Calling all Trailer Experts!

Ok. I have been fighting my trailer for 2 years and I am offically out of ideas. I can’t get my boat to load straight and when it is on the trailer it sits lop sided. I will leave manuaftures out of the problem as I don’t want to bash them. It is a 16.5 foot boat (92 inch beam) with a roller trailer that I have since converted to bunks to help with the loading issues. I have found out that the cross members are welded off center which causes the sitting lop sided.

Where I need advice is axle capacity. The axle capacity (torsion axle) is 2100 with a GVW of 2500 lbs. Tires are 13 inch 185 which have a capacity of 1450 lbs each at max pressure. Here is the potential problem. Boat, motor, gas, batteries and minimal gear(not counting coolers and the other crap we always put in our boats going north) I am at a total weight of 2700lbs (which includes the trailer. Technically I am 200 lbs over the GVW.

Now I spent some time today adjusting the axle and boat position and I have a tongue weight near 320 lbs. Here is my question to the trailer experts. With the 320 tongue weight and I technially overloaded on the axle? DOes that mean I only have 2400 lbs on the axle since that 320lbs would be transfered to the truck? I have about 1000 – 1500 miles on the trailer with no wierd wear on my tires. Dealer says I am fine since they have sold hundreds of these packages, and the trailer manufacture (I talked to them over the phone) says the dealer sold too small of a trailer and I am asking for trouble, especially with the torsion axle. Upgrading to a 2450lb axle (new trailer) is gonna cost 1200 bucks. I can’t decide if 350lb difference is worth that kind of money since I know there are some safe factors built into the design of the axle and tires.

Thoughts?

Thanks for any insight!

[quote; and the trailer manufacture (I talked to them over the phone) says the dealer sold too small of a trailer and I am asking for trouble, especially with the torsion axle.]

Off the top, I’m not a trailer expert.sorry ’bout that.

I agree with the manufacture person totally. I think way to many dealers put together package deals and the trailer is the first place they skimp on to make up the bucks. The other seems to me they ‘under-horse power’ the boat. I digress…..

Yes, you have transferred 320#’s to the hitch. 200# on large boats is a minimum. But remember to keep the front end of your tow vehicle with enough load balance to keep under control….

I’m not a fan of torsion axles. And personally as much as I hate spending the money, going with the new axle upgrade will save you all of that in the long run, especially if you’ve got the boat you like. If there is NO way you could add some leaf springs to you frame, I’d upgrade.

About the lopsided load since converting to bunks? Even though those cross members aren’t welded centered, if (when boat is off the trailer, and your on a nice flat parking lot) you should be able to measure ground up and adjust height for bunks. This should level your loading problems. I actually done this for a couple fellas in the parking lot at Red Wing last year. (I just happened to have my 1/2 inch socket set with me, and we all have a tape to measure fish )…..

Good luck…

My thoughts.. take that back to your dealer with a printed copy of the trailer mfg saying it is too small. Tell him he sold you the wrong trailer and that it has been defective from the start. If he is any sort of respectable guy he will work with you to exchange it.

You should be able to upgrade the axle/tires without the need of a new trailer. I had nearly the same problem with a 18′ bassboat and a Tennessee Trailer. Ended up with a bent axle and was told that the axle should be rated for at least 125% of the load. Unfortunately, in a world where every manufacture tries to make it cheaper, they go with the most minimal st5andard stuff they can. Tennessee trailers was great to work with and the customer service sold me an up-sized axle (fully rigged with undersling plates, bearings, hubs, bearing buddies,….. with two day shipping to my house for about $150.00. That was about 8 years ago, but still the fact that they took care of me. The down side to my situation was a plate was welded almost 1/2″ out of keel and I had to weld a new one on to straighten it out. Also, if you put a new axle on, its relatively cheap to replace all the nylon bushings

320 lbs for the tongue weight seems high to me. Does your vehicle drive ok with the trailer set up that way? Lighter sprung vehicles will get tail heavy and be light on the front tires with a heavy tongued trailer – a dangerous combination for steering and braking.

It does sound like the dealer cheaped out on the trailer, but if you aren’t having any problems other than the boat sitting a bit lop-sided, I’d leave it as it was set up originally.

Good luck.

Dan

320lbs on the tongue is way too much for a 2500lb rig.
Your tongue weight should be between 5%-7% of the total weight…
With your set-up tongue weight should be 150 – 180lbs.

ShoreLand’r site
This helps explain things

Is this on your 165 Dominator Sport? I find it irresponsible that a dealer would put a 2100# capacity trailer under a bare hull that weighs 1250#, add your 90hp OB, fuel, batteries, etc. Is the 2700# number you mentioned the total trailer weight, or just the weight on the axle?

Another down-side to having so much tongue weight, is your trailer might only have a 3″x3″ tongue on it, which may be close to its’ design limits. You’ll see that heavier trailers use a 3×4 or 3×5 cross-section tongue, to handle the weight.

If you really like the boat, I’d invest in a new trailer, that’s better suited for the load.

HRG

USed boat trailers aren’t that expensive. That I remember, anyways. I would never spend big $ fixing one. Especially when you cant get the tongue weight right. Add some gear in the back of a truck and your headlights will be illuminating the timber about 1/2 way up as you drive.

I would not increase the capacity by such a tiny amount, either.

OR, I’d just throw all the gear in the truck and go. Don’t fill the boat up, etc.

On second thought, wouldn’t want to be near the max load rating of the tire, either. “Hey, watch this.”

Yeah it is the Dom Sport. 1250 lbs dry weigth. The 2700 that I caculated is based off of all the weight including the trailer so yes GVW is at least 200 over. I tried leveling the bunks to the ground but then the boat goes on side ways as the fenders are not symetrical to the frame. Ugh.

I feel a bit easier that 320 lbs is going to the truck and off of the axle but I know I am flirting with disaster. Drives fine now. When I got it from the dealer the tongue weight was way north of 500lbs. I can move the axle forward another 5 inches but I think it would look funny with it that far forward.

It seems like pictures are a good idea. It sounds messed up.

Ok. New trailer it is. I have narrowed it down to shorelandr 2300 lb axle or an ez loader with 2450 axle. Both are very similar trailers. Any suggestions to lean on way or the other. Both are within a 100 bucks of each other.

Thoughts?

Quote:

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Ok. New trailer it is. I have narrowed it down to shorelandr 2300 lb axle or an ez loader with 2450 axle. Both are very similar trailers. Any suggestions to lean on way or the other. Both are within a 100 bucks of each other.

Thoughts?

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Maybe go a bit bigger on capacity to allow for more misc. gear for long trips, and hope you’re going to a DIFFERENT dealer than the one that screwed up with the first trailer.

Dan