Trailer fishtailing

[kenmyfam]

Re: Trailer fishtailing

Choices as I see it.

Extend trailer as suggested and get boat further forward.
Put a lot of the heavier gear in the bow and try it again.
Bolt some weight (solid steel) in between the jockey wheel and the winch post and / or ahead of the winch post to get the tongue weight up.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Trailer fishtailing

Also from the information available you have about 185lb of tongue weight already. To add a lump or 2 of steel to the tongue should help considerably.
Steel has a weight of 0.2836 lb per cubic inch.
A 4" x 4" x 8" lump would give you an additional 36 lb of tongue weight.
A 6" x 6" x 8" lump would give you an additional 81 lb of tongue weight.
Both would give an additional 117 lb of tongue weight.
Lead size for size would give you around an additional 50% weight.

Just a thought though.

 

[jlinder]

Re: Trailer fishtailing

Just my $.02 but ...

1. If the estimated weight of the boat is correct at 900kg, and you add about 300 kg for the trailer, that comes to 1200kg. (just guessing of course) Way over the 750kg limit you mention as the limit for a trailer without brakes.

2. 84kg for the tongue comes to about 7%. Probably need more weight on the tongue. Could be weights (more to pull, more to stop). Have to come up with something.

3. As had been mentioned it looks like the tongue is pretty short. Could cause problems in sharp turns. Maybe want to extend it.

So let's see - need brakes added, need to shift weight to the tongue, and may need to weld an extension to the tongue. Sounds like a lot of effort and money.

Maybe time to consider a trade in.

 

[WIMUSKY]

Re: Trailer fishtailing

Just my $.02 but ...

So let's see - need brakes added, need to shift weight to the tongue, and may need to weld an extension to the tongue. Sounds like a lot of effort and money.

Maybe time to consider a trade in.

I agree. To me that trailer looks a little small for that boat. Buying a new/newer trailer more suited for that size of boat should eliminate any trailering issues. Maybe not what you want to hear, but in the long run, you'd be very happy you made the purchase.

 

[lightwood38]

Re: Trailer fishtailing

Cheers guys, I guess the first thing I need to do is get to a weight bridge and see what she weights. Nice info there bote its hard to dig up any info on this type of boat.

cheers

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Trailer fishtailing

I agree. Get it weighed so you know just what you are dealing with. Go from there.

 

[lckstckn2smknbrls]

Re: Trailer fishtailing

After you get the correct weight lengthen the tongue.

 

[Jeep Man]

Re: Trailer fishtailing

Cheers guys, I guess the first thing I need to do is get to a weight bridge and see what she weights. Nice info there bote its hard to dig up any info on this type of boat.

cheers

Nice boat though. I like it.

 

[lightwood38]

Re: Trailer fishtailing

After you get the correct weight lengthen the tongue.

I think you guys are on the right track, here is the best pic I can find of my old boat, same boat just alot older, and the front of the trailer is a heap longer.

 

[lightwood38]

Re: Trailer fishtailing

Nice boat though. I like it.

Thanks Jeep man, can't wait to slowly tow it to the water this weekend.

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Trailer fishtailing

Looks like that is the difference then. Shame you have to go to that much work to solve the issue.

 

[lightwood38]

Re: Trailer fishtailing

Thats ok mate, if thats what it needs I will just get it done. There is a weigh bridge about 5 mins from work(thanks google) so I will tow it into work tomorrow morning and get it weighed. Then I will get a piece of steel from the place up the road and weld it on.

I gather the process will be something like this. Once I have the boat weight put the jockey wheel on the scales and pull the boat forward till the scales read about 10%.

judging by the pics people have said add 12"(300mm) to the length. Everyone agree that will be enough?

cheers

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Trailer fishtailing

Thats ok mate, if thats what it needs I will just get it done. There is a weigh bridge about 5 mins from work(thanks google) so I will tow it into work tomorrow morning and get it weighed. Then I will get a piece of steel from the place up the road and weld it on.

I gather the process will be something like this. Once I have the boat weight put the jockey wheel on the scales and pull the boat forward till the scales read about 10%.

judging by the pics people have said add 12"(300mm) to the length. Everyone agree that will be enough?

cheers

Better to cut it a little long and check with the bathroom scales. Better to cut twice and get it right in this scenario.

 

[lightwood38]

Re: Trailer fishtailing

Yea I can probibly only buy it in 1 meter lenghts anyway. So that will be heaps.

cheers

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Trailer fishtailing

Yea I can probibly only buy it in 1 meter lenghts anyway. So that will be heaps.

cheers

Good Luck and post your results. With a photo or 2 I hope.

 

[lightwood38]

Re: Trailer fishtailing

Seeing as you guys will probably be in bed by the time I start welding should I be looking more torwards 10% or closer to 15%. I would still like to be able to lift the trailer at the front.


cheers

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Trailer fishtailing

Seeing as you guys will probably be in bed by the time I start welding should I be looking more torwards 10% or closer to 15%. I would still like to be able to lift the trailer at the front.


cheers

I would go with nearer the 15% mark. You can always load some gear at the stern end to lighten it up a little.
Just my 2 cents though.

 

[lightwood38]

Re: Trailer fishtailing

Ok it's 980kg. the box frame is 64mm*4mm so I have a piece of 75*4mm a meter long which I am going to slide about 6" over the top of the old frame and weld it on. I am going to try and get it to about 120kg which is a little over 12% and see how that goes.

Should I leave the whole length, it will be about 2.5' longer.

cheers

 

[NYBo]

Re: Trailer fishtailing

I'm surprised no one mentioned ensuring that the tires are properly inflated. Low pressure will contribute to fishtailing.

 

[steddy]

Re: Trailer fishtailing

I'm surprised no one mentioned ensuring that the tires are properly inflated. Low pressure will contribute to fishtailing.

One more stupid-simple solution:
Make sure the boat's tongue is riding level, if not a little down hill toward the vehicle. Reason for this? Put the dolly wheel back on the bathroom scale. Watch the weight get lighter as you raise the tongue of the trailer, and heavier when you lower it back down.

The more complex solution, a combination of everything said.
That axle does look a bit far forward in the picture, I assume the trailer manufacturer did this to balance out the weight of the engine and the cuddy cabin to keep tongue weight down, based on information from the boat manufacturer. The tongue does look a little short - has it been modified to fit into a shorter garage? Between that and the axle being farther forward, the perfect storm of wheelbase vs. weight distribution is created. Looks like it might be just a bad design.