Added an extension onto my trailer tongue

[richg99]

My latest addition (1648 Lowe tinny) came with a relatively short tongue on its trailer. I quickly got tired of dipping my van's wheels and exhaust pipe into the salt water every time I had to launch her.

Also, I had to put on my wading boots so I could step off of the tongue after the boat was secured. Not much smells worse than a pair of wet wading boots bouncing around in the open expanse of a van. My wife also noticed the added fragrance whenever we went somewhere in my vehicle .. Hooo Ha!

For a couple of hundred bucks, I had a 3-foot extension added. Fulton says, with my 3x3 trailer frame, I could have gone all of the way up to 4 feet. 3 seemed plenty. When I looked at drilling 16 one half inch holes into the 3x3 steel trailer frame; cutting an inch or so off of the original metal, and then re-drilling for the new coupler position, I decided to let the seller do the work. I no longer own a big drill, and I am not sure that the old bits that I had would have handled the job, anyway.

Another factor is that the unit came with very large Torx style bolts. I would have had to buy a mega-sized Torx fitting, also.

The Foldaway Extension device cost was about $90.00; and labor, including a new wiring extension, was another $104.00 Out the door.

Now, I can drop the boat into the water with ease; and when recovering it, I have been able to step right off of the tongue extension without getting wet at all. I am sure that some ramps won't allow that, but the Fayette ramp I was at yesterday certainly did. As you can see from the picture, I added a plywood step to the top of the extension.

The Foldaway feature allows me to put the boat into my short garage. I think I feel the road bumps a bit more, what with the added three feet of length.

The Fulton Foldaway device is all galvanized. I bought a non-galvanized piece of 3x3 square tubing from a local metal supply place for $14.00 or so. I had great and very quick purchase and installation service from Master Hitch Trailer off of I-45 near Rayford road in The Woodlands, TX.
281-863-9380

If you contact them, tell them you heard about them on https://www.Tinboats.net

regards, richg99

https://www.amazon.com/Fulton-HDPB330101-Fold-Away-Bolt--Trailer/dp/B001F0IE7A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1448022301&sr=8-1&keywords=fulton+fold+away+hinge+kit

 

[-CN-]

Good work on that. It's nice to know a foldaway device can be purchased separately if I ever want to do this.

 

[richg99]

Yes. They offer 3 sizes that I know of 3x3 2x3 4x3 and they are all available in bolt-on or weld-on configurations. Prices are, I think, reasonable.

Their original purpose was to fit a trailer into a small garage. However, I thought that using the extension to keep the car/truck/van from dipping into the water.... was an even better idea.

Many years ago, on a boat that has long-since moved on to another owner, I cut the tongue off; and added an insert about six feet long ( two feet showed). I used to remove that invention every time I put the boat into the garage to work on it. That device weighed a ton, but it worked.

On this project, amazingly, when I contacted an "expert" at one of the on-line vendors, I was told that I couldn't do what I intended to do????? I then called Fulton's technical support line directly. After a long wait, I got the true expert who told me that the use that I envisioned was EXACTLY for what the device was designed.

I reported Fulton's answer back to the on-line guy. He had the courage to review my request, and admit that he had misread it, and apologized.

regards, richg99

 

[lckstckn2smknbrls]

Very nice.
I have a tilting trailer with an 8' tongue that had a slight bend and a PO drilled a few extra holes in it.
I have replaced the tongue with a 10'er if it ends up too long for my garage I will be doing the folding tongue kit.
An easy way to drill the all those holes is with a step bit.

 

[richg99]

The final straw in drilling the holes is when I realized that 8 of them would have to be drilled from the bottom up.

There isn't much clearance between the tongue and the ground. This old 76 year old body didn't take kindly to laying on the deck, and holding a heavy drill overhead.

I worked a long time and saved a few bucks. Paying someone to do it was an easy choice.

richg99

 

[Kismet]

:lol:

Rich? My very first thought, before I opened the thread was, "hire a guy."

Old guys appreciate the cost of back pains.

Nice work.

Still sorry you moved out of the Mid-west. We're getting our first snow today and you missed it.

 

[richg99]

Oh yea. Every time I see snow like that, I am SO sorry we left 35 years ago. Two blizzards in the Chicago area in the late 70's tipped the scales towards sanity.

Add Illinois's crazy high taxes and politics, and I wonder why anyone is left in that state.

Where we Summer in TN., I meet people every month who have given up and moved away.

Enough rambling. How have you been? I
still remember the great fishing in Delavan and Silver lakes, Wisconsin. richg99

 

[earl60446]

Add Illinois's crazy high taxes and politics, and I wonder why anyone is left in that state.
richg99

Hey, what the hell, I will have you know that we have more and better paid politicians than any other state in America.
Plus there pensions (all public "service" actually) are the best in the nation, all paid by us, the ever grateful taxpayer.
:roll: :roll:

Tim

 

[PATRIOT]

Is this what your mounting package contained?
Thanks

 

[richg99]

Yes...re package..

richg99

o.s. please note. There is one very large nut that fits the hinge shaft. All the rest fit the nuts.

 

[lckstckn2smknbrls]

There should be a drill centering jig too.

 

[-CN-]

Time has come where I want to do this. I am not keen on installing the folding device which I will never get use of, as overall length isn't an issue for me. I'm trying to extend my tongue by at least two feet. What I want to do is get a square tube that slips over my existing tongue, overlap about a foot, and put two bolts through. Problem is my tongue measures 1-3/4" wide x 3" high, so this would need to be the inside dimension of the metal square tube used for the extension. I am having a hard time finding such a product. I just need 3-4 feet of it.

 

[fishmonger]

"My latest addition (1648 Lowe tinny) came with a relatively short tongue on its trailer. I quickly got tired of dipping my van's wheels and exhaust pipe into the salt water every time I had to launch her".

I am amazed at how many guys think nothing of backing their vehicles into salt water and I mean further than just the tires getting wet. My new EZ Loader is longer but I put a tongue extension on my old trailer. A lot cheaper than replacing wheels, backing plates and brakes that salt water will dissolve quickly.

 

[richg99]

The LINK and picture that I show below is a different approach to the extending a hitch issue. It extends your draw-bar. I've seen them advertised at longer lengths. No reason why you can not find something that will fit into your receiver.

Add a ball onto it, and you have a longer draw-bar.

Of course, you'd have to go through the trouble of pulling your regular draw-bar and inserting this one when you get to the water. No way would I drive very far down the road with this thing sticking out.

I've also seen one that bolts to the bottom of the front of your trailer itself. You get to the site; unhitch; pull this extension out (as much as 5 feet or longer) reconnect it to your regular draw-bar, and put the boat into the water. They are used for small keel type sailboats all of the time.

richg99

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/NTESearch?storeId=6970&N=0&Ntk=All&Ntt=boat+trailer+tongue+extension&Nty=1&D=boat+trailer+tongue+extension&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Dx=mode+matchallpartial&cmnosearch=PPC&utm_source=google_PPC&utm_medium=Towing&utm_campaign=Generic&utm_content=boat%20trailer%20tongue%20extension&mkwid=sLcHmdpy3&pcrid=74285821871&mtype=e&storeId=6970&langId=-1&type=search&utm_source=google_PPC&utm_medium=Towing&utm_campaign=&utm_content=boat%20trailer%20tongue%20extension&mkwid=sYXp0sgWP&pcrid=74285821871&mtype=e&devicetype=c&storeId=6970&langId=-1&type=search&gclid=Cj0KEQjwz-i3BRDtn53Z5Z7t4PUBEiQA23q2ALlR7DdMNbgivUWgVw8UHMAfPMyZaxbrf7_-rFvQ614aAlII8P8HAQ

 

[richg99]

Here is the other type... richg99

https://www.xtend-a-hitchnorthwest.com/

 

[lckstckn2smknbrls]

Time has come where I want to do this. I am not keen on installing the folding device which I will never get use of, as overall length isn't an issue for me. I'm trying to extend my tongue by at least two feet. What I want to do is get a square tube that slips over my existing tongue, overlap about a foot, and put two bolts through. Problem is my tongue measures 1-3/4" wide x 3" high, so this would need to be the inside dimension of the metal square tube used for the extension. I am having a hard time finding such a product. I just need 3-4 feet of it.

You could weld a matching sized length of steel to the tongue and weld gussets over the seams.

 

[-CN-]

I am not a welder and want it to be as simple as using a few bolts.
Also, my main reason for needing the tongue extension is for weight distributing purposes. I need to move the boat further forward on the trailer as I have added a gas outboard (which I never originally planned to do), and with the already compact trailer, the boat is already as far forward as I will comfortably go without the nose being too close to my vehicle.
I think I'm gonna start looking into just getting a new trailer, but my budget is under $100 for this project and that won't even buy a fixer-upper.

 

[richg99]

Can you find a sturdy or even solid, length of steel to fit INSIDE of your present tube?

I did that some many years ago. I had an extra piece of steel that matched my present (at that time) trailer. I think it was 3x4 I found a piece that fit inside. Cut it to fit both front and rear lengths, with at least three feet on each end.

I believe I had to shim it some to fit snug. Bolted it to the front piece, and used large, removable pins to affix it to the rear piece. Worked fine for a number of years. I did it to fit the boat/trailer inside of my garage.

richg99

 

[riverbud55]

Here is the other type... richg99

https://www.xtend-a-hitchnorthwest.com/

that's a very clever gizmo Rich, thanks for sharing,, cant see buy n though, got to build me one for a old jon on a high wheeled trailer,,,,,

when I built my new aluminum trailer I built in a telescopic extendable hitch,, have very shallow ramps out on the marsh I fish and at times have to get the trailer back in the water well past the bumper of my LITTLE car, adds about 3-1/2 feet, comes in very hand at times,,, only problem cant use the bow winch ,,,think n of building a clamp on hand capstan winch of some kind,,,

pics are before I put my g3 on the trailer

 

[richg99]

There are many ways to skin this cat. Its up to the OP as to how to do it.

If the real issue is getting the wheels wet while launching, then...in the past...

I have #1 had the axle on a trailer placed on TOP of the springs. That gave me a couple of inches LOWER support for the boat. The water was closer, and I didn't have to back in so far.

#2 Recently, I took my prior boat's trailer in to have the bunks turned from an upright position to flat. That lowered the boat two inches.

#3 finding a steeper launch might need to be done. Sometimes driving a bit may be necessary.

A combination of things might have to be done to accomplish the OP's original needs. Extending the tongue is only one potential solution.
richg99