Increase trailer tongue weight on trailer

[Saltydawg2]

I have a fully adjustable EZ Lift trailer that was almost exactly balanced with pontoon by previous owner. No problems, yet, but it hasn't made many trips, except to my place, and the welder. I plan to dock it a couple of days and replace bunks, and adjust axle back to put 100#, or so on tongue. Pontoon runs a little over 1000#. Think I need to move it back at least 6", but not sure. Don't want move wench tower, as that would bring transducer, and motor too close to back support. Is a tape measure all I really need, or do I need to be more exacting than that? Thanks for any suggestions!

 

[Thalasso]

Re: Increase trailer tongue weight on trailer

Have you checked the tongue weight to see what it is currently?

 

[Saltydawg2]

Re: Increase trailer tongue weight on trailer

My bet is about 10#, maybe 20, but not much, at all. There is another brace before the back brace that can be moved to other side of axle,(front) of trailer if I am way off on the 6" guess. That would allow more room to bump axle back.

 

[tomdinwv]

Re: Increase trailer tongue weight on trailer

Can you move the winch post forward and shorten the bunks an inch or 2 or 3? I know you said you don't want to do that though. That's the first thought that pops in my mind since you're changing bunks anyway. You can check the tongue weight with a bathroom scale. Check RV.NET or IRV2.com for instructions on using the scale. It will keep you from busting the scale. LOL. You want about 10% to 13% weight on the tongue. As far as moving the axle, sorry, can't help ya' there.

 

[Saltydawg2]

Re: Increase trailer tongue weight on trailer

Might have found one question I had, here. Trailer Tire Problems & Tips

 

[hungupthespikes]

Re: Increase trailer tongue weight on trailer

Take a look at this:

Classic Whaler: Boston Whaler: Reference: Trailering: Calculations

 

[Saltydawg2]

Re: Increase trailer tongue weight on trailer

Bathroom scales idea is a good one. The one I have is a BIG FAT LIAR! But that's another story. I need to try to do it with pontoon off, initially, to see how far I really need to move it, because friend's dock is not easily reached.

 

[Saltydawg2]

Re: Increase trailer tongue weight on trailer

Hung, that link helped alot! I don't read egghead well, but the idea of using jackstands to raise trailer off ground, and make adjustments with pontoon in place would solve some issues, and I could do it in one afternoon. I will, however, read more, and see if some of the stuff the guy in the link starts to make more sense.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Increase trailer tongue weight on trailer

I need to try to do it with pontoon off, initially, to see how far I really need to move it, because friend's dock is not easily reached.

So if I read that correctly, you want to take a swag at the tongue weight with the pontoon off first? That won't help you in the slightest, in fact, it will probably make your problem far, far worse if you adjust it based on that. (depending on the design, pontoon trailer tongues can be fairly heavy without a pontoon on, especially if you have a metal boarding ladder on the front of the trailer.)

 

[Saltydawg2]

Re: Increase trailer tongue weight on trailer

So if I read that correctly, you want to take a swag at the tongue weight with the pontoon off first? That won't help you in the slightest, in fact, it will probably make your problem far, far worse if you adjust it based on that. (depending on the design, pontoon trailer tongues can be fairly heavy without a pontoon on, especially if you have a metal boarding ladder on the front of the trailer.)

Had not really thought of that, but it makes sense. Think I will follow info on link Hungup offered, and use someone elses scales. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[hungupthespikes]

Re: Increase trailer tongue weight on trailer

It takes some time to get your head around the link. If you do then it's one move and done.

huts

 

[lrak]

Re: Increase trailer tongue weight on trailer

Check RV.NET or IRV2.com for instructions on using the scale. It will keep you from busting the scale. LOL. You want about 10% to 13% weight on the tongue.

13% is the right info on an RV website because that is what you want for a TRAVEL trailer. 7% is about right for a BOAT website since the OP has a BOAT trailer.

Salty: I've never heard of EZ Lift trailers. See if you can find an owners manual for it. Most owners manuals indicate the proper balance and steps to adjust the trailer to get that balance.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Increase trailer tongue weight on trailer

I have used 10-15% on ALL bumper pull trailers for many years... I don't care if they carry RV's, boats, lawn mowers, of boxes of clown shoes.

 

[I`mNotMe]

Re: Increase trailer tongue weight on trailer

.

Each trailer pulls differently and may need different adjustments. For me, 5-10% for boat trailer and 10-13% for my RV trailer works best.

To add more weight to Boat trailer's tongue, some folks move the boat forward (by moving the front crank post forward). And some add / move spare tire to its tongue area. For my boat trailer, I've done both - to get more weight on the boat trailer's toque.

Tip: When adjusting things for better tonque weight, remember to use loaded boat with "average" loaded gear. And, "average" level tank of gas. Adjusting using empty dry boat then loading up afterwards will influence the final tongue weight numbers.

 

[Saltydawg2]

Re: Increase trailer tongue weight on trailer

Irak, that trailer is actually an "EZ Loader". I will look online to see if there is additional information available.Thanks. I pull it with a F-350 pickup, so load is not too big of an issue, other than weight is not likely to push down rear of truck appreciably.Guess that means trailer/pontoon will bounce more. I also tow a 36' travel trailer with it. Never towed clown shoes, though....LOL!

 

[Saltydawg2]

Re: Increase trailer tongue weight on trailer

Looks like I will have to go ahead, and replace bunks first. The bunk support directly behind the axle has a bad bunk on it, and there is no way I can move it back, prior to moving axle.Previous owner used 2, 2x4x8 each run, for total of 8 boards I am using 2x6x16s, so that should give me more even support when I do all that jacking. I'll split the difference to the back support of the trailer with the support I mentioned, and that should give me plenty of room to slide axle back. Guess that means, weather permitting, I HAVE to take pontoon to lake. Life is hard....

 

[lrak]

Re: Increase trailer tongue weight on trailer

They suggest a minimum of 5% and maximum of 10% tongue weight.

http://www.ezloader.com/Manuals/ezloader/Adjustable/Old/Owner's Manual.pdf

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Increase trailer tongue weight on trailer

That math on the BW site looks a bit tricky . . . must have been some MIT students balancing their trailer.

I would say though, if you can move some stuff forward, just for towing, do so . . . but it sounds like you may have to move quite a bit of weight and it may not be practical/possible.

I had to adjust the tongue weight on my sailboat rig, and in doing so, I simplified the math a little bit.

FWIW, here is a link to my web page about the calculations and moving the axle to adjust the tongue weight. My situation was too much weight, opposite of yours SD2.

Adjusting the Tongue Weight

 

[Saltydawg2]

Re: Increase trailer tongue weight on trailer

I think I can use that formula. The distance from the axle to the back support is about 89". Think I have alot of weight back there I can bring forward. You can't see it, but the closest point of the engine is about 8" from the back support. Notice the duct tape on the support behind the axle, holding the board, and see the bad bunk. Overall distance from weld where cone starts, to rear is 16'. Think I will keep last support where it is, and move one behind the axle to 48", rather than the 60" that it is currently. That should give me enough room to move axle back at least a foot, or so, as needed, and better support rear, where bulk of weight is. Dropping off pontoon tomorrow at a friend's dock, and get started.Thanks for all the great tips!

 

[Saltydawg2]

Re: Increase trailer tongue weight on trailer

Well, dropped pontoon off at the lake, and took it to friend's house. seeWe all do dumb things, don't we?), post. I replaced bunks, and elevated them about 1 1/2" because they were lying on fenders, and could not lower fenders. I did move axles back 16". Picked up pontoon week later, and discovered it had a small pinhole leak where front cone joined rest of toon. Nothing serious; can fix that. Weighed the tongue, and it came out to be 265#, With estimated total weight of 2400# for trailer, and pontoon with motor, and furniture up front. Probably about 11-12%. Don't really like that much, because that is pretty much unloaded, and the type of hitch I have is 350# max. Might move it back towards the front, about 4", and bring it closer to 8-10%. Any thoughts?