Can I shorten my trailer tongue?
SagittaTS
garage. I was wondering if it would be possible to shorten the trailer tongue
without adversely effecting the trailering performance. It is for a boat that
is 19' long but the trailer itself is almost 25' long, the tongue itself is
almost 6' long and I'd like to shorten it by 3'. It is already a little light
on tongue weight-I need to get down to about 22'. Does anyone know if this can
be safely done?
Al Rolle
Shortening the tongue might have a negligible impact on tongue weight.
Shortening the tongue would reduce straight line stability I think. This
could be dangerous (depending on tow vehicle weight and wheelbase) and would
mandate more tongue weight.
However, many boat trailers are designed to have a range of axle/wheel
positions. I moved my tandem axles back (just a few bolts) about 6" to get
more tongue weight. You might be able to move your axles back and then
reduce the tongue length.
You could move the axles, measure the tongue weight to insure it's high
enough before you cut.
I like long tongues and about 15% weight on the tongue for stability as I
tow with a short WB vehicle. I keep the boat in a shed in the back yard.
Al
"SagittaTS" <sagi...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20001024124032...@ng-cg1.aol.com...
brian
> > almost 6' long and I'd like to shorten it by 3'. ..Does anyone know if
> >this can be safely done?
Modify it so that it telescopes back into itself. I have done this on two boat trailers
that I wanted longer tongues on for unimproved shore launching. I added almost 10' this
way. This was for smaller, lighter boats weighing about 2000 lbs. My tongue was made out
of thin walled 3" sq. tube.
I don't know why it would not work the other way around to shorten the length when you
need to store it. Pull a few bolts or pins in the tongue once you get home and put the
thing away in your garage. Make it out of 5" or 6" square tubing if you have a really
big boat.
To adjust weight, do as the other guy suggested or mount your spare up there.
brian
Richard Ferguson
it easier to back a trailer with a long wheelbase (defining trailer
wheelbase as the distance from hitch ball to axle). However, boat
trailers generally have long wheelbases to start with, especially if
compared to other trailers with similar weights. What is your rationale
for saying that a shorter tongue is dangerous? Wouldn't that mean that
all covered or uncovered utility trailers are very dangerous, since they
have short wheelbases? Of course, the original poster did not discuss
his tow vehicle, so we do not know if he has a Suzuki Samuri or a
Suburban. Although he did not give the weight of his boat, I would
guess a 19 foot boat with motor and trailer at around 3000 pounds,
depending on type.
I agree that shortening the tongue will not have a significant effect on
tongue weight, that moving the boat or axle 6 inches will help more with
tongue weight. I am a little surprised to hear you suggest 15% of the
weight on the tongue, I usually hear 5 to 10 percent on trailers, but
higher on 5th wheels. 15% of a 3000 pound boat would be around 450
pounds, near the limit without a load equalizing hitch even on a one ton
truck.
Maybe I am missing something here, so try to educate me, or perhaps this
whole topic needs some discussion.
Richard
Al Rolle wrote:
>
> If you are light in tongue weight, you might need to move the boat forward.
> Shortening the tongue might have a negligible impact on tongue weight.
> Shortening the tongue would reduce straight line stability I think. This
> could be dangerous (depending on tow vehicle weight and wheelbase) and would
> mandate more tongue weight.
>
> However, many boat trailers are designed to have a range of axle/wheel
> positions. I moved my tandem axles back (just a few bolts) about 6" to get
> more tongue weight. You might be able to move your axles back and then
> reduce the tongue length.
>
> You could move the axles, measure the tongue weight to insure it's high
> enough before you cut.
>
> I like long tongues and about 15% weight on the tongue for stability as I
> tow with a short WB vehicle. I keep the boat in a shed in the back yard.
>
> Al
>
> "SagittaTS" <sagi...@aol.com> wrote in message
> news:20001024124032...@ng-cg1.aol.com...
> > I have a tandem axle boat trailer that is too long to fit straight in my
> > garage. I was wondering if it would be possible to shorten the trailer
> tongue
> > without adversely effecting the trailering performance. It is for a boat
> that
> > is 19' long but the trailer itself is almost 25' long, the tongue itself
> is
> > almost 6' long and I'd like to shorten it by 3'. It is already a little
> light
> > on tongue weight-I need to get down to about 22'. Does anyone know if
Richard Ferguson
Al Rolle
generality based on not knowing much about the specific situation except
that the hitch was already a little lite. If you were borderline stable now
(I'd have to tow it with your vehicle to know) then shortening the tongue
would make it more unstable and again, it could be dangerous.
A shorter tongue is a shorter lever arm between the hitch and the axles. An
upsetting force at the axles would have more effect (than with the longer
tongue) on the tow vehicle due to the shorter lever.
Something close to 15% is my preference based on a 102" wheelbase tow
vehicle: which replaced a 90" wheelbase vehicle. That was my preference and
not a recommendation. I like the stability and the extra weight on the rear
wheels when pulling up a boat ramp.
If I were to make a recommendation, I would reference someone much more
savvy than me on this topic like the RV Handbook by Trailer life (2nd
edition) which states: "The generally accepted industry standard is that
hitch weight should be approximately 10% of gross weight. In fact, that is a
bare minimum, and some trailers with 10% hitch weight don't handle well.
Hitch weights of 12% or higher (up to the limits of the hitch being used)
assure proper handling".
All U-Haul trailers I've rented were very heavy at the hitch even empty.
After loading, especially if done properly, they definitely are hitch heavy.
Even then they post a 45 mph limit on the trailer to avoid liability. I
think properly designed utility trailers have the wheels positioned
proportionately far enough back to insure enough weight on the hitch for
stable towing for the hitch length. Which brings me back to my
recommendation to insure you had adequate weight on the hitch in the first
place.
How a trailer will tow is also dependent on the wheelbase, weight and rear
overhang of the tow vehicle.
Of course the original questions were: (1) "is it possible"; I guess the
simple answer is yes, it's possible. (2) "can it safely be done?"; Yes, if
you insure that there is enough hitch weight and you do "a driving test on a
section of straight road with no other traffic". Another quote from the RV
Handbook.
Al
"Richard Ferguson" <rafer...@att.net> wrote in message
news:39F63D3D...@att.net...
Ben Franklin VI
Is the trailer male or female?
When a man and woman die, as poets sung, His heart's the last part moves -- her
last, the tongue. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, Poor Richard's Almanack
Likely possible and will not adversely effect the towing/tracking. Check the
jack knife clearances.
Ben
>rom: sagi...@aol.com (SagittaTS)
>Date: 10/24/00 11:40 AM Central Daylight Time
>Message-id: <20001024124032...@ng-cg1.aol.com>
>
>I have a tandem axle boat trailer that is too long to fit straight in my
>garage. I was wondering if it would be possible to shorten the trailer
>tongue
>without adversely effecting the trailering performance. It is for a boat
>that
>is 19' long but the trailer itself is almost 25' long, the tongue itself is
>almost 6' long and I'd like to shorten it by 3'. It is already a little
>light
>on tongue weight-I need to get down to about 22'. Does anyone know if this
>can
>be safely done?
>
>
>
>
>
>
"Life is one long lesson in Humility." BF 1. As one of the men who built the
United States, he was the only man who signed all four of these key documents:
Declaration of Independence, Treaties W/France & Great Britian, Constitution
of the US
Harald
can't remember exactly how it folds, but you might check into that
possibility. I do know that short tongues on trailers can lead to trailers
that are prone to swaying (at least from my experience with a friends truck
and trailer that we spun around on a wet downhill road).
--
--- Harald ---
Email to: HARALD at FOXINTERNET dot NET
"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little
temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." -Ben Franklin
SagittaTS wrote in message <20001024124032...@ng-cg1.aol.com>...
Chuck Callaghan
trailer to hit your tow vehicle when you make a sharp turn. I come close
even with the standard hitch length.
--
---
Charles J. Callaghan, Jr., AIA
Senior Review Architect
University of Virginia
Facilities Management
(804) 982-4602 Fax: (804) 982-4628
E-Mail: cj...@virginia.edu
Web: http://fmweb.virginia.edu
Harald <Har...@Foxinternet.net> wrote in message
news:39f72...@news.foxinternet.com...
R.J.(Bob) Evans
>I have a tandem axle boat trailer that is too long to fit straight in my
>garage. I was wondering if it would be possible to shorten the trailer tongue
>without adversely effecting the trailering performance. It is for a boat that
>is 19' long but the trailer itself is almost 25' long, the tongue itself is
>almost 6' long and I'd like to shorten it by 3'. It is already a little light
>on tongue weight-I need to get down to about 22'. Does anyone know if this can
>be safely done?
I saw a boat trailer parked last summer with a folding tongue that
would solve your problem with none of the adverse effects of a shorter
tongue for towing. It was a pretty simple setup - the jack mounted
behind the folding point. The tongue just folded around on itself
into a bracket. When it was folded forward there was a slot and pin
affair to hold it in place. It would be dirt simple to gain 3 or 4
feet this way.
R.J.(Bob) Evans
(return address needs alteration to work)
Mike Jordan
: I have a tandem axle boat trailer that is too long to fit straight in my
: garage. I was wondering if it would be possible to shorten the trailer tongue
: without adversely effecting the trailering performance. It is for a boat that
: is 19' long but the trailer itself is almost 25' long, the tongue itself is
: almost 6' long and I'd like to shorten it by 3'. It is already a little light
: on tongue weight-I need to get down to about 22'. Does anyone know if this can
: be safely done?
I don't tow a boat, but one observation I can think of is that the shorter
the trailer tongue the further down the ramp you have to back your tow
vehical to get the boat into and out of the water. I've seen people not
be able to come back up a ramp because their tires didn't have the
traction on the wet (and I assume in some cases, slimy) ramp pavement. I
don't know if the long tongue helps keep the tow vehical away from the
water or not, but I would suspect it helps at least a little.
Mike
--
-------------------
Hillsboro, Oregon
Bouvier des Flandres - Carting, Herding & Clicker Training
WWW: http://www.europa.com/~mjordan
R.J.(Bob) Evans
wrote:
>I don't tow a boat, but one observation I can think of is that the shorter
>the trailer tongue the further down the ramp you have to back your tow
>vehical to get the boat into and out of the water. I've seen people not
>be able to come back up a ramp because their tires didn't have the
>traction on the wet (and I assume in some cases, slimy) ramp pavement. I
>don't know if the long tongue helps keep the tow vehical away from the
>water or not, but I would suspect it helps at least a little.
Nyah!!
If the tow vehicle is that marginal then it shouldn't be hooked in
front of the boat. You are right - many of the tow vehicles towing
boats are inadequate for the task. Shortening the hitch will make
zero difference if the tow vehicle is adequate for the task.
George Lowry
<bob.evans...@sk.sympatico.ca> wrote:
>On 5 Nov 2000 10:07:48 -0800 Mike Jordan <mjo...@thetics.europa.com>
>wrote:
>>I don't tow a boat, but one observation I can think of is that the shorter
>>the trailer tongue the further down the ramp you have to back your tow
>>vehical to get the boat into and out of the water. I've seen people not
>>be able to come back up a ramp because their tires didn't have the
>>traction on the wet (and I assume in some cases, slimy) ramp pavement. I
>>don't know if the long tongue helps keep the tow vehical away from the
>>water or not, but I would suspect it helps at least a little.
Back when we were still boaters for skiing and fishing, I have seen a
bit and experienced a bit. I saw one guy, on a steep ramp, get his
boat loaded and try to pull out only to lose traction and slip back
into the water, car and all. I have had the experience where, when
backed on the ramp, I either couldn't get traction or the parking
brakes would not hold. I finally installed a hitch on the front
bumper and used it for launching and retrieving. Had much more
control and kept the driving wheels on dry pavement. Of course with
the new FWD, I guess that would not be an advantage.
George
Al Rolle
I think it would be an advantage for front wheel drive as the tongue weight
would be on
the front wheels.
Al
Hugh
Hugh
Al Rolle wrote:
>
> I think it would be an advantage for front wheel drive as the tongue weight
> would be on
> the front wheels.
>
> Al
snipped
Richard Ferguson
especially for larger boats, unless one has 4WD. This was discussed in
detail in a recent issue of Trailer Boat magazine. For instance, a 2WD
pickup truck is light on the drive wheels, so it can just end up
spinning wheels, especially if it does not have a limited-slip
differential. A load equalizing hitch actually reduces weight on the
rear wheels, so can agravate this problem. One might disconnect the
equalizing feature for ramp use. Increasing tongue weight will help
reduce wheelspin, in that case. A long tongue might mean that your
drive wheels are on slightly drier parts of the ramp, but is probably
not as important as the tow vehicle, the weight of the boat, the
steepness of the ramp, etc.
Unless the boat is unusually heavy for a 19 footer, I suspect the ramp
traction is not a big issue. When the boat weighs as much as the tow
vehicle, then I would worry. If he has never had a problem with
wheelspin before, adjustments of the tongue length are not likely to
cause problems. Increasing tongue weight would reduce wheelspin for
rear wheel drive vehicles, and increase it for front wheel drive vehicles.
Richard
Mike Jordan wrote:
>
> SagittaTS <sagi...@aol.com> wrote:
> : I have a tandem axle boat trailer that is too long to fit straight in my
> : garage. I was wondering if it would be possible to shorten the trailer tongue
> : without adversely effecting the trailering performance. It is for a boat that
> : is 19' long but the trailer itself is almost 25' long, the tongue itself is
> : almost 6' long and I'd like to shorten it by 3'. It is already a little light
> : on tongue weight-I need to get down to about 22'. Does anyone know if this can
> : be safely done?
>
> I don't tow a boat, but one observation I can think of is that the shorter
> the trailer tongue the further down the ramp you have to back your tow
> vehical to get the boat into and out of the water. I've seen people not
> be able to come back up a ramp because their tires didn't have the
> traction on the wet (and I assume in some cases, slimy) ramp pavement. I
> don't know if the long tongue helps keep the tow vehical away from the
> water or not, but I would suspect it helps at least a little.
>
Al Rolle
wheel drive vehicle.
There would be more weight on the drive wheels, especially since the front
of the car is lower that the rear when facing down-ramp.
That would result in increased traction.
Al
"Hugh" <hug...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:3A061598...@earthlink.net...
Hugh
Hugh
Al Rolle wrote:
>
> I thought I was commenting on a trailer connected to the front of a front
> wheel drive vehicle.
>
> There would be more weight on the drive wheels, especially since the front
> of the car is lower that the rear when facing down-ramp.
>
> That would result in increased traction.
>
> Al
>
> "Hugh" <hug...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
> news:3A061598...@earthlink.net...
dentin...@hotmail.com
Sure...just use a "tongue depressor"
Jon
across the width of the trailer, and a cross member welded in place, with two 2"
receiver boxes built behind the cross member. The removable tongue then slides
into the two receiver boxes on your now shortened trailer. It takes about 18" off
the front of the trailer in the example I saw.
There's supposed to be a company in southern CA that will do this conversion. I
don't have any other information.
Jon
Steve Koehn
tongues to solve the problem of getting trailers to fit in a limited length garage.
They are located in Ventura, CA.