What size trailer?

[jitterbug127]

I am in need of a new jon boat trailer. Mine has turned into a headache and I’d rather be fishing that messing around with it. My boat is a 16x 54 flat bottom smoker craft. The trailer the boat is on is between 21 and 22 feet long and 66” between the fenders. Way more trailer than I need. I’m wondering what is the ideal size trailer for my Jon?

Thanks in advance!

Rob

 

[roscoe]

I'd look for one at least 19' long, gives you a little space between winch post and tow vehicle.
You can go with a narrow trailer, where the boat sits above the fenders.
But I prefer a wider trailer, so the boat sits between the fenders.
It makes loading the boat, and climbing in, easier.
Also, with the boat sitting lower, it will be easier to launch and load.
Something like this. Karavan Trailer :

SINGLE AXLE 1500# LONG BUNK TRAILER​

Specifications​

Overall Width
73"
Overall Length
252"
Max Boat Length
234"
Transom to Bow Eye
133-217"
Width Between Fenders
57"
Trailer Weight
325 lb
GVWR
1825 lb
Carrying Capacity
1500 lb
Tire Size
ST175/80D13B
Hitch Ball Size
2"
Max Width at Bottom of Boat
57"

 

[JimS123]

I am in need of a new jon boat trailer. Mine has turned into a headache and I’d rather be fishing that messing around with it. My boat is a 16x 54 flat bottom smoker craft. The trailer the boat is on is between 21 and 22 feet long and 66” between the fenders. Way more trailer than I need. I’m wondering what is the ideal size trailer for my Jon?

Thanks in advance!

Rob

Ok, so it's 16' long.

First, go weigh it. Let's call it X pounds.

Second, pick out the brand trailer you want, probably from your the local dealer you like to work with. Decide on painted, aluminum or galvanized.

Then, look in their catalog and chose the model with a 16' length and an X lb. capacity.

That has worked for me every time. In fact, several times I picked my own model, when the dealer either tried to sell me a more expensive one, or a cheaper one just to make the sale.

 

[jitterbug127]

I will take my boat and trailer to the scales and then again without my boat to get a good weight. I’ve never worked with a local dealer just marketplaces used stuff, so I’ll call around find the best service I can find.

One more question… how far should a ball coupler be from a winch post? On my boat it’s 5 feet. Feels excessive to me; but I have nothing I reference it with.

Thanks!

 

[JimS123]

I will take my boat and trailer to the scales and then again without my boat to get a good weight. I’ve never worked with a local dealer just marketplaces used stuff, so I’ll call around find the best service I can find.

One more question… how far should a ball coupler be from a winch post? On my boat it’s 5 feet. Feels excessive to me; but I have nothing I reference it with.

Thanks!

First, you buy a trailer based on the proper boat length and weight. Then, you adjust the boat position fore and aft to get the proper tongue weight. The winch post will be where it us. There is no "proper" position.

If you put a 16' boat on a 20' trailer, there will be a large distance. Not particularly a problem, per se'. If you put a 16' boat on a 14' trailer the distance may be so short that you can't put the tailgate down. If it travels OK, and you don't care about the tailgate, then it's not a problem either.

 

[jitterbug127]

First, you buy a trailer based on the proper boat length and weight. Then, you adjust the boat position fore and aft to get the proper tongue weight. The winch post will be where it us. There is no "proper" position.

If you put a 16' boat on a 20' trailer, there will be a large distance. Not particularly a problem, per se'. If you put a 16' boat on a 14' trailer the distance may be so short that you can't put the tailgate down. If it travels OK, and you don't care about the tailgate, then it's not a problem either.

Thank you for the information!
I will look video on up how to get proper tongue weight on trailer. My long trailer is very nice to back up but difficult to fit in my garage. I can do it if I take out my shelving, but at over 21’ there isn’t much extra room.

I have my parents boat here boat is 15” and trailer is 17 feet. It fits inside garage really nicely.

 

[JimS123]

Thank you for the information!
I will look video on up how to get proper tongue weight on trailer. My long trailer is very nice to back up but difficult to fit in my garage. I can do it if I take out my shelving, but at over 21’ there isn’t much extra room.

I have my parents boat here boat is 15” and trailer is 17 feet. It fits inside garage really nicely.

Weight the whole rig. Measure the tongue weight with a bathroom scale. Move the boat forward or back to get the tongue at 5-10% of the total weight. If there is insufficient tongue length to get the job done, move the axle.

If your total length now is too long for the garage, maybe you can move the boat forward. Of course, the transom must also be properly supported, so maybe you can't move it too far.

An excessive tongue weight isn't necessarily bad either, as long as your car handle handle it.

 

[roscoe]

DOT regs state max distance from coupler to winch post (forward most cargo area ) is 4'.

I've got a cargo trailer with a very long ( 8' )tongue.
Never had a LEO question a longer tongue and I've been towing that trailer since 1986. There is a spare tire, and a small tool box bolted to the tongue, so maybe I'm not in violation.

 

[matt167]

My little boat is a 14’ StarCraft runabout. I bought one of the smaller Venture trailers that fits up to a 16’ trailer with the trailer length at 17’. It gives me about a 3’ tongue and I love launching with it.

 

[jitterbug127]

Weight the whole rig. Measure the tongue weight with a bathroom scale. Move the boat forward or back to get the tongue at 5-10% of the total weight. If there is insufficient tongue length to get the job done, move the axle.

If your total length now is too long for the garage, maybe you can move the boat forward. Of course, the transom must also be properly supported, so maybe you can't move it too far.

An excessive tongue weight isn't necessarily bad either, as long as your car handle handle it.

I like the idea with the bathroom scale! I’m going to weight my boat to know which trailer to buy: I’ll know the trailer weight when I buy a new one. Should make setting the tongue weight pretty easy!

 

[JimS123]

DOT regs state max distance from coupler to winch post (forward most cargo area ) is 4'.

I did not know that. Is that a state reg or federal? Is there a minimum distance?

 

[cyclops222]

Be intelligent about hitch to winch distance.
Make very sure that if you or someone else backs up ...TOO FAR..... the trailer neck & winch and boat clear the body as much as possible. All my trailer necks are safely long enough on any Rolls Royce towing car. All my car hitches have DROPPED ball ends.

 

[roscoe]

I did not know that. Is that a state reg or federal? Is there a minimum distance?

I know it has been discussed several times here on iBoats.
Can only find one thread on it now.

Maximum trailer tongue length?

I went this past weekend to pickup a Craigslist find and was on my way home with a boat and trailer. The boat is a 14' aluminum v hull and the trailer a bare bones Venture trailer with two bunks on a stamped steel frame about 4' wide, 4' long. Most of the trailer is tongue. The boat fits the...

forums.iboats.com

I also searched for it on the web in general, some years ago, and found it on a trailer manufacturing site.
4', or perhaps it was 5'

When I purchased my cargo trailer directly from a local manufacturer, I had them in install an 8' tongue. This was so my canoes would hang over the front of the trailer, not the rear. At that time, manufacturer told me it was not technically legal, something about too much space between the truck and cargo area. But he installed it.

As far as minimum distance goes, no legal requirement that I know of.
But recommended:
Front of coupler to forward most cargo area (winch post), should be half the width of load, plus 6", to prevent jack knifing the tow vehicle into the cargo portion of the trailer in a tight backing maneuver .

Maybe someone else can find it, my search skills and credits have expired.