill adds to the trailer "drawbar horsepower", but that has nothing to do with this discussion.
3. UPCHURCHMR is correct: "I thought tire pressure and tire tread width would determine rolling resistance.
Lower tire pressure would be worse, wider tread width would be worse."
In general, smaller tread width, and stiffer tires (high pressure) make for minimum rolling resistance, on this basis, bicycle-like tires would be best, provided they were rated for the loads encountered.
4. The Horrible Freight trailers, at a couple hundred bucks, are far more practical on an economic basis, unless you have money to burn.
5. Pleasure boating, of course, often involves people who do have plenty of money to part with.

 

I'm thinking of a HF trailer modded so the rear half of the already FOLDING 2 piece deck-frame can drop down for two reasons:
1) get a boat into the water without submerging the wheel bearings.

2)load powered wheelchair/scooter.

I'm also thinking of making an extended 4-wheel HF type trailer by buying two and using the wheels, axle and some of the frame to add on to one whole trailer. Wheels would be spaced like typical 4 wheeler and bed about 12'. This would be a lightweight minimalist camper with floor and sides extending to be flush with outside of stock fenders, about 68" and max width to stay inside stock rear-view mirrors of standard small car.

 

I'm sure we all appreciate the help of a real engineer.

Squidly,

I once saw a HF trailer on the side of the road, folded up. It had about 2 wheel barrows ful of dirt and collapsed on a gentle curve.
I like cheap, but be aware.

 

The Conestoga wagons had huge wheels for a reason.

 

Interesting. Lots of people say they've used these for years but also say they never go over about 1/2 rated payload and upgraded bolts, welding, etc, and that the trailers were missing a few bolt holes when unpacked. Maybe your guy assumed the missing holes weren't needed.

I'm also steering towards similar but costing 1/2 again as much trailers, just because "1/2 again as much" is still peanuts and if I value my time at $2/hour should be a bargain. IIRC the "fancy" brands also came with "permanent license" which sounds like a bargain VS me figuring out WTF the DMV wants me to do.

 

Same reason goes for the Citroën 2CV, but often marketing prevails, like eg. for the Morris Mini Minor . . .