[Rhodes22-list] Tongue Weight

Todd Tavares sprocket80@mail.com
Sat, 14 Dec 2002 02:43:27 -0500


   Rik, (and others),

      Thanks for the helpful info.  My modifications to the trailer are
   not going to change the fore and aft positioning of the boat in
   relation to the axle.  I have towed the boat in slight excess of 55
   mph and she towed like a dream; I could barely tell I was towing a
   boat.

       I do not have an adjustable bow stop, only two large rollers which
   hit 2 inches or so above and below the bow eye.  My winch is a  HD 2
   speed with the cable coming out between the rollers.  I shouldn't have
   a big problem winching the boat forward against the stop rollers with
   wet bunks.   I just have to experiment using the methods explained in
   the FAQ's to find what will best work for my boat and trailer.  Thanks
   everyone for the help!

       Now if I can just remember the rig I set up to measure the tongue
   weight of my camper using the bathroom scale..   :-)    ..I will find
   the ideal tongue weight and hopefully reproduce it after the
   modifications.

   Todd


   ----- Original Message ----- From: Rik Sandberg Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2002
   21:11:28 -0600 To: The Rhodes 22 mail list Subject: RE:
   [Rhodes22-list] Tongue Weight > Todd, > > The issue with loading an R
   22 isn't really that it can't be gotten far > enough ahead on the
   trailer. It can be set plenty far ahead.....that is, if > you could
   set it wherever you wanted to. Like if you used a travelift to > set
   your boat on the trailer. I suspect that you could actually get the >
   boat too far ahead in that case. > > The tongue weight (or lack of it)
   problem comes from when you float the > boat onto the trailer while
   the trailer sits on the ramp at a fairly large > downward angle. You
   can run the boat ahead, all the way to the fully > retracted bow stop
   and winch her tight there. Now remember, your trailer is > angled down
   while your boat is sitting pretty much water level. Your bow > eye is
   also lower in relation to the winch than it will be when you have >
   pulled up the ramp and are on level ground, probably 6 or 8 inches
   below > the bottom of the winch. As you begin to pull your boat and
   trailer from > the water, the first part of the trailer to lift the
   hull will be the very > front of the trailer bunks. None of the rest
   of the bunks are even close to > the hull. The further you pull the
   boat ahead the further the boat will > rock back. When the boat
   finally settles onto the back of the bunks she > will have rocked back
   away from the bow stop a foot or better and the bow > eye will be
   about level with the top of the winch. This is where the tongue >
   weight problems come from. Somehow you need to be able to keep the
   boat up > closer to the bow stop. It is very difficult to get an R 22
   to slide ahead > on the bunks once you have pulled her out of the
   water, she's just too heavy. > > I have done a couple of things that
   have helped this situation a little > bit. I have an adjustable height
   hitch head that I lower to the lowest > setting when I
   launch/retrieve. This is about 8 inches lower than my normal > towing
   height. I also changed the axle, springs and replaced the 15 inch >
   tires and wheels with 16 inch tires and wheels, making the back of the
   > trailer a few inches higher. Both of these things help to lessen the
   > difference in the angle between the boat and the trailer while on
   the ramp. > I believe that this has allowed me to keep the boat
   (doesn't have as far to > rock back) about 6 inches further ahead than
   I could before I did these > things. Oh, and a 2000 lb, two speed
   winch doesn't hurt either. I can now > raise the bow a couple more
   inches, once it comes up against the bow stop. > > This might not make
   a lot of sense to you yet, but when you load your boat > on a ramp the
   first time you'll see what I mean. > > Not sure but I think there
   might be something in the FAQ about this too. > > Rik > > > At 09:05
   PM 12/13/2002 -0500, you wrote: > >Bob and List etal, > > > >
   Again.....me being the novice here....I have to ask the list; Is the >
   >tongue weight/boat placement a universal problem with the Triad
   trailers? > >Is this an issue with single axle, double axles or both?
   I am modifying > >a roller trailer to match the exact dimensions of
   Lloyd Crother's single > >axle Triad trailer and I hope to get it
   right the first time out. I am > >assuming that this is a weight to
   axle problem and not as much a bunkboard > >placement issue? Moving
   the boat (and bunkboards) 8-12" forward in > >relationship to the axle
   would work out much better and save me lots work. > > > >
   Additionally, the two Triad trailers I measured both had bunk boards >
   > exactly 6" wide. Will I be ok using off the shelf 2 x 8's or should
   I > > try to rip them down to 6"? > > > > Any info will be helpful
   before I start cutting and drilling. > > > >Thanks, > > > >Todd > > >
   > > > > >----- Original Message ----- > >From: "Bob Keller" > >Date:
   Fri, 13 Dec 2002 11:13:53 -0500 > >To: rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org >
   >Subject: RE: [Rhodes22-list] Tongue Weight > > > > > Joe & Paul, > >
   > I wrestled with this same problem with my 1995 and Trailmaster
   trailer. I > > > had no more adjustment left in the slider part of the
   bow stop, so I had a > > > guy cut off the whole bow stop assembly and
   reweld it a foot further ahead > > > on the trailer. Now I can adjust
   the arm of the bow stop and actually > > moved > > > the boat forward
   about 8 inches. I move the rudder to the V-berth and > > leave > > >
   the motor on the stern and it is balanced perfectly and trailers in
   excess > > > of 62mph easily. I also have my spare tire on the tongue.
   Tried leaving > > > the rudder on the stern, but it was too much
   weight anf fishtailed. > > > > > > Just thought I would share how I
   solved my problem. > > > Bob K > > > Marietta, GA > > > s/v Yankee
   Clipper > > > Lake Hartwell > > > > > > > > > >From: Paul Grandholm >
   > > >Reply-To: paul@mi.chtechnology.com,The Rhodes 22 mail list > > >
   > > > > >To: The Rhodes 22 mail list > > > >Subject: RE:
   [Rhodes22-list] Tongue Weight > > > >Date: Thu, 12 Dec 2002 11:20:01
   -0500 > > > > > > > >Joe, > > > > > > > > It doesn't seem to me that
   adding weight to the front of the > > > >trailer, just to try to
   achieve proper balance, is the best alternative. > > > >Eliminate
   weight from the rear or shift it from the rear to the front if > > >
   >necessary (motor & rudder being the most obvious). Of course we'd all
   be > > > >better off if we could just figure out an easy way to get
   the gosh darn > > > >boat all the way forward on the trailer. > > > >
   > > > >Paul > > > > > > > > > >Rummy, I'm talking about the water tank
   in the boat. Not an external > > > >tank, > > > > >although that does
   bring up a possible point. I also thought about > > > >making a > > >
   > >mount for the motor under the bow, on the front of the trailer.
   Just > > > > >thinking... > > > > > > > > > >Joe > > > > > > > > >
   >-----Original Message----- > > > > >From: R22RumRunner@aol.com
   [mailto:R22RumRunner@aol.com] > > > > >Sent: Thursday, December 12,
   2002 9:56 AM > > > > >To: rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org > > > > >Subject:
   Re: [Rhodes22-list] Tongue Weight > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >Joe, >
   > > > >Where would you mount a tank and how much water or liquid would
   you > > use? > > > >A > > > > >gallon of liquid weighs approximately 8
   pounds, so any significant gain > > > > >would > > > > >take a lot of
   water/volume. Also, think about a very heavy water > > > >projectile >
   > > > >should it come loose while trailering or in a panic stop
   situation. > > > > >I think you are further ahead by doing what we
   already know to put > > weight > > > >on > > > > > > > > > >the
   tongue. > > > > > > > > > >Rummy > > > >
   >_________________________________________________ > > > > >Use
   Rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list > > > > > > >
   > >
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   >C&H Technology > > > >GrandPower Components Div. > > >
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