Trailer Tongue Extenders

[CaptGregg]

Connecting my springs to the top of the axle? Would that raise the hull out of the water higher during launching and retrieving?

 

[txtowman]

Thank you for noticing that jfrench, I was wondering how I could get the spring extenders away from the ground without going to a bigger tire which would just introduce all new problems. In that picture, does the axle look bent down on both ends to you? It looked that way to me, I have not gone out and parked it on the road yet and measured it on both ends and the middle, maybe an optical illusion.

The answer is to notch the axle center and shorten or remove the extenders, which will lower the boat and trailer 4 to 6 inches. This will get you 6 inches deeper in the water which will in turn remove the need for 6 feet of ramp at 15 degrees.

I will take some pictures tomorrow and attempt to post them here or link them.

 

[caguy]

I use a Trailer Dollly from Harbor Frieght that I picked up on sale for $50, ugly but has worked well. I have to get my rusted tongue extension fixed so that I can give that a try.

I thing Richie's idea is also viable. It would be simple to extend the handle as long as you need it. Attach a coupler to it an attach it to your hitch ball. The extension doesn't have to be that big. 1 1/2" square tubing would work. The load is under tension and that should be strong enough. It would be steerable and should support the tongue just fine.

I would have gone that route if I had thought of it, but went with a retractable extender 12' that fits under the towing tongue. I do have a 6" swivel wheel welded under the receiver tube on the trailer tongue. The picture shows a 12" wheel that doesn't swivel. The original intent was to use that to back straight down the ramp. The 6" swivel wheel allows me to tow back to the storage with the extender out. I've got it down so that I can hook up and launch in about 10 minutes. At the bow the water is about 4' deep.
My ramp has a 6:1 slope. With the 12' extension and 18' from hitch to axle. The axle is 30' down the ramp making it about 5' deep.
With this set up I can launch easily with little hassle. I only tow about 100 yds so I leave the extension out when towing. I use to block the wheels and pull the extension out at the ramp but that was too much work. I decided one day to see if I could park it in mast up with the extension out and found I could. Saves me a lot of time and jumping in and out of the truck.
Some of the stuff I see at the ramp would scare the heck out of me but it seems to work for some of these guys with fin keels. They use all kinds of ropes and straps. I watched one guy pull his ski doo out with a motor cycle attached to his trailer. He gunned it and took off. He got up to the parking lot and stopped. The skidoo was going like a bat out of hell headed right toward him. Fortunately it turned just before running him over and went on for another 50'.
Here is a picture of my set up. It won't work for you but a variation would. As posted earlier Timo42 has a great setup on his Mac 22.

 

[jfrench]

<<Connecting my springs to the top of the axle? Would that raise the hull out of the water higher during launching and retrieving?>>

Typically yes. But since you have those long extensions, the axle will stay pretty much in the same place with the extensions removed or shortened, and the springs moved to the top of the axle. The difference would be an increase in safety. You'd get the springs up off the road so that they would not be at risk of striking something, and the trailer would handle side loads (sway) better without those long levers supporting the the springs.

 

[Larry Wilson]

Victory 21 extension

Here's an extension on a Victory 21. I have a 10 foot version. I've never tried it, but apparently alot of Victory sailors have.

 

[txtowman]

pics

O.K. I finally got them posted. I cut the trailer crossmembers and the axle in order to lower the boat on the trailer so I need less extension. I know the work is rough but this is just to figure out the right dimensions so I can build a much better trailer from scratch.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/36371442@N08/sets/72157629757179384/