Trailer issues

[captdan]

SO today was the first chance Ive had to get the "new to me Boat" out on the water since I bought her.... When I bought her, she had no trailer but I was able to pick one up in Miami for 200.... only problem I found out a bit later was that the boat hangs off the boat by 29"... more on that in a minute. So after getting back from Miami and with work, I managed to get her on the trailer with a little help from the break away/tilt, a pvc pipe and the winch on the trailer. Upon trying to start the motor, my pull rope broke.... ](*,) Figuring that I needed to gt the lower unit oil and impellar swapped out, I dropped her off at my local boat shop in hopes shed be ready the same day... ended up with her the next day which was quick enough... Took her for a spin yesterday on the river and she ran great..... After cruising around for a while, I decided to head home and start up on wiring her up the way I want.... Getting her on the trailer was a pain in the :!: Because I had slid the winch bracket so far up/high on the tongue, and the SHALLOW nature of the ramp, I had to back the trailer up quite a bit further than I wanted to.... glad it was freshwater and not salt!

Anywhos, with almost 3 ft of the boat sticking off, I am now looking for a solution to my problem. I need to extend the tongue, but with zero welding skills and a very thin wallet, my options are somewhat limited. The tongue looks to be held in place by a single bolt that the trailer swivels on when using the tilt feature.... If I were to slide the tongue forward and re-drill the hole about a foot further, would I have any negative effects on the trailer? Also plan to extend the bunks by 6-8" to help accommodate...... Any input would be appreciated.

CaptDan

 

[lckstckn2smknbrls]

Check with the local high school or jr college that has a welding class.

 

[lucescoflathead]

I ran into the same problem with my trailer. I needed to lengthen the tongue 3 feet so the boat wouldn't hit the back of my truck when I made a turn.

I got a piece of tubing the same size as the old tongue,cut off the old hitch and plated the two pieces together with 4 bolts. I can weld, but wanted to make the tongue removeable for storage.

I remounted the hitch and had to lengthen the wires out for the lights. I hope this helps. Todd

 

[captdan]

Thanks for the good info guys.... I am going to try and get er done today... will update on the progress....

 

[captdan]

Trailer issues all but resolved.... If I can find the cord to my camera, I will post a pic or two.... :?

 

[Hanr3]

Nice!
I'd like to see the pics.
ostpics:

 

[ralphjones786]

I needed to lengthen the tongue 3 feet so the boat wouldn't hit the back of my truck when I made a turn. Can you solve this? Otherwise i have new idea to trail it by mini truck or tractor.

 

[lucescoflathead]

I had the same problem. First I bought a 3 foot piece of tube the same size and used (2 )1/8 inch steel plates and 4 bolts and bolted it together. I thought I could I remove the tongue for storage. I looked at it for awhile and didn't like it.

Next I bought a piece of steel tube the same size as the original but 4 feet longer and installed it. It was easy as my trailer was a tilt and was only held on by 2 bolts. I lengthened the wires abd bolted on the hitch and safety chains. Looks like a factory job.

I hope this helps. Let me know if I can be of assistance. Todd