Trailer tongue modification/weld bride in

[jimmyebay]

Just bought a 20ft weldbilt flat bottom boat. The noise of the boat has been modified with live well, storage compartment, fuel tank compartment. All made of aluminum. It's a single axle trailer. Drives great and don't seem to be stressing axle. I have lots of tongue weight with mod's on boat. The tongue of the trailer has a bow in it. Was thinking welding a bridge system under the tongue to help strengthen it. So curved flat Steele on underside of tongue with supports between the tongue and curved metal. Just like how a bridge be made. Worried could make to ridged and cause other weld/trailer issues. Thoughts? Thanks. Jim

 

[bruceb58]

Picture?

 

[crb478]

If you have a bow or bend in the tongue I would see if I could straighten it out without the boat on it and then weld on some heavy angle iron the length of the tongue. If possible see if you can move the boat back some to take off some of the tongue weight. Or best of all get a heavier trailer. It sounds like the boat now weighs more than the trailer can support.

 

[Chad Flaugher]

I went and visited with a local boat and RV mechanic last week, just to get to know him and his business during the slow season. He specializes in older boats. When our conversation swung to the topic of trailers, I was surprised to find that he had about 10 - 12 trailers on his lot. He said I could have any one I want for $100. Turns out, he can't get rid of them as fast as they come in, so he practically gives them away.

I suppose this would be common for his type of business, so perhaps that's the case in your neck of the woods? A trailer built to accommodate a larger boat would be the best option, especially if one could acquire such a trailer for next to nothing!

 

[GA_Boater]

Is the trailer aluminum, galvanized or painted steel? Tilt trailer? It just might be easier to replace the tongue. Can you get a pic?

 

[Mi duckdown]

what is the tongue weight, and tow veh. pics would also be helpful

 

[jimmyebay]

No Title

 

[jimmyebay]

It's a Steele trailer. It's not bent but just flexing a lot under weight. Might place another axle in front of the other one. Should help the load on tongue, correct?

 

[crb478]

Another axle set up correctly would work well. Or try boxing the whole length of the tongue. That trailer looks a little more substantial than I was expecting. If you can add an axle I would go that route. How much tongue weight do you currently have? If you are flexing the tongue it might already be too much.

 

[gm280]

Wish I could see the entire trailer in a side profile picture as well as the tongue connection to the trailer itself. IF that tongue is flexing, there could be a few reasons. It could be the trailer tongue is made out of some really thin box, channel, or whatever material. There are ways to fix that problem. If the boat is sitting on the trailer too far forward, that also could be the problem. We need good side view pictures. You need to have the tongue weight and total trailer with boat weight posted too. I recently rebuilt a suspect tongue on my trailer rebuild job. It is not as hard to do as you may think. but if there is other issues, they need to be address first as well...

 

[lckstckn2smknbrls]

Can you move the axle forward on the trailer to reduce the tongue weight to about 10% .

 

[jimmyebay]

Boxing the tongue in is good idea. There's no motor on back right now so prob not helping. I'm at work right now and be leaving from here to go north snowmobiling for the weeknd. I'll get picture of whole unit once back. Thanks for all the help. Not sure on tongue weight or boat weight. Sorry. I know I can't budge the tongue lifting it so she's heavy. Thanks again.

 

[lckstckn2smknbrls]

The lack of a motor is the problem. The balance is way off.

 

[dingbat]

...

 

[gm280]

Okay if your idea is to weld , or box in your present tongue, a better idea would be to replace that tongue with normal box tongue material instead. Less welding and a much better look with less effort, money and work as well. Take a look at what I replaced with box metal for my trailer rebuild... Don't buy 1/4" sheet steel and then sit there and weld it all along the side to stop your problem. Replace the actual tongue with the proper box steel square tubing and be done with it... That IS the better idea and way less outlay of funds and work too! JMHO!

 

[Fed]

Make sure you're not bending it with your tie down chain/straps/winch etc.