max tongue load / position of axle

[kurz]

Hello
I have an new incl. original aluminium trailor.

Now I guess that tha tongue load is too havy. Here in switzerland I should not have more than 75kg (165lbs).

So can anyone tell me, how far from the tongue the axle is fixed? I will bring the axle more in the directon to the tongue. But I have no idea how to define the right position (maybe I just have to check out by testing different positions, but this takes more time .

Thank you for any help kurz

by the way: a 60hp mercury is mounted

[c130king]

I have always heard you should have around 10% tongue weight...in this case nearly 400 pounds.

Otherwise I think you will have very unstable trailering when at highway speed.

I am sure others are smarter on this issue than I.

Cheers,
Jim

[raycarlson]

agree with above,you want 300lbs minimum. who and from what source came up with that 165 figure.

[mastreb]

The boat manual says 300 lbs. Are required.

[Highlander]

Hello
I have an new incl. original aluminium trailor.

Now I guess that tha tongue load is too havy. Here in switzerland I should not have more than 75kg (165lbs).

So can anyone tell me, how far from the tongue the axle is fixed? I will bring the axle more in the directon to the tongue. But I have no idea how to define the right position (maybe I just have to check out by testing different positions, but this takes more time .

Thank you for any help kurz

by the way: a 60hp mercury is mounted

Your gonna have one Hull of a Tail waggle with that little amount of tongue weight & heading for a jack-knife on any kinda sudden move to change direction also yer gonna have a heck of a time pulling up any steep ramps with-out 4x4

J

[Hamin' X]

Unless this tongue weight limitation is based upon a regulation about the trailer, it sounds like your tow vehicle is too light. You REALLY need a vehicle that will allow a minimum of 300 lbs tongue weight.

~Rich

[ChuckieTodd]

I would almost bet on sway at 165 pounds. Sway is really scary - I speak from experience.

[bartmac]

The 10 % rule is not a bad idea BUT our Mac/trailer weighs 2 Ton Metric and we only have a 15hp Suzuki SO 10% is 200Kgs OR 440lbs ******How many people weigh thier Mac OR caravans/campers/motorhome....I bet many would be surprised at how much all that sh~t adds up.....not sh~t...... you know sheet.AND then how many vehicles will handle those sort of ball weights

[Hamin' X]

If your vehicle cannot handle the 440#, you are probably exceeding it's max tow rating by towing 4400#.

~Rich

[bartmac]

The towbar on the light truck we use is 2750kgs max 250kg ball weight.....but that's a light truck.....bit worried about some other passenger vehicles BUT then again the rules regarding towing vary wildly around the world.In Australia if you exceed 2 ton (metric) ...it's then a completely different ball game ....breakaway systems required which adds $1500 plus at least

[Hamin' X]

Another point to consider: On light trucks, to get to you max tow capacity requires the use of the proper hitch. If using the step bumper, you will have to derate your trailer weight.

~Rich

[bartmac]

The term "light truck" in Australia is applied to small trucks not SUV or what we call utilities but probably more F350 sized trucks.These are what's called Cab Chassis (no tray fitted ex factory) and appropriate trays are fitted depending on intended usage.They are never fitted with tub style trays ex factory and as such Bumper steps are not really used in Australia except on some imported US vehicles.The term truck is never really used for any thing other than load carrying vehicle and not passenger vehicles.

[RobertB]

By the description you give, you may have the same or very similar car as I do. I use a Volvo XC70 to tow my . I use the Volvo tow hitch, not an aftermarket one. This car has interesting tow specs: US manual states 3300 lbs but UK literature states 1800kg/3900lbs (same car) and about a 165 lb tongue load (5% is abnormally low for a single axle trailer). Since I often haul heavy gear and several people in the car easily (more load on the rear axle that a 400lb tongue load would impart), I essentially ignore the spec numbers and do what I can to minimize the rear axle/tire loading on the car. With only front seat passengers and no gear in the back, I tow with between 300 and 400 lbs tongue load and the car tracks well (accelerates well too). The all wheel drive makes pulling the boat up slippery ramps a breeze. I do not exceed 60-65 mph.
All that said, I am pursuing adding an axle to the trailer to get more stability and decrease the tongue load to about 250 lbs.

[Phil P]

How to determine your tongue wieght. After I learned how, I was embaressed on how easy it was. I visited a website that offered a $400 device to calculate it. Armed with that information I visited the local wieght station and determined my tongue wieght.


My local truck stop has a wieght station. $10 for intial weight and $1 for re-wieghts. I guess the guys weight the truck and then go have it loaded and return for a re-weight.

Here is the process (it will be obvious once you do it once but you won't have to do it again)

1- Load up your boat with all the usual stuff - outboard motor, full tanks of gas, mojito premix etc
2 - With the trailor and jack stand on the scale, get a weight. (Make sure your tow vehicle is off the scale)
3- Now raise the trailor off the hitch ball and re-weigh. (jackstand must be on the scale)
4- The difference will be the tonque wieght.

The factory supplied trailor has the winch welded to the trailor frame so you can't simply move the nose of the boat forward or back. Jack up your trailor and move the axle as required to get the tongue weight correct, 10% of total. An inch or two changes a lot.


That said I would guess the factory delivered tongue wieght is about 200lbs since it floats up if unhitched with my 200lbs and 50lb kicker on the back.

Next week, I'm taking my 26m in and having a ETEC 90 hp installed. I'm sure I'll be playing with the placement of the axle to achieve 10% wieght on the tongue.

FYI when I bought my Catalina its tongue wieght was only 5% and I had several near death experiences with trailor sway on my first trip.

[Tomfoolery]

All that said, I am pursuing adding an axle to the trailer to get more stability and decrease the tongue load to about 250 lbs.

Just for the record, the previous owners of my added a second 3500 lb axle to its original steel trailer, and it tows and tracks very nicely with a little under 200 lb tongue load. These are leaf spring axles with an equalizer between them, so hitch height doesn't change the balance between the axles like what can happen with torsion spring axles.

Obviously, the shop that did the work moved the original, so the center between the axles is where the original was. They had drums on all four wheels, which were beyond shot when I got it (smoked them all just trying to get it home), and I have disk brakes, lines, and coupler coming. And bearings and seals. And lights. And new bunk carpet. Still cheaper than a new trailer, though.