Trailer Tongue Extension--- YES I SEARCHED....

[cturboaddict]

I looked through the articles and i didnt really see one that pertained to my situation...

Long story short, im rehabbing a boat...
Its time to take the boat off the trailer so i can get some color on the bottom of the hull during my break between spring and summer semesters at college.
Got a bit of a problem though. I need to address a small trailer issue at the moment. The trailer that i have is too short. I really need to bring the boat up another 10" or so, to place the rollers in line with the edge of the transom. Its an old roller trailer that really needs to be replaced, but i dont have the funds for it right now. So, I want to move the bow winch further up the tongue but i cant due to the fact that its right at the hitch right now. No more tongue to go up...

Here is my two questions...
1. Does anyone make a mount for the winch that would allow me to set it back a bit further...
OR
2. Would i be safe to buy a 2 foot peice of 3x3 steel, cut the tongue and place a 2.5x2.5 sleeve inside and bolt it all together if i run the inside peice the length of the tongue now?
Reason i ask this is im stuck into a few situations... I could just buy an 8ft. peice and bolt it on after unbolting the old, but then im stuck with buying a new jack, and probably a new hitch to bolt on. The one i have now on there is welded on. I dont have a welder, nor am i skilled to weld all of it together. Dont have the money to pay a welder or buy a new trailer at the moment. Im just hoping the boat is even done for at least one maiden voyage while i finishe the boat over the winter....

Do you think i could just sleeve it? The current 3x3 steel stock that is the tongue now, is 70" long. Id like to make it around 96" long with the boat moved up to where i need it. The axles are adjustable, so if i needed to move them, i can....

[Bond-o]

Do you think i could just sleeve it? The current 3x3 steel stock that is the tongue now, is 70" long. Id like to make it around 96" long with the boat moved up to where i need it.

Ayuh,... I can't see what yer wanting to do, so can't say "Sure, Go for it"...
I'd suspect it welded seam tubing, 'n a smaller/ larger piece, Probably won't glove fit very well...
I like the getting a new Longer piece, 'n Replacing what's there...
Then grind off the coupler, 'n jack,...
You should be able to bolt 'em onto the new piece if welding is outa the question...

Gota Picture,..??

[cturboaddict]

let me see if i can help with the picture.... Its dark out....

Ummmmmm....
Think of it this way. Its a 70" 3x3 boxed steel tongue. The current 3x3 boxed steel tube for the tongue has two bolts in it at the trailer frame tying it all together. about 45 inches from the end of the 3x3 tube (under the boat) is the weld for the jack.
I was thinking of cutting it at about 24 inches from the end and putting another 24" peice of 3x3 between the two old peices of 3x3. All the same time sliding a 2.5x2.5 peice of boxed steel inside and bolting it all together at the seams since welding isnt an idea.

IM GOING TO GO OUTSIDE TO SEE IF I CAN GRIND THE WELD OFF to rebolt it on the new peice if i went that route......

[LippCJ7]

you should be able to sleeve it but make sure you punch a couple 1" holes in the outer tubing one on each side of the tongue a couple inches from the main weld or cut end of the tongue and weld the inner sleeve to the outer tubing for more strength, Replacing the tongue box tube as Bond-o suggests is the best idea, the next idea is to use a tongue hinge kit but I'm not sure you have the room for it.

If you want to sleeve it cut a 1" section of the tongue out and take it to your metal supplier to fit it properly it needs to be tight and you may have to go with a thicker wall to get there.

Pictures would help immensely here...

[cturboaddict]

I wont be able to grind it off and bolt it back on.... There isnt anywhere i can bolt it at. There is no flanged edge to bolt to, its welded straight to the tube...

[LippCJ7]

Oh I see welding is out......uh hummmmmmmmmm wouldn't bolt it, I like welds

[Bond-o]

Think of it this way. Its a 70" 3x3 boxed steel tongue. The current 3x3 boxed steel tube for the tongue has two bolts in it at the trailer frame tying it all together. about 45 inches from the end of the 3x3 tube (under the boat) is the weld for the jack.
I was thinking of cutting it at about 24 inches from the end and putting another 24" peice of 3x3 between the two old peices of 3x3. All the same time sliding a 2.5x2.5 peice of boxed steel inside and bolting it all together at the seams since welding isnt an idea.

Ayuh,... I'm cool to this idea,...
I'm just saying that depending on tubing thicknesses, 'n the slag inside the tubing, you may not get a Tight enough glove fit for this idea...
The tubing isn't as smooth inside, as it is outside...

[elkhunter338]

You don't say how heavy of a boat you have. can you use a piece of 2.5x2.5x1/4 inside the 3", run it in 2 or 3 feet and use two 1/2 grade 8 pins through both pieces. Or hopefully you could find a piece that would fit real well inside the 3".
What ever you do make sure it is safe.

[cturboaddict]

Here is what it looks like.... maybe this can help...
PS- I DONT HAVE ACCESS TO A WELDER.. I was talking about bolting it together....



You can see how close it all is in the first photo.....
The second one, you can see the welded on jack...
And the thrid one, you "kinda" see where it bolts to the trailer...

[LippCJ7]

oh boy, theres so much wrong with this trailer I think I will step aside and let the pro's have at it

[cturboaddict]

You don't say how heavy of a boat you have. can you use a piece of 2.5x2.5x1/4 inside the 3", run it in 2 or 3 feet and use two 1/2 grade 8 pins through both pieces. Or hopefully you could find a piece that would fit real well inside the 3".
What ever you do make sure it is safe.

Its a 1972 18' Sidewinder SS. Im guessing around 1000lbs at the moment? I have the interior stripped and the motor off of it.... Ill be hanging a Merc 115 on it, with a CMC PT130... Looking to pickup an 18gal tank (aft mount)... Have two buckets mounted in the front, and ill run two short benches on each side back to the hatch (to cover the tank/batteries)..... Im unsure what i will weigh after that.

[cturboaddict]

oh boy, theres so much wrong with this trailer I think I will step aside and let the pro's have at it

Yeah, I know.... Its only a temporary thing.. Im going to buy a new one, but this will just have to get me by while im finishing it, and possibly to dip it in the water a couple times this summer..

[jeeperman]

The trailer appears to be too short and thus too small for that trailer.
Extending the tongue does nothing to correct the overloading of the trailer.

But...you could add another length of 3x3 tube to the bottom side of the existing tongue.
Cut the old tongue off at just forward of the forward jack u-bolt. Scrap everything in front of that and replace with new.
Your jack has to move forward in order for the boat to move forward. So you can either grind it off at the welds or see how it comes apart at the swivel and just leave the welded on part there. Either buy a new jack or see if you can u-bolt the rest of the jack to the new tongue tube (sans the swivel feature).
Use several 3 x 7 u-bolts to secure new longer tongue to underside of old tongue.
Relocate winch stand as needed and adjust it upwards.

But............
Your making a longer lever which will make it easier for that heavy boat to bend.

[lckstckn2smknbrls]

Get a new 8' to 10' piece of 3"x3", new jack, coupling and wiring.

[19ftangler]

Cut off Jack at welds, remove or cut off swivel unit, buy some u-bolts and bolt it to your new tongue. Also you need a new coupling, and make sure those lights work. By the looks of that trailer if you are going to try to put it on the road, with a 18ft boat, 115hp motor 18 gal. Gas tank, gear n' beer, I would check your axle bearings too. GOOD LUCK

[cturboaddict]

Thanks guys... It just seems to me that ill need to either get a new full length peice for the tongue and the jack or just hunt down a trailer thats larger. At least doing that will hold off until i can find a trailer to fix up....

[cturboaddict]

Well, got some work done to it. Ill need a new jack and possibly a keel roller too?

[V153]

Nice work so far on the resto. But I just don't think I'd feel safe carrying a fully loaded 18' Sidewinder on that lil trailer?

[cturboaddict]

Its a temporary thing... Just needed something to get me by and the way the boat sat on the trailer was not good at all for it. Im going to get a bunk trailer down the road when funds permit. But between being a full time student, working barely full time, two kids, a wedding, and restoring a boat-funds deplete rapidly....

[sschefer]

That trailer has already been stretched. The tounge should run back to a cross brace that looks to have been removed. The problem is that the trailer rails are too short. I don't recommend doing what you want to do. In fact, I think your pushing your luck using the trailer the way it is.

Sorry, don't mean to be negative but I'd rather be that then see someone get hurt.

[cturboaddict]

There are no weld marks or bolt holes where a cross brace would have been. Ive got my eye out for another trailer... Im hoping something will come my way by the time i put her in the water, but im a ways from that.