home made folding trailer tongue w/pics!!!!!

[zuke1]

well, after talking to many people, and doing a lot of little drawings, and talking to trailer shops, and folding tongue manufacterers...

i finally did it...

stock steel - 20$
bolts - 5$
paint - 5&
total cost - about 30-40$

tools needed... sawzall, and a drill...

here is the "after" pics...

the only thing left to do is attach a safety chain to the boat side, that would be a safety chain incase either bolt decides to pop out ( which seems highly unlikely)



this set up seems stronger than the original design, and now it fits in the garage...

let me know if you see anything i forgot...

thanks
zuke

 

[bruceb58]

Re: home made folding trailer tongue w/pics!!!!!

Does the original tongue sit flush with where it was cut off inside the sleve?

What is the thickness of the sleeve?

 

[zuke1]

Re: home made folding trailer tongue w/pics!!!!!

does it sit flush? i think i get what youre saying, and when i drilled the holes for the sleeve i made sure the two pieces were almost touching...

i can make a drawing if it helps... it would only take a sec...

and the thickness of the sleeve is quarter inch... and the only problem i had with the sleeve, was that there is a weld line inside of stock steel pieces, so i had to go one size bigger, its not super snug, but when the bolts are in place there is no play at all...

ill draw a pic of how it looks then post it in a few...

zuke

 

[zuke1]

Re: home made folding trailer tongue w/pics!!!!!

finished!!!!!

tell me if this helps...

p.s. the gap between the two old pieces is less than half an inch...

let me know if you need more...

 

[drewmitch44]

Re: home made folding trailer tongue w/pics!!!!!

perfect!. And if it fits in your garage even better. Its removeable instead of folding thats better if u ask me! STRONGER!!

 

[bruceb58]

Re: home made folding trailer tongue w/pics!!!!!

I think that it will be fine...good job!

 

[Silvertip]

Re: home made folding trailer tongue w/pics!!!!!

Looks like a simple solution. One suggestion though. For first few months of towing, periodically check the top of the sleeve at each end for signs of mushrooming. This is where the bending forces are located. If you look at the receiver on your truck you will very likely see that a band of steel about 1-inch wide is wrapped and welded around the opening. That ensures the end of the receiver will not mushroom and eventually tear. You said the sleeve has 1/4-inch wall thickness so that should work just fine but as a precaution, keep an eye on it. Have the band welded on if you do see the ends mushrooming.

 

[jlinder]

Re: home made folding trailer tongue w/pics!!!!!

Or just be proactive and weld the band on now.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: home made folding trailer tongue w/pics!!!!!

Out of curiosity, what is the thickness of the original tongue?

 

[bjcsc]

Re: home made folding trailer tongue w/pics!!!!!

Guessing from the picture and from what most trailer tongues are it's probably &#8539". That &#188" sleeve is plenty...

 

[WillyBWright]

Re: home made folding trailer tongue w/pics!!!!!

My father built a utility trailer many decades ago. I still have it and still use it. It has a 4' removable telescopic tongue. It's a 1-1/2" pipe inside a 2" pipe with multiple holes adjustable to 3 or 4 different lengths. Long for when he used it as a boat trailer, short for when he put the sides on and used it as a utility trailer, and inbetween for whatever reason. I couldn't begin to estimate how many loads of household goods it has hauled. It moved me everytime I moved, as well as my parents and siblings.

 

[gewf631]

Re: home made folding trailer tongue w/pics!!!!!

My father built a utility trailer many decades ago. I still have it and still use it. It has a 4' removable telescopic tongue. It's a 1-1/2" pipe inside a 2" pipe with multiple holes adjustable to 3 or 4 different lengths.

That setup is similar to many farming trailers I've seen and used. Granted, not highway speeds, but certainly pulling a lot of weight. If they were setup for quick change, the holes were evenly spaced so you could put-in 2 pins (in case one broke).

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: home made folding trailer tongue w/pics!!!!!

Your bolts should be 5/8 inch to match the receiver pin. And you should gusset the original trailer tubing to 1/4 inch so the hole in it doesn't tend to elongate.