2.4 m 1 Ton Tandem Flatdeck

When the load is heavy rather than long, a tandem flatdeck trailer is usually the right answer, and this 2.4 m unit is the shortest tandem in our braked range. The body measures 2 400 mm by 1 520 mm inside, sitting on two rubber sprung axles rated at 1 500 kg each. TRAILERS SA stocks the two builds the manufacturer publishes, an open deck at 500 kg tare and a railed deck at 550 kg, both with brakes and both with a spare wheel included.

What the second axle on a tandem flatdeck trailer actually buys

It is tempting to assume that two axles mean twice the load. On this unit they do not. Published payload is 1 000 kg on both builds, the same figure the manufacturer gives for its 3.0 m single axle deck. What the second axle buys is different and arguably more useful: the load is carried on four contact points instead of two, so the trailer pitches far less over a bad surface and is much steadier at speed on a crosswind. It also buys redundancy. A puncture on one wheel of a tandem leaves three wheels still carrying, which is the difference between stopping safely and dropping a loaded deck onto a rim.

Published specification

The two published builds

• With brakes: an open deck 410 mm high at the side and 910 mm overall, 500 kg tare, 1 500 kg GVM, on 165 x 13 inch wheels with 1 890 mm axles.
• With rails and brakes: 1 200 mm side height and 1 700 mm overall, 550 kg tare, 1 550 kg GVM, on 195 x 14 inch six stud wheels with 1 830 mm axles.
• Both builds are published with a 165 x 13 inch spare wheel included. On the railed build that spare does not match the published road wheel size, so treat it as a get-you-home item and ask us to confirm the fitment in writing.
• Suspension is published as rubber axle rather than a leaf pack, which is why the deck sits low and why the ride is quieter than a stiff-sprung trailer of the same rating.

Payload, GVM and licensing

Gross vehicle mass is published at 1 500 kg on the open deck and 1 550 kg on the railed one. Both sit far above the 750 kg mark at which a trailer must be braked, which is why run-in brakes are fitted on both. The combined axle rating of 3 000 kg is well above the gross figure, and that gap is engineering headroom, not extra permitted load. Licensing, towing capacity and marking requirements are set by the National Road Traffic Act, and the braked towing figure on your own vehicle plate governs what you may legally pull.

Where a short tandem makes sense

A 2 400 mm deck reverses and parks like a single axle trailer but behaves like a heavier one under load. That combination suits contractors working in tight yards, farm workshops moving pumps and gearboxes, and anyone towing dense material such as sand, brick or steel where the weight arrives long before the deck is full.

How it sits against its siblings

The 3.0 m tandem flatdeck gives 600 mm more body on the same twin 1 500 kg axles, at a 580 kg tare. If your loads are dense and short, the 2.4 m deck is the cheaper and more manoeuvrable unit. If they are bulky, go longer. Both live in our double-axle cargo trailers category.

What the extra money buys

Our budget range covers similar work at roughly half this price and is a sensible choice for occasional light towing. On this unit the money goes into things you can verify: a published tare and GVM for each build, brakes fitted at the factory rather than added later, two rated axles instead of one, and a spare wheel supplied with the trailer. Those are the items that keep a working trailer on the road rather than in the workshop.

Delivery, warranty and ordering

Orders over R20 000 are delivered free anywhere we run, and the conditions are set out on our delivery page. Collection from our Hartswater yard in the Northern Cape is welcome if you would rather see the unit first. The builder warranty applies and we administer it on your behalf; read the terms on our warranty page. For a written price on either build, use our quote request form.