Pulled a rear steer triaxle today and could find no way to lock the back axle. It was an overlander trailer and looked quite old but in good nick. None of the other drivers in our yard could find a way to lock the axle.
Had the thing all day with 2 drops and 3 collections and it was a pig to reverse.
Any one know anything about rear steer trailers?
Wayne.
First have you taken a look around the trailer and checked to see if there
is a handle–lever which normaly, is at the rear of the trailer ,left or right
side, this is the normanl location of the locking handle for the rear axle
,what about a electric system working from the gearbox when you select
reverse this is another option which is used,IT must have a locking system as
all rear steering units that I know had one fitted,What type of axle is it,as
you could look at the web and see what the manufacturs say.
as normaly thereis a Q&A post which
helps out with problems.
There’s usually a lever or button on the rear side of the trailer chassis, roughly in the position you’d have the motor to operate a tail lift and could be on either side.
If the trailer is drawn forward so that all the wheels are in line then the rear wheel steering should lock up.
you sometimes have to get in a straight line the block that locks the axle may work ff the reversing lights but the have to have the trailer wheels straight
IT must have a locking system as
all rear steering units that I know had one fitted
When I was at BHS there was a poster up about the ones that they have - appeared that there was no way to lock it out. Although they only tended to give them to drivers who had been trained on them !!
G
I as well a half a dozen other drivers went around the trailer and could find nothing that would lock the axle. The only buttons were the park brake ,shunt button, and the air suspension lever.
It’s not our trailer so will be gone soon, maybe there’s is a fault with it■■?
Wayne.
get it straight then put it in reverse it should lock up the rear axle if it doesnt its broke
you can usually lock the old ones off manually [ dont know where you stand on H+S grounds with this one ] by getting under the back of the trailer and dropping the pin into the hole on the locking device . its in the middle of the axle near the big sideways pointing shock absorber. Had this problem myself about 15 years ago on a supercube trailer which belonged to an Italian company, I bought it all the way back from Italy and it was great going fowards coming over the Blanc was a doddle but got into Dover and tried to back it into a bay and it kept kicking the back out , I nearly caught the front of the truck in the next bay and gave up in the end then a wise old head came over and showed me how to lock the pin in. 
Yep agree with 143, I used to pull rear steers, they had a small button on the front bulkhead near the airline connections, but that was normally knackered. So you either got used to them crabbing as they went back or got underneath and dropped the pin in manualy.
I pulled a Swarzmuller trailer for Helmut Haid in Austria a couple of trips and that was rear steer, this trailer had a lever which located a pin in the rear axle but someone had cut the pipes, it was a pig to reverse unless you crawled under the trailer and put the pin in manually.
It followed you beautifully though
Likewise, spent a time working for a firm that used them. Always carried a 5/8" bolt to drop through the two holes.
The other alternative is to dump ALL the air out of the trailer suspension. Have never worked out why, but it works.
I had one a few days ago and, regardless of the angle of the trailer, as soon as reverse was selected, the axle straightened automatically. Spooky 
It must have been linked to air rams.
I used to pull one every day. I really can’t understand why anyone would want to lock the steer axle. 
They are fantastic once you are used to them.
flying_fenman:
I used to pull one every day. I really can’t understand why anyone would want to lock the steer axle.They are fantastic once you are used to them.
Same here, i pulled the Malcolms tri axle rear steers and also some smaller twin axle “Urban” trailers. They are different but not by anymeans difficult if you have a little practice with them.
fenman were talking about floating strear axle not a comand stear axle i used to have an urban trailer on household furnitre deliveries i london and through out the uk theyare a great peice of kit . the floating stearers are a different matter entirly
alix776:
fenman were talking about floating strear axle not a comand stear axle i used to have an urban trailer on household furnitre deliveries i london and through out the uk theyare a great peice of kit . the floating stearers are a different matter entirly
Alix the Urbans have the forwardmost wheels turning and the “floating steer” have the rear wheels “floating” ? The floating ones are not difficult. I was put off using them after watching other guys making a right hash of them so i used lock them up straight away as soon as i hitched up. I pulled into empty yard one day with one and thought i’d give it a go and it was no problem, never looked back since.
We have some 3 and 4 axle tamkers with a command steer operated by link arms, they are not a problem,
but a castor steering trailer follows the trailer wheels. So when you reverse it if the wheels are pointing left, the trailer goes left.
Not Ideal if you are trying to reverse on a ferry with only a foot clearance either side 
sorry mike should have made it clear i posting with regaurd to reversing the trailer with a command steer you have control over the streering of the trailer in reverse. with a floating on such as on a 45 foot reefer or taulliner if the rear axle doesnt lock in to place then while reversing they a pig to put in a bay
oh forgot to add the urdan trailer i used were th cartwright single axle 30footers we used them on 3 piece suit home delivery all over the uk including centreal london 
Pull your electric suzy,it worked for me .