I suspect the forward mast support on my Venture trailer is way far forward...giving me too much tongue weight and other mounting problems. I further suspect the mast support may have been mounted by the dealer and my dealer may have done it wrong. I know I could weight the tongue weight and move the mast support back and forth until I got the optimum weight...but it might be easier if I could get a measurement from an H216 owner out there. If someone could measure on top of the trailer tongue from the edge of the "Y" under the bow to the trailing edge of the mast support, I would appreciate it greatly. More explanation of the measuring points so we both measure the same way: 1. I don't want to measure from the trailer ball back as I have surge brakes. 2. The tailer tongue goes back then "Y's" out to the two sides. If you look at the top of the Y, there is a forward top edge and, down on each side, two ears protrude forward where the Y is bolted to the tongue. I want to measure from the edge...not the ears. 3. The mast support is mounted by a plate on the tongue. I want the measurement to the trailing edge of the mast support itself...not the plate. Thanks in Advance
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H216 Trailer measurement
I have my boat in the driveway while I get it ready to launch. I measured the distance as you indicated and got 59 3/4". I don't see how the positioning of the front mast support is an issue as the mast is quite light. I do however feel that the boat is balanced too far forward on the trailer, as the tongue weight is quite heavy. Given the positioning of the beds and the bow rest, I can't see any other way to position the boat on the trailer. Gary
I have my boat in the driveway while I get it ready to launch. I measured the distance as you indicated and got 59 3/4". I don't see how the positioning of the front mast support is an issue as the mast is quite light. I do however feel that the boat is balanced too far forward on the trailer, as the tongue weight is quite heavy. Given the positioning of the beds and the bow rest, I can't see any other way to position the boat on the trailer. Gary
H216 Trailer Measurement
Thx Gary. When I get home, I will measure my distance and give you my results. Like you, it seems like too much weight is on the tongue. This means the center of gravity of the boat is too far in front of the trailer axle. If I move the boat back, I have to move the mast support back and re-adjust the bunks. Moving the mast support back has nothing to do with the mast itself...it simply moves the bow winch back which determines how far the bow comes forward onto the trailer. If my rough guess is correct, the bow of the boat should just fit on the bow rest without protruding in front of the rest.
Thx Gary. When I get home, I will measure my distance and give you my results. Like you, it seems like too much weight is on the tongue. This means the center of gravity of the boat is too far in front of the trailer axle. If I move the boat back, I have to move the mast support back and re-adjust the bunks. Moving the mast support back has nothing to do with the mast itself...it simply moves the bow winch back which determines how far the bow comes forward onto the trailer. If my rough guess is correct, the bow of the boat should just fit on the bow rest without protruding in front of the rest.
Gary - H216 Trailer Measurement
Gary, I got home and measured my boat/trailer. If I am measuring from the same place, I came up with 59"...close enuf. My bow protrudes a little less then 2' forward of the leading edge of the bow rest. Is your's the same? If ours are the same, either our trailers are set up properly or we both have the same problem. Anyone else out there have an input?
Gary, I got home and measured my boat/trailer. If I am measuring from the same place, I came up with 59"...close enuf. My bow protrudes a little less then 2' forward of the leading edge of the bow rest. Is your's the same? If ours are the same, either our trailers are set up properly or we both have the same problem. Anyone else out there have an input?
bow rest
I'll try to remember to take the measurement tonight when I get home today. My bow is resting on the bow-rest with a substantial overlap. I'll try to take a picture. I can barely lift the trailor tounge so its quite heavy there.
I'll try to remember to take the measurement tonight when I get home today. My bow is resting on the bow-rest with a substantial overlap. I'll try to take a picture. I can barely lift the trailor tounge so its quite heavy there.
Trailer Tongue Weight
Just a comment or two - Jeff, if you can "barely lift the tongue" that is the absolute minimum tongue weight you should use and probably the best as well as you may, before you actually tow it, be adding a few things like ice, beverages, and water in the portapotty which adds weight forward of the axle. As most of us have our boats configured differently, such as size of motor, bunk boards, coolers, portapotty, anchor(s) and whatever, the best way to determine the best tongue weight for towing is to load the boat on the trailer a few inches short of the bow chock, check the weight by lifting, and then wench the boat forward until you can just barely lift the tongue. If that is not quite enough, you'll know it the first time you tow it and you can simply move the wench step forward until it tows correctly.
Just a comment or two - Jeff, if you can "barely lift the tongue" that is the absolute minimum tongue weight you should use and probably the best as well as you may, before you actually tow it, be adding a few things like ice, beverages, and water in the portapotty which adds weight forward of the axle. As most of us have our boats configured differently, such as size of motor, bunk boards, coolers, portapotty, anchor(s) and whatever, the best way to determine the best tongue weight for towing is to load the boat on the trailer a few inches short of the bow chock, check the weight by lifting, and then wench the boat forward until you can just barely lift the tongue. If that is not quite enough, you'll know it the first time you tow it and you can simply move the wench step forward until it tows correctly.
tongue weight
i now longer have a trailerable boat but i did have a hunter 26 water ballast a few years ago. on the day i picked up my boat the tougue weight was very light. i could pick it up with little effort. i almost lost the boat going down a long interstate hill. took up all of three lanes to get it back under control. i found out later when i called the dealer that they had used the trailer to move a smaller boat and had moved the mast cradel and winch back in order to do this and had not returned it back. All this to say that i would not worry to much about where the cradel is but that the tongue weight is correct. if you can pick it up then it is too little. there is a formula to figure this but i dont remember, just be careful and dont lose you boat to the ditch.
i now longer have a trailerable boat but i did have a hunter 26 water ballast a few years ago. on the day i picked up my boat the tougue weight was very light. i could pick it up with little effort. i almost lost the boat going down a long interstate hill. took up all of three lanes to get it back under control. i found out later when i called the dealer that they had used the trailer to move a smaller boat and had moved the mast cradel and winch back in order to do this and had not returned it back. All this to say that i would not worry to much about where the cradel is but that the tongue weight is correct. if you can pick it up then it is too little. there is a formula to figure this but i dont remember, just be careful and dont lose you boat to the ditch.
H216 on a Venture Trailer
Looks like we are all set up about the same. My guess is that we all have too much tongue weight. My next couple weekends are totally tied up so I can't do anything. Here is my/our next step I think: 1. Disconnect the boat from the trailer. 2. Grab a scrap chunk of 4x4 or whatever 4' to 6' long. Say it is 6' just for example. 3. Pile up two support platforms using bricks or whatever on each side of the trailer hitch, 3' out and perpendicular from the hitch. 4. Grab the admirals bathroom scale and set it on one support platform. 5. Lay the 4x4 from the scale, under the trailer hitch, and on the other support platform. Using spacers, make sure the 4x4 is reasonably level. Using little chunks of 2x4 or whatever, place these between the scale and 4x4 and, on the other support platform, under the 4x4. This makes the weight rest on two "points". A scrap piece of plywood can be placed on top of the admiral's scale and the little chunk to distribute the weight if there is concern about ruining the admiral's scale. 6. Make sure the distance from the trailer hitch to each of the little chunks is the same. 7. Lower the hitch until it is totally supported by the 4x4. Be careful you don't drive the scale above it's max weight. If this happens, you can shift the platforms so one is twice as far out as the other, place the scale on the long side. 8. The scale will now read 1/2 of the actual tongue weight unless you were forced to move one platform twice as far out as the other platform...in which case the scale reading will be 1/3 the actual tongue weight. 9. Call the admiral out to see what you have done and compliment her on how much less she weights. Plan on sleeping outside for a few days. Spread an air mattress/sleeping bag on the bench seat in the boat. If I recall, the tongue weight should be something like 10-15% of the total weight of the boat, trailer, and other crap in the boat. (The actual percentage is somewhere in the archives...I have seen it discussed before...this needs to be researched as my memory sucks). Dry, the trailer/boat weight out at 1750. Probably using 2000 pounds is a good guess at the loaded weight not taking into account the weight of the beer. If the correct percentage is 10-15% and the platforms are equidistant from the hitch, the scale should show between 100-150 pounds. Just for drill, let's say the ideal tongue weight is 200 pounds and the scale shows 250 pounds...meaning the actual tongue weight is 500 pounds. The question now arises as to how far back we need to move the winch/mast rest pedestal back to get the proper tongue weight. Well, simple ration and proportion math will tell us. Measure the current distance (in inches) from the axle to the pedestal. Multiple this value by 200 and divide it by 500. The result is the new distance from the axle to the mast rest. Put differently, 1. Measure the current distance from the axle to the pedestal. 2. Multiply this by the ideal tongue weight. 3. Divide by the actual tongue weight. This formula works if the tongue weight is too light also. Jeff, I noticed you use a bow strap. Instead of that, I lowered my winch down just a little so it exerts some downward pressure. The only tie down I use in on the stern. I'm not saying this is right but my boat is still on my trailer. I reduced my tie downs when I saw how my brother-in-law's 25' Grady White (yeah, I know...stinkpot...pretty nice though when tuna fishing 45 miles off shore out of the Golden Gate!).
Looks like we are all set up about the same. My guess is that we all have too much tongue weight. My next couple weekends are totally tied up so I can't do anything. Here is my/our next step I think: 1. Disconnect the boat from the trailer. 2. Grab a scrap chunk of 4x4 or whatever 4' to 6' long. Say it is 6' just for example. 3. Pile up two support platforms using bricks or whatever on each side of the trailer hitch, 3' out and perpendicular from the hitch. 4. Grab the admirals bathroom scale and set it on one support platform. 5. Lay the 4x4 from the scale, under the trailer hitch, and on the other support platform. Using spacers, make sure the 4x4 is reasonably level. Using little chunks of 2x4 or whatever, place these between the scale and 4x4 and, on the other support platform, under the 4x4. This makes the weight rest on two "points". A scrap piece of plywood can be placed on top of the admiral's scale and the little chunk to distribute the weight if there is concern about ruining the admiral's scale. 6. Make sure the distance from the trailer hitch to each of the little chunks is the same. 7. Lower the hitch until it is totally supported by the 4x4. Be careful you don't drive the scale above it's max weight. If this happens, you can shift the platforms so one is twice as far out as the other, place the scale on the long side. 8. The scale will now read 1/2 of the actual tongue weight unless you were forced to move one platform twice as far out as the other platform...in which case the scale reading will be 1/3 the actual tongue weight. 9. Call the admiral out to see what you have done and compliment her on how much less she weights. Plan on sleeping outside for a few days. Spread an air mattress/sleeping bag on the bench seat in the boat. If I recall, the tongue weight should be something like 10-15% of the total weight of the boat, trailer, and other crap in the boat. (The actual percentage is somewhere in the archives...I have seen it discussed before...this needs to be researched as my memory sucks). Dry, the trailer/boat weight out at 1750. Probably using 2000 pounds is a good guess at the loaded weight not taking into account the weight of the beer. If the correct percentage is 10-15% and the platforms are equidistant from the hitch, the scale should show between 100-150 pounds. Just for drill, let's say the ideal tongue weight is 200 pounds and the scale shows 250 pounds...meaning the actual tongue weight is 500 pounds. The question now arises as to how far back we need to move the winch/mast rest pedestal back to get the proper tongue weight. Well, simple ration and proportion math will tell us. Measure the current distance (in inches) from the axle to the pedestal. Multiple this value by 200 and divide it by 500. The result is the new distance from the axle to the mast rest. Put differently, 1. Measure the current distance from the axle to the pedestal. 2. Multiply this by the ideal tongue weight. 3. Divide by the actual tongue weight. This formula works if the tongue weight is too light also. Jeff, I noticed you use a bow strap. Instead of that, I lowered my winch down just a little so it exerts some downward pressure. The only tie down I use in on the stern. I'm not saying this is right but my boat is still on my trailer. I reduced my tie downs when I saw how my brother-in-law's 25' Grady White (yeah, I know...stinkpot...pretty nice though when tuna fishing 45 miles off shore out of the Golden Gate!).
bathroom scale
I would weigh the tongue weight this weekend if I had a bathroom scale. I could get my wife a scale for mothers day but I would then be banished to sleeping in the boat for a few days for sure!!! Maybe I'll just buy myself a "trailer tongue weight scale" that could also be used as a bathroom scale.
I would need a really good reason to move the mast-support forward or back. It might then be necessary to also adjust the bow-rest. You definitely don't want the tongue weight too light... A little heavy is OK.
I would weigh the tongue weight this weekend if I had a bathroom scale. I could get my wife a scale for mothers day but I would then be banished to sleeping in the boat for a few days for sure!!! Maybe I'll just buy myself a "trailer tongue weight scale" that could also be used as a bathroom scale.
I would need a really good reason to move the mast-support forward or back. It might then be necessary to also adjust the bow-rest. You definitely don't want the tongue weight too light... A little heavy is OK.H216 Trailer Tongue Weight
Jeff, A little to heavy on the tongue weight is fine. Way too much is bad because 1) the weight on the front wheels of the tow vehicle is lessened making for bad handling and 2) the trailer frame between the axle and tongue may be supporting too much weight, flexing too much, and making it more prone to failure. I'll have to admit I'm not too fond of the Venture trailer...when I got the boat and examined the trailer, it seemed as if I would be towing my brand new, expensive (to me) boat on a trailer made from an Erector set. Admittedly, other than having to fabricate new rear bunk supports, it has been sufficient so far and will probably tow my boat thousands of miles. Oh, yeah, the falsie bearing buddies were an annoyance.
Jeff, A little to heavy on the tongue weight is fine. Way too much is bad because 1) the weight on the front wheels of the tow vehicle is lessened making for bad handling and 2) the trailer frame between the axle and tongue may be supporting too much weight, flexing too much, and making it more prone to failure. I'll have to admit I'm not too fond of the Venture trailer...when I got the boat and examined the trailer, it seemed as if I would be towing my brand new, expensive (to me) boat on a trailer made from an Erector set. Admittedly, other than having to fabricate new rear bunk supports, it has been sufficient so far and will probably tow my boat thousands of miles. Oh, yeah, the falsie bearing buddies were an annoyance.
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