[Rhodes22-list] I Hate My Trailer

[Steve Alm]

Steve,
Yeah, Dan and Julie live close and I think I'll do just that.  And you're
right--things just don't add up.  Nobody else seems to have as much
difficulty as I do, so I suspect the trailer may very well have been
modified.
Thanks, 
Slim

On 8/12/03 3:53 PM, "Steve" <rhodes2282 at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Slim
> If there is another Rhodie around where you live;
> might want to pull your trailer over to them and line
> them up.  Just to see what kind of differences there
> might be.  My Triad trailer is a 1982 and I have never
> had a problem getting the boat on and far enough
> forward.  
> Just a suggestion.
> Steve
> 
> 
> --- Steve <rhodes2282 at yahoo.com> wrote:
>> Slim
>> Something is not right about that.  Only 4".  Don't
>> know for sure but sound like the trailer been
>> altered.
>>  Should have a couple of feet to play with.  Anyway,
>> I
>> have been reading this tread of e-mail and this is
>> just not adding up.
>> Steve
>> 
>> 
>> --- Steve Alm <salm at mn.rr.com> wrote:
>>> Joe,
>>> I only have about 4" of room to move it forward
>>> unless I also weld on more
>>> tongue.
>>> Slim
>>> 
>>> On 8/12/03 2:16 PM, "Ware, Joseph W."
>>> <joseph_ware at merck.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>>> Steve, I had asked the same question a while
>> ago. 
>>> Someone at the time had
>>>> suggested cutting the bow stop off, it's welded
>>> on, and moving it forward a
>>>> foot.  They had done this and it worked.  I'm
>>> having it done as we speak.
>>>> I'll let you know how it works out.  Cost about
>>> $30.
>>>> 
>>>> Joe
>>>> S/V Whisper
>>>> 
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: Steve Alm [mailto:salm at mn.rr.com]
>>>> Sent: Saturday, August 09, 2003 3:58 AM
>>>> To: Rhodes
>>>> Subject: [Rhodes22-list] I Hate My Trailer
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> Hi.  Mary Ann and I just got back from a four
>> day
>>> trip with Fandango.  We
>>>> went up north to Leech Lake in north central MN.
>> 
>>> The sailing and living
>>>> aboard were great (I'd love to tell you more
>> about
>>> it sometime) but after
>>>> putting the boat in and out several times in
>>> several locations with varying
>>>> degrees of steepness at the ramps, I've
>> concluded
>>> that something is
>>>> definitely wrong here.
>>>> 
>>>> No matter what, I just can't get the boat far
>>> enough forward on the trailer.
>>>> The result is not enough tongue weight.  I had
>> to
>>> take the motor off and
>>>> lash it on the trailer tongue, put the rudder up
>>> in the V berth, along with
>>>> anything else that has any weight to it.  I used
>>> my bathroom scale to try to
>>>> find out how heavy the tongue really is:  the
>>> scale only goes up to 300 lbs.
>>>> and I pegged the thing before the tongue even
>>> budged off the hitch--so I'll
>>>> bet I have at least 400 lbs, maybe more.  Still,
>>> the trailer fishtailed at
>>>> anything over 55 mph and also lurched and tugged
>>> most of the way.  I use a
>>>> 3/4 ton full-size cargo van with a V-8--more
>> than
>>> enough.
>>>> 
>>>> At one of the ramps that had a very gradual
>> slope,
>>> I backed in so far that
>>>> my tailpipe was almost under.  Using the tongue
>>> extension, the forward ends
>>>> of the bunks were just at water level and I
>> drove
>>> the boat hard at the
>>>> trailer, trying to get up on the damn things,
>> but
>>> still no luck.
>>>> 
>>>> And at the steep ramps it's even worse.  As
>> we've
>>> discussed before, you pull
>>>> the boat all the way up to the bow stop, but
>> when
>>> you pull the trailer out
>>>> of the water, the bow rocks back away from the
>> bow
>>> stop, and leaves the boat
>>>> too far back--actually NEGATIVE TONGUE WEIGHT!
>>>> 
>>>> I really don't want to move the motor, rudder,
>>> etc. not to mention all the
>>>> landing gymnastics every time I trailer.  Is it
>>> just me or is it a design
>>>> flaw.  The trailer axle should be about 6-8
>> inches
>>> back or something.  Can
>>>> anyone offer some insight, please?  Pretty
>> please?
>>>> 
>>>> Slim
>>>> 
>>>> 
>> __________________________________________________
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>>>> 
>>>> 
>>> 
>> 
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