Shortening Trailer Tongue

[Have Fun Today]

I've read with great interest the thread on shortening trailer by 18"...I have been considering the same. Mine is driven by space, I want to minimize parking space needed inside the garage door. My trailer is just under 30' now (23' boat on a 27' trailer with about 3' of boat and drive unit sticking off the back end). 5000 pound boat on a 1000 pound trailer with about 650 pound tongue weight. It drives very nicely on the highway as is.

If I took 12" off the tongue, then how much aft would I have to move the boat to get it in proper tongue weight? If I then have to move the boat aft 6-12", I've wasted my time...it would be like I only moved the axels forward.

Are there other ways to shorten the total trailer length without messing up a well-balanced setup?

 

[Rusty Boater]

Re: Shortening Trailer Tongue

You could mount up a swing away tounge set-up...

 

[burroak]

Re: Shortening Trailer Tongue

I've read with great interest the thread on shortening trailer by 18"...I have been considering the same. Mine is driven by space, I want to minimize parking space needed inside the garage door. My trailer is just under 30' now (23' boat on a 27' trailer with about 3' of boat and drive unit sticking off the back end). 5000 pound boat on a 1000 pound trailer with about 650 pound tongue weight. It drives very nicely on the highway as is.

If I took 12" off the tongue, then how much aft would I have to move the boat to get it in proper tongue weight? If I then have to move the boat aft 6-12", I've wasted my time...it would be like I only moved the axels forward.

Are there other ways to shorten the total trailer length without messing up a well-balanced setup?

If your question is; Can I shorten a trailer without modifying anything else on the trailer? Maybe, maybe not. If you can find a scale that will register up to a 1000# , measure back on the tongue 12" from the coupler, place a jack stand on the scale and place the tongue of the trailer on the jack stand directly beneath the 12 " mark. That should give you the tongue weight ofyour "shortened" tongue. On a 30' trailer, 1' lopped off would not seem to be a big issue, but verify to be at ease with the proposed modification. If you want to keep the exact tongue weight as you have at the 30' length, several things can be done as you have already noted. Relocating the axles, somewhat of a PITA, is possible unless the fender fairings are incorporated into the frame. Adding weight to the rear most part of the trailer frame will reestablish equilibrium, but it would be unwieldy and inelegant.

Just MHO, I doubt if 12" off tongue will affect much of a change. I'm guessing that 30-35#'s would be added to the tongue weight but I'll wait for 180shabah to chime in, he does the math. With that size of a rig, do you have a Reese or some other equalizer setup? That to would mitigate smaller differences.

 

[Wide Open]

Re: Shortening Trailer Tongue

After you do the weighing exercise detailed above you will be able to determine the amount, if any, you need to move the boat back. Likely taking one foot of the tongue you won't need to reposition the boat but you need to do the math to be sure. Normally you would be looking for 10-15% of the total boat weight at the tongue so you would be safe with a tongue load between 600-900 pounds. Assuming of course you will not exceed your rear axle weight rating by increasing the tongue weight.