Can I safely lenghten the trailer tongue

[baddjonny]

I have a trailer that has enough weight carying cap 2200 lbs but it's a little short too much overhanging the back. Can I safely cut the tongue and add abut 2 to 2 1/2 feet to it ??
Anybody else ever try this? The boat I'm going to tow is a 21' cmate starflite with a v-6 lightly loaded with a 10" setback on the transom. just for local towing to cement ramps in town.

Thanks
baddjonny

[Rickracer]

Normally, doing something like that isn't dangerous as long as the materials you use to lengthen it are at least as strong as the parent material. If it's a square or rectanglular tube tongue, slip a piece of smaller tubing inside to double the strength of the joint. Be sure if it's galvanized that you grind off all of the galvanizing before you weld it. Also, make sure to check the balance after the addition. Too much or too little tongue weight can cause handling issues that are no fun to deal with, especially since ya don't find out about them till you're doing 55 or 60 on the highway and the trailer starts swerving and fishtailing all by it's self.

[Techno]

I'm in the same boat. Trailer isn't long enough to keep the sponsons from hitting my fenders on a turn. Low tongue weight and back past the end of the trailer.
I considered doing this myself but am going to have a welder do it from work. This isn't free he welds on the side. But having a welder do this means they have the tools and materials, so the dollers per hour isn't as bad as it might seem. Haven't gotten a price yet though.
They have a better idea of the stresses involved since lengthening the tongue is placing more stress on it.

[topwater]

Hi guys let me see If I can help you.. More so than lengthing the trailer it sound like you want to move the boat forward Here Lies the real problem.. The weight over the axle detremines the Tounge weight.. I believe tounge weight is suggested as 10 to 15 % of the weight of the rig.. Too much Tounge weight forward will put extra strain on the tow vehicle Add weight to the hitch and pushes down on the vehicle.. effects are vehicle sits low and strains to pull more gas used.. too much weight rear of the axle makes the tounge weight light and this is where the swaying on the Highway come in.. OK now for the easy part lenghting the tounge I hope my pictures came on here.. if not I will try again.. I wanted to lenghten my tounge and put my unit still in the garage so I made this swing away but here is the important part.. If you get in the yellow pages and find a metal shop.. you can find a tube the will fit over your exciting tounge and just bolt it on. then add add the reciever back to the front. you may not have to do any cutting an no WELDING, if you have to cut you tounge you can do it very easy with a Sawall and a metal blade.. I the tube you find that fits also does not fit a reciever then you will need to cut some of your tounge with the reciever in it and slip it into the front and bolt it also. so what you would have then is just a piece in the middle.. or when you buy the peice that fits over your tounge buy also a piece the is the same as your tounge for the reciever none of this should cost you more than $30. and more than likely under $20. Do get a wall thickness at least the same as your trailer is now or heavier though not less wall thickness. Also so you know most tubes re welded seamed on the inside and you may have to clean the weld to go over your tounge of drive it on.. Good luck hope this helps..

[topwater]

Picture 1

[topwater]

picture #2

[Hunter]

I had some issues with my trailer as well. Essentially, my trailer was set up for my hull but the hull was designed to have a big block chevy sitting where my daughter usually sits. Consequently, the CG fell aft of the rear axle and there was no tongue weight.

I put the boat on a trailer at Zaloudeks in Enid, OK and a friend and I cut 18 inches off the back of the trailer. This amount was determined after putting the whole rig on a scale then weighing only the trailer and then doing a weight and balance evaluation off of known and estimated component weights. We also cut all the crossmembers and moved them forward. I ended up with about 200# on the hitch depending on fuel weight and it's much more controlled trailering.

Not in the picture (link below) is the front insert that I redrilled (rather sloppily so I get a little extra noise from the pin when the trailer bounces).

About the only thing I don't like is that the edges of the air entrapment on the front of the boat come a lot closer to the trailer now but I've padded this portion and measured the movement and it still has clearance. Still, I'll probably raise the front mounts of the bunkers for sanity sake.


http://forums.screamandfly.com/forum...&threadid=9358