Trailer to short

[Arkman]

Hi again!

So I found a trailer for my new boat. I got it and another boat for 100 bucks and I sold the boat for 75. A trailer for 25, not too bad. Its nothing special but good enough. I'm wondering if this trailer is too short for the boat. Take a look at the photo and tell me what you think. For now all I really want is to be able to move it in an out of my garage while I work on it so I'm not too concerned about it being too small. I am thinking that if it is I might try to extend the tongue. Is that a bad idea? If I can't do that come spring I will buy a new one. I attached a few photos of the boat and trailer

You can take a look at my boat project here: The Rex Manning

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Trailer to short

take the roller bunks off, use carpeted 2x4's they need to come all the way under the transom. that will make so you can work on the boat, but it does not look like the axle is moveable, which will make it extremely tongue light when you add a motor, etc. if the axle is not moveable to the rear, you will need another trailer.

 

[Arkman]

Re: Trailer to short

Is it a bad idea to extend the tongue? I was thinking about going and getting a 2' chunk of steel and adding that on then i can slide up the bow of the boat to fit better. Bad idea?

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Trailer to short

not necessarily, but i would be temped to replace the tongue, for safety. many people splice tongues. i would go atleast 3 feet, you have no room presently between the winch stand and the coupler. which will make it harder to load and launch.

 

[mthieme]

Re: Trailer to short

By the looks of the trailer in general, I wouldn't invest more than I had to.
I would go with splicing. It's not like a there's going to be 2 tons of fiberglass sitting on top of it either.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Trailer to short

Besides the tongue issue, you have a suspension issue. Look at the rear spring shackle on the right side of the trailer. someone apparently replaced the springs with new (and too short) springs. That spring hanger is supposed to angle backward, not forward. It is putting the suspension in a bind and will pound the boat to pieces. What you can do is lengthen the tongue which any welding shop in town can do very reasonably. Then cut the spring shackles off and install new ones farther back to provide the correct tongue weight and to allow the springs to work correctly.

 

[Arkman]

Re: Trailer to short

Hmm, that seems like kind of a big deal Maybe I will just scrap the trailer. I only paid 25 bucks so I'm not too worried about it. I can still use it just for wheeling it in and out of the garage but get a new one before spring that actually works properly. Thanks for the advice.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Trailer to short

I'd put a coat of fresh paint on that trailer and list it on craigslist in the spring, it will sell there for a few hundred dollars if its not completely rusted out. Then go buy a bigger trailer.

The one looks way small for that boat and no matter what you do, you will probably exceed the cost of another, better, properly sized trailer.

I normally search the free boat ads on CL and find one with a trailer and just lose the other boat. ( Of course, a few of those free boats have turned out to be pretty nice too).

 

[ooldschooll]

Re: Trailer to short

Great looking boat.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Trailer to short

The only thing wrong with the set up you have is that it will require rebuilding or replacement.

This is something I had to do to accomodate a trailer and a fiberglass boat years ago.

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=35063&highlight=welded

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=36783&highlight=welded

I welded a 30" piece onto the front..... along with new bearings, paint, lights and carpet but, when I finished the trailer was in perfect condition. The true test was that it towed fine.

 

[Shizzy]

Re: Trailer to short

all of the repairs with the addition of new bearings, seals and lights won't cost more then one or two hundred dollars. You are only in $25 at this point. so for $200 you would have a new trailer and you would know its safe.

when I bought my boat I went through the trailer. New bearings and seals, new lights and wiring, fresh coat of paint, new bunks and carpet. I was well under $100 and the trailer is good for another 20 years.

on such a small trailer (identical to mine) I had it done over one weekend,

 

[Arkman]

Re: Trailer to short

Besides the tongue issue, you have a suspension issue. Look at the rear spring shackle on the right side of the trailer. someone apparently replaced the springs with new (and too short) springs. That spring hanger is supposed to angle backward, not forward. It is putting the suspension in a bind and will pound the boat to pieces. What you can do is lengthen the tongue which any welding shop in town can do very reasonably. Then cut the spring shackles off and install new ones farther back to provide the correct tongue weight and to allow the springs to work correctly.

So I think i'm going to replace the short spring and paint and sell the trailer. What is the proper way to measure this spring to get a new one? I think both are wrong by the way it looks too me. I dont mind replacing them, I just dont know how to measure it out.

Thanks!

 

[cbavier]

Re: Trailer to short

Looks like a 16 ft boat on a 12 ft boat trailer. If the springs match. Just clean the trailer up, paint and sell it as a trailer for a 12 ft boat. It's Probably worth about $200 clean and then start looking for a bigger trailer. Just to move it in and out of the gargae it will do just fine as is as long as you don't hang a 25 hp motor on the back.

 

[Arkman]

Re: Trailer to short

My plan is to get rid of it because its too short. But I think both springs are too small for the trialer. So I need to know how to measure them to get new ones. Normally I would just bring the old spring with, but its too small. I could just sell it with the small spring, but i dont want to be that guy.

How would measure to get the proper sping length?

 

[dlngr]

Re: Trailer to short

I can't see the shackles,but couldn't you just make something to remount them a few inches forward-then you wouldn't have to spend the money for new springs. I'd sell it as-is $100 obo. Tell a prospective buyer about the short springs,and you won't feel guilty. Anybody who buys it will most likely need to do some remodeling on it anyway.

 

[cbavier]

Re: Trailer to short

Just buy a matched pair of 1,000 LB trailer springs. Use your hangers. They are adjustable to the length of the spring.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Trailer to short

There are no adjustments on either the springs or spring shackles. The only solution here is correct springs or move the shackles if you want to use the existing springs. Most springs are about 25-1/4 inches from eye to eye unloaded.

 

[cbavier]

Re: Trailer to short

There are no adjustments on either the springs or spring shackles. The only solution here is correct springs or move the shackles if you want to use the existing springs. Most springs are about 25-1/4 inches from eye to eye unloaded.

When I said adjustable. I meant to remove the U bolts and Eye bolts and slide the hanger brackets one way or the other to fit the length of the new springs. As small as that trailer is. Tey have to be 1,000 LB springs. The ubolts will probably have to be replaced. they are as rusty as the trailer. They may even have to be cut off. New springs don't come with either the hangers or the bolts.