trailer tongue twister

[jtexas]

Due to a momentary brain malfunction on my part, the trailer recently liberated itself from the tow vehicle (for details see http://www.iboats.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi . Thankfully the auto-pilot & collision-avoidance system functioned normally so the boat is okay and the trailer still works. Problem is that the jack is not the swing-away kind, so the jack wheel absorbed the blow instead of the skid-plate, introducing about 20 degees of twist to the tongue. Now the jackstand, winch, and bow stop are all tilted over like drunken sailors. I can't leave it sitting on the jack for too long for fear of exacerbating the problem. Also the coupler doesn't sit straight on the hitch ball although I checked & double-checked so I know it's secure.<br /><br />This is an old Dilly tilt trailer; the tongue is hinged so it can be removed. Questions: any ideas on how to get enough leverage to twist it back into shape, or, alternatively, where to get a replacement tongue?<br /><br />thanks,<br />jtw

 

[StAugVol]

Re: trailer tongue twister

so, what really happened? I need to learn from your mistake...<br /><br />I'd plan on replacing parts if you can, instead of trying to bend it back.

 

[jtexas]

Re: trailer tongue twister

The details are posted in Stupid Human Tricks, but to recap: Mistake No. 1 - Didn't put the drawbar all the way into the receiver; the pin passed behind the drawbar instead of through the holes. Mistake No. 2 - didn't tug on the drawbar to ensure it was secure. Mistake No. 3 - forgot the safety chains.<br />

 

[Knightgang]

Re: trailer tongue twister

Mount the jack on the other side of the toung and try to repeat the exact same mistake. This should give you enough force to bend it back. <br /><br />Just kidding. If the tube of the tounge twisted, it will probably be much easier to just take it a trailer shop and have them replace the tounge channel and coupler.<br /><br />Good luck

 

[jtexas]

Re: trailer tongue twister

I'm hoping to find a junked trailer that I could salvage the tongue from - does anybody know where old trailers go to die?<br /><br />thanks,<br />jtw

 

[Pikey2574]

Re: trailer tongue twister

What do you need from the trailer and what size tralier are we talking about? I have one trailer I am willing to part with that has various parts.. it is for a 14 ft. jon/ semi v boat. <br /><br />Get back to me what you need and I will see what I have got.<br /><br />Later<br /><br />Kevin

 

[poolshark38759]

Re: trailer tongue twister

if there is enough straight tongue left at the trailer you could cut it off there and have a machine shop weld on a new piece of channel... i had the similar happen on the farm with a scraper that had a short tongue and hooked it to a dual wheel tractor and turned too short.. needless to say it twisted bent kinked and i had a side window full of scraper and had to take another tractor and chain to pull it off the wheel.... and all we did buy a piece of (longer, in our case) channel and a pipe that would just fit inside of it and welded the pipe in one side and slip new tongue up on it and welded the seem... worked for another 10 years till we sold it..

 

[jtexas]

Re: trailer tongue twister

Pikey, it's a 15-foot boat, I'll have to measure the trailer whenever I can get out to the storage facility, might be a few days. What part of East Texas? We'll be near Marshall middle of March. Also have relatives in Center.<br /><br />The tongue on these tilt trailers has a cross-member welded onto the trailer end. The cross-member has boxed-in ends which are bolted to the trailer frame such that the tongue can swivel up and down. So, the tongue can easily be unbolted and replaced if I can find one on a Dilly trailer whose hubs are gone bad or some other problem.<br /><br />good suggestion, poolshark I'll talk to my welder friend; maybe he can fabricate one.<br /><br />thanks,<br />jtw

 

[Pikey2574]

Re: trailer tongue twister

Hey JTexas<br /> Yeah I am in Nacogdoches Texas most of the year I go to school at SFA (Stephen F. Austin State university) and my parents actually live in the McKinney, Plano, Allen area (Far North Dallas). If you give me a email address or something I could send you a picture of the actually trailer it is a tilt trailer so the whole front tongue can disassemble.<br /><br />Just get me a email address or something and I will get you a picture and see if it is what you are looking for<br /><br />Later<br /><br />Kevin

 

[jtexas]

Re: trailer tongue twister

Kevin, a picture that would be great - if you could send it to john20000@aol.com.<br /><br />thanks very much,<br />john

 

[Pikey2574]

Re: trailer tongue twister

Hey Jtexas give me a couple of days and I will get you that picture I thought I had some on my computer but I actually deleted them. I should be able to get some pictures of the trailer this upcoming weekend though I and I will get them too you.<br /><br />Later<br /><br />Kevin

 

[kd6nem]

Re: trailer tongue twister

My trailer had a growing crack in the tongue. It was a mickey mouse deal to begin with, ugly too. One of the first things I did after I bought this rig was to go down to the local steel shop and procure a nice long piece of quality square tubing made for heavy duty receiver hitches. Cut the old mess off, the slid the new steel in place, then bolted using a number of grade 8 bolts. Fortunately the old stuff was sized just right so the new fit like a glove. In the process I added about a foot to the tongue length which helped a little with clearance with the jack, since I am running a stock bumber mount on my pickup. We may not have a lot of conveniences nearby in this farming area, but good steel is readily available. I don't have a clear picture of how far back the damage goes or whether you have channel or square metal, but a decent trailer shop can fix you up possibly easier depending on just how much would have to be fixed. Might even be able to straighten the old and add a gusset or two to restore strength.