Brakes? Absolutely. In that weight range you will likely not have a choice anyway. Tiny trailers may not have brakes, but not one large enough for a car. I like surge brakes because trailer is easier to use with different vehicles, but driver has less control as to when brakes can be applied. Also backing uphill may be less convenient.
Regarding single versus dual axles, I agree that dual axles have built-in redundancy, but for a smaller size/weight trailer, dual axles often have significantly smaller wheels and tires. I personally don’t have an issue towing trailers with single axles rated up to 3,500 pounds which are fairly common.
In addition to boat trailers, there are also a lot of utility and camping trailers with single axles. Below is an Airstream article stating they use single up to 22 feet, and switch to dual axles at 23 feet and larger.
https://www.airstream.com/blog/singl...ravel-trailer/
I’ve pulled various rental trailers over the years, and many had single axle, including smaller camping trailers. All that had brakes used surge brakes because they don’t require controllers.
Thor Forums
