Trailer question

[VaGent]

I have taken a used LoadRite boat trailer that is rated for 6,000# & am converting it to a pontoon trailer. I've already installed all the cross beams & the bunk supports & bolted everything in place & so far it is looking great. I measured for the winch with the bumper on it & once I install it I'll only have 18" of free space from the winch stand to the trailer tongue. That means the tongue jack will wind up being under the front of the pontoon boat. The tongue on the trailer right now is 7'-0". I want to replace it with one that is 10'-0" with the same size galvanized steel which is 3" X 4". Is there any reason anyone can think of as to why this would not work safely? The new tongue will bolt back in the very same place as the old on but I'll have 4ft of free space instead of only 2 ft & it will alow me to put the tongue jack out where I can easily get to it. I have already replaced the old rusted drum brakes with new disc brakes & have it about ready for a state inspection once I get the tongue problem worked out. Thanks in advance.

 

[DJ]

Re: Trailer question

A 7' tongue is pretty long, a 10' tongue is extremely long. I understand your needing a long tongue, for clearance issues.

However, I would be very concerned about that much of an expanse being able to hold the weight, without folding up.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Trailer question

go up in size, or weld a 2 1/2 inch angle on the bottom. you may still have a problem with tongue weight, depending on where the axles are.

i presently have a long weight issue, with full fuel, i am tongue light, empty i am tongue heavy. 30 gal tank on stern.

 

[Jeff Walkowiak]

Re: Trailer question

I have done a lot of tongue extensions and found that gusseting the lower surface of the tongue will solve those issues.
Very easy to do and quite effective, Some welding is required obviously.
you would need a 7 ft long piece of 1/4 by 2 in flat stock and probably only 1 gusset in the center about 3 inches long. weld with 60-11 rods due to the galvanizing, then clean and coat the welds.

 

[DJ]

Re: Trailer question

I do not want to be behind this unit when it DOES break loose.

The trailer frame needs to be modified (extended) to hold and properly trailer the weight.

 

[VaGent]

Re: Trailer question

Hey guys maybe I didn't state my problem the correct way. I am not worried about the weight as my total weight with boat, motor, fuel (18 gals) & other stuff is not going to be over 2500 if that much. My trailer is already rated for 6000# lbs. This trailer was orginally used for a 26 ft twin outboard speed boat that weighed 4280# according to the guy I bought it from. So I believe strength is not going to be a problem. My problem is this. After converting it over to a pontoon trailer & mounting the bumper on it, my tongue jack is going to wind up being behind the bumper which is going to make it really hard to get to because it will be under the front deck of the boat. AND, there is only only going to be about 18 inches at most between the back of my truck lift gate to the upright that holds the bumper. The lift gate hits the upright because it will not clear when I raise it with the trailer hooked up to the truck. Since the tongue on the trailer now is 3/16X3X4X7 ft long & is bolted in a "3 point" setup using u-bolts, all I want to do is to replace the 7ft tongue with one that is at a minimum of 9ft using the very same size steel as I have now in one solid piece. I can adjust the axles fro proper balance & replace the wiring harness with no trouble & I can extend the brake lines very easily. What I am mainly concerned with is the addition of 2 ft too much to safely tow the rig as far as possibly swaying or fishtailing? I am more concerned with safety then anything else. Using the 60/40 method I believe I can get the tongue weight in the 200-220# range by moving the axles. There is no way I can move the boat as the trailer was rebuilt so the toons fit perfectly on the bunks for maximum support.

 

[Jeff Walkowiak]

Re: Trailer question

I understood you perfectly and gusseting the tongue will be overkill actually but you won't need to worry about it bowing.

 

[DJ]

Re: Trailer question

It sounds like the trailer is a little more stout than I thought.

Carry on!

 

[VaGent]

Re: Trailer question

It's pretty stout. It's much more trialer then what I really need but for the price I paid for it I couldn't turn it down. It was an all roller setup when I got it & I was lucky enough to find all the needed parts to convert it over to a pontoon trailer on craigslist. According to LoadRite the springs & axle are rated for 6000# so I doubt seriously my boat fully loaded will have much impact on the weight carrying capacity of the trailer.

My boat is a 1986 Riveria Crusier & the tubes taper at both ends. It measures overall 19ft-3inches long. The tapers where welded to the ends of the main tubes & the welds on each tube are 13ft-10in apart. I have made the bunks exactly 14ft long so the main part of the tubes will be supported as the tapered ends won't touch the bunks at all. The deck on the boat is 8X16. The engine sticks out past the rear deck 3ft-7inches which means it will stick out past the trailer approximatly the same distance. The front bumper will wind up tight against the back of the coupler mounting plate which leaves me no choice other then to lengthen the tongue or have the tongue jack behind the bumper support post which means it will be under the deck of the boat. And with this setup I won't be able to open the lift gate on my Explorer without it hitting against the bumper support for the boat.

I've decided to go ahead & buy a solid piece of 1/8X3X4X9ft galvanized steel tube & mount it back the very same way as my tongue is now. I will adjust the axles for proper balance to get the correct tongue weight. I looked at the LoadRite website today & they sell the same size tongue in a 108inch length so I doubt based on that along with the size steel I'm using I will have any problems as far as strength goes. The extra 2ft will give me proper clearance for my lift gate & help in backing the trailer up as it won't want to "quick steer" as much as a shorter tongue would do. I'll let you know how it turns out as soon as all the rain & cold weather goes away so I can get back out & work on it.