Is it too little tongue weight the reason a boat wiil start to sway normally. I moved mine to storage until I can come back and get it to go to fl.
boat sway behind tow vehicle
- Thread starter gutsgolf
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I moved the axle on my boat's trailer - I had an F150 4x4 and the max tounge weight was "500 lbs" . Well, I don't have a scale to weight a whole trailer, but a can stick the tounge on a 2x4 between two "human size" scales and add them together to get the tounge weight.
Stock it was about 150, I went backwards until I got more like 300, and it towed so, so much better.
Stock it was about 150, I went backwards until I got more like 300, and it towed so, so much better.
I have to get my h23 all the way forward on the trailer. A few inches makes a big difference in the sway.
If moving the weight forward does not dampen the sway, consider having the drawbar lengthened.
There is a 'magic ratio' of drawbar length (distance from axel to hitch) to 'track' (distance that the tires are apart) that reduces sway instability --- drawbar length to track @ 3:1. The longer the drawbar over that dimension/ratio, the less the instability.
There is a 'magic ratio' of drawbar length (distance from axel to hitch) to 'track' (distance that the tires are apart) that reduces sway instability --- drawbar length to track @ 3:1. The longer the drawbar over that dimension/ratio, the less the instability.
I have towed many different brands of boats over the years as a but now retired dealer to include ComPac, Precision, Hunter, Catalina, Beneteau, MacGregor and so on.
Many manuals will say emphatically at least 10 of the towing weight should be on the tongue of the trailer attached to the tow vehicle. What many do not realize, less than that, in essence you are raising the back end of the tow vehicle, thus in a sense loosing traction and in some sense towing capability. That can be dangerous. A good example is that F150 truck with no weight over the rear axle will simply spin its tires when pulling out on a wet ramp unless it is a 4 X4 that is engaged. Then you have to add weight over the rear axle.
On some trailers, you can move the axle back but on some for example the Hunter 23 wing keel from KWS, the axle was welded to the trailer so putting weight in the V berth was mandatory for my customers.
As for the motor, never leave the motor in the up position on the outboard motor bracket when trailering is what I use to preach but I did instruct tying the motor handle up with a line onto the back of the boat so it will not bounce up and down which over time could damage the transom.
crazy dave condon
Many manuals will say emphatically at least 10 of the towing weight should be on the tongue of the trailer attached to the tow vehicle. What many do not realize, less than that, in essence you are raising the back end of the tow vehicle, thus in a sense loosing traction and in some sense towing capability. That can be dangerous. A good example is that F150 truck with no weight over the rear axle will simply spin its tires when pulling out on a wet ramp unless it is a 4 X4 that is engaged. Then you have to add weight over the rear axle.
On some trailers, you can move the axle back but on some for example the Hunter 23 wing keel from KWS, the axle was welded to the trailer so putting weight in the V berth was mandatory for my customers.
As for the motor, never leave the motor in the up position on the outboard motor bracket when trailering is what I use to preach but I did instruct tying the motor handle up with a line onto the back of the boat so it will not bounce up and down which over time could damage the transom.
crazy dave condon
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