Small trailers and adjustable axles

[justaguy93]

I've been doing a lot of searching through this forum in the past couple of days to try and figure out how to reduce the tongue weight on the trailer and 14' boat I just purchased. It seem like the common advice for my situation is to either move the boat back or the axle forward. I'd prefer to move the axle forward. I could install longer bunks and move the boat back but I'm really almost at the limit for trailer length already as far as my storage space goes. That and then the bunks would be extended at least a foot past where the trailer frame ends and I'm not sure how good of an idea that is. In any case, most comments are that moving the axle is a simple thing to do, but from what I can tell where the springs attach to the trailer is fixed in place. Am I just blind or are the smaller trailers not set up to be adjustable?<br /><br />On another note, the trailer came with the bunks set up vertically. I have an aluminum boat but it seems like they really should be set up flat to put more surface area on the boat. It this something else I should fix if I have to redo the bunks anyways?

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Small trailers and adjustable axles

Older trailers on which the spring shackles are welded directly to the frame are not adjustable. Newer trailers have the spring shackles welded to a saddle affair or separate frame that is held to the trailer frame by "U" bolts. Loosening the bolts allows the entire axle and saddle assembly to be slide forward or backward.

 

[justaguy93]

Re: Small trailers and adjustable axles

Ok that makes sense, and mine are definately welded on. <br /><br />Does anyone have experience with bolting on new spring hangers to an older trailer?

 

[studlymandingo]

Re: Small trailers and adjustable axles

It's not too big of a deal, welding new brackets is also easy. Careful not to get too much weight to the rear of the trailer, you may get soem fishtailing.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Small trailers and adjustable axles

You'll have to do some math to determine what tongue weight is now and what you want it to be. Then you need to calculate where the new shackles need to be. You don't want to do this job more than once. You do realize you need to do both the front and rear shackles, keeping them the same distance apart as they are now?

 

[justaguy93]

Re: Small trailers and adjustable axles

Thanks for the advice. Sounds like I have some work to do before I make any changes. Right now I'm measuring ~135lbs of tongue weight for a virtually empty 14' aluminum rowboat with a 15hp 2 stroke on the back. The boat weighs 250lbs tops, probably less. So the weight seems like it's at least double what it should be, maybe even more.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Small trailers and adjustable axles

ADD THE WEIGHT OF THE TRAILER. WHEN CALCULATING. BEFORE YOU START CUTTING AND WELDING, JUST PUSH THE BOAT BACK A COUPLE OF INCHES, AND SEE IT THIS HELPS. YOU WILL BE SURPRIZE HOW MUCH THE LEVERAGE HELPS. EXTENDING BUNKS A FOOT OUT THE BACK IS NO PROBLEM ON THAT SIZE BOAT. AS LONG AS YOU BUNKS ARE 1 " PAST THE TRANSOM YOU WILL BE OK.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Small trailers and adjustable axles

Ayuh,..... For a Little Tinny,... I'd just Slide it Back to where you want it,+ Move the winch post back to Match...........<br /><br />Big Tinny's aren't as suseptable as Glass boats to the placement of the bunks,.....<br />With a Little Bitty Tinny,.... It Barely Matters just Where the bulks are.......<br /><br />It isn't like you're trying to do a set up for a 25" fiberglass boat,.. That weighs a Ton or More..........

 

[justaguy93]

Re: Small trailers and adjustable axles

Again...thanks for the advice. I assume since I have a light aluminum boat having the bunks on end vs laid flat is fine as well? This may just be a matter of getting a couple of treated 2x4's, some glue and carpet.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Small trailers and adjustable axles

With this light a load, whether or not the tongue weight is correct is not a problem. You are making unnecessary work for yourself. When you load supplies, load them toward the rear of the boat and things will work out.

 

[justaguy93]

Re: Small trailers and adjustable axles

I see. When I first towed the rig it seems to push and pull a lot at low speeds, but that's actually improved quite a bit now that a motor is on the back. So I'll take your advice and run with it as-is for a bit and see how it works out. <br /><br />Thanks everyone for the help.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Small trailers and adjustable axles

I'm curious about the tongue weight on this rig. Mostly the construction of the trailer. I can't believe a 250# boat with an engine installed has that much tongue weight. The trailer itself must be extremely heavy -- home built from structural steel maybe? Or is the boat short for the length of the trailer?

 

[justaguy93]

Re: Small trailers and adjustable axles

That's what I thought as well. The trailer has a 3x3" tongue and I think the frame is 3x2". The wheels are way towards the back. If you look at the trailer on the right in the picture on this page that's pretty much what I've got.<br /><br /> http://www.magictilt.com/products/trailer-b-series.htm <br /><br />The trailer does have some good weight to it, especially compare to my other trailer which uses 2" frame and tongue and as the wheels a good 2' further forward. I'm half considering taking that trailer for the new boat, but it's all welded together and looks quite a bit older, so maintenance on it will probably be more difficult than the newer one where things like the coupler can be swapped out by taking a few bolts out.

 

[justaguy93]

Re: Small trailers and adjustable axles

That trailer in the picture isn't the exact one I have, at least I don't think it is. But that's what it looks like.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Small trailers and adjustable axles

Very similar to a Karavan trailer I had some time ago. That trailer carried a 15.5 ft MirroCraft side console boat with a 40HP Evinrude. The boat weighed 550 + 200 for the motor which is far heavier than yours and I routinely picked up the tongue to move the rig even though it had a tongue jack. Although I never weighed it, it had nowhere near 130# on the tongue. On your setup, are the ends of the bunks flush with transom ?

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Small trailers and adjustable axles

I guess one other thought would be does the boat have a floor in it and is there a possibility that water has been trapped at the front.

 

[justaguy93]

Re: Small trailers and adjustable axles

Nope the boat is empty aside from 3 rods, 2 clamp on seats, and a half full 6 gallon tank which is towards the back. No floors or anything like that..though I'm planning to add a false bottom forward of the middle bench where the v gets pretty deep. The bunks are almost exactly flush with the transom. My motor is relatively light (~75# or so) so there isn't a lot of weight beyond the axle, just that and a couple feet of boat. For kicks I pulled the back of the boat maybe 8" past the bunks and it did lighten up the tongue to ~100#.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Small trailers and adjustable axles

Don't leave the boat positioned like that. The bunks need to extend to the transom for proper support. At any rate, I'd not bother with relocating the axle if the spring shackles are welded to the frame. Too much work and expense for very little benefit. If you ever get a slightly bigger boat and engine you'd need to put things back again.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Small trailers and adjustable axles

Edit,..... Sorry........1 for the Post Count I guess.........

 

[justaguy93]

Re: Small trailers and adjustable axles

Yes definately! I've done enough reading on here to know better than to take to the road with the boat pulled back past the bunks. Thanks for the warning though.