source for trailer tounge material

bob johnson

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funny I checked today and my tongue is not a tube. it looks to be two U channels one inside the otherone being on the inside facing up and the other on the outside facing down. I am not sure if they are spot welded or what.... the one on the bottom only comes up about an inch...the top one is full depth( 4")

bob
 

StarTed

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I guess I wasn't clear in my recommendations. I thought I was suggesting that you replace the outer tube with a size that you could get an inner tube that will slide in correctly. That way you get your slide in tongue and a new outer tube that is the right size for the slide in inner one.

CDA metals here can supply such tubing and I'm sure there is some supplier somewhere near enough for you to get one. The big problem is to find the supplier. Maybe a call to one of the eastern suppliers can get you a recommendation for a source near enough.
 

StarTed

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I thought I'd try to save a drawing as a jpg so here's a try.

 

bob johnson

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I guess I wasn't clear in my recommendations. I thought I was suggesting that you replace the outer tube with a size that you could get an inner tube that will slide in correctly. That way you get your slide in tongue and a new outer tube that is the right size for the slide in inner one.

CDA metals here can supply such tubing and I'm sure there is some supplier somewhere near enough for you to get one. The big problem is to find the supplier. Maybe a call to one of the eastern suppliers can get you a recommendation for a source near enough.

not a bad idea except...the trailer is a TILT trailer and the original tongue just fits inside the downward facing U of the rest of the trailer frame that supports the hinge area....

bob
 

smokeonthewater

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With the fabricated tube you don't have any choice... You would need to purchase new inner and outer tubing BUT you now have a much simpler option exposed....

Toss your current tongue in the trash and buy or have built a new longer one (heavier would likely be a good idea) and when you need it short, park trailer, block frame, and pull pins to remove entire tongue.
 

StarTed

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The tilt mechanism does create a challenge but you should still be able to keep that and have a triple section back in the tilt area as long as it is back by the main trailer. I've made and worked on 3 tilt mechanisms, all slightly different but there are still lots of similarities.

I'm surprised that the bottom channel doesn't come up higher thereby making it stronger.

One of my tilt mechanism uses two rectangular tubes, the outer one has the bottom cut out. It worked well but I no longer use it since it is on my homemade camping trailer. It is very tongue heavy but has made several trips to Alaska with no problems.

Some close up pictures of that area would help us a lot to give you some ideas.

There are options. Good luck.
 

GA_Boater

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Tilt trailer makes this so simple. Put two jack stands under the frame on both sides about where I showed in post #38, rest the trailer frame on the stands and remove the tilt pivot bolt. The trailer doesn't need the winch stand or jack then. You can use the winch still hooked to the bow eye to lower the tongue.
 

bob johnson

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With the fabricated tube you don't have any choice... You would need to purchase new inner and outer tubing BUT you now have a much simpler option exposed....

Toss your current tongue in the trash and buy or have built a new longer one (heavier would likely be a good idea) and when you need it short, park trailer, block frame, and pull pins to remove entire tongue.

smoke the trailer is a TILT trailer so the "connection" to the frame is a PIVOT , only! besides I could never pull the entire tube... at some point it is holding the winch stand! which is attached to the boat!

bob
 

smokeonthewater

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What's with all the !!!

How do I know if you could or couldn't do that...
I could do it easily so I figured it was worth mentioning... I realize the rear poin is a pivot.... If that were a pin it could be removed easily...

What you asked in your original post just can't be done in the way you want to do it....

We are trying our level best to give you options to get you as close as possible to your goal as easily as possible...
 

GA_Boater

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I'm confused as to what you want. First it was tubing to extend the tongue, then it was to make the tongue removable so the rig would fit in the garage.

What is your goal?
 

smokeonthewater

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Both of the above... He wants to find a tube he can simply slip inside his existing tinge to lengthen it AND be able to pull pins and remove to store in the garage.
 

GA_Boater

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It seems from re-reading the focus changed to fitting in the garage. That's why I brought it up.
 

bob johnson

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What's with all the !!!

How do I know if you could or couldn't do that...
I could do it easily so I figured it was worth mentioning... I realize the rear poin is a pivot.... If that were a pin it could be removed easily...

What you asked in your original post just can't be done in the way you want to do it....

We are trying our level best to give you options to get you as close as possible to your goal as easily as possible...

Smoke I appreciate the input...but I am totally baffled as to why you would think some as drastic as removing the whole tongue including the winch stand and trailer jack( close to 70-80 lbs) would be easier than a sliding tube inside the original? I just installed that winch stand from another trailer..it is heavy then Id have to deploy some other support for the trailer. why is a sliding tube inside the original tongue such a bad idea? it is sooo simple. and to GA's point...I don't know where the content veered off course, but it wasn't me, I only asked for a source of material, I already have my plan to make the trailer shorter on a temporary basis for garage storage. I plan to do this to BOTH my boat trailers....bob
 

GA_Boater

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Bob - I know you asked about a source of material to make an extended sliding tongue. but then you brought up needing the ability to remove the tongue to fit the garage. If you want an extended tongue, it's back to sourcing only. If the reason is to fit the garage, then the options arise.

So what is the goal? Extension or fitting the garage? That should clear things up.
 

bob johnson

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well the its both.... I need to move the boat forward a foot and that means the winch stand as well.. and it make the distance from the stand to the coupler way to close for my liking....so I wanted to extend the tongue for that purpose, but I also want to try and fit this thing in the garage once in a while for work or repairs in the winter.... or when its snowing like crazy! I have two big boats I use during the winter and I only have one portable garage set up at the moment to cover them...

I ordered the tube today..Ill pick it up Saturday...local mill house finally answered the phone after 2 weeks...$65 my cost...8 ft 2.5 X 3.5. 3/16th wall tube.

now I need to just find another coupler that will fit onto that tube...should be easy

bob
 

jbcurt00

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Local is great

Congrats.

After all this, please be sure to post how you make it all work as you modify the tongue
 

GA_Boater

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Thanks, Bob. I was being thrown off by the fitting into the garage.

65 clams - Not bad Glad the place finally found the phone after wondering where the ringing noise was coming from. :doh:
 

smokeonthewater

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Bob I see no problem with sliding a tube inside another... Well other than rusting in place, but removing and cleaning often should prevent that.

Where I see a potential issue is with the materials being used. If the existing tongue is a piece of channel welded inside another piece of channel it seems to me that the inside dimensions would not be square... IE narrower on top or bottom.... I also see a potential danger of the current tongue possibly not being up to the task once additional leverage is applied to it...

I didn't think removing the whole tongue would be easier, I thought that simply putting on a longer tongue to replace the current one might be easier for you and then dropping the tongue from the trailer would still allow you to fit it in the garage to work in it on occasion.

What baffles me is that people get so ruffled when given advice that is different than what they originally planned.... Sure we all ignore advice given to us and choose to go our own way but there are times that someone's else says something and it sounds way better that what we were planning.

Far better to be told and not need it than need it and not be told.

Either way good luck with your project.
 
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