trailer tongue question

[casabroker]

Approx 4 ft width and 6 ft fron axle to tip of tounge stable as could be. Maiden voyage this weekend at 70 + mph fully loaded. 40lb tounge weight.

[Sideoftheroad]

Monty,

Called Instant Metal and they don't have anything that could come close to 2 x 2 5/8. They had 1.5 x 4 and other than that sounded like it would be smaller.

 

Will try the others later today during lunch.

 

Place I found online yesterday is called yardarm, located in indianapolis. Hate to go down all that way, but do what I have to I guess if I can't find any other place. This is the place that for total of $25-$30 I can get the metal (2"x3"x6'x1/8")+painted black. Don't know if they would use primer or not. Didn't think to ask. I wouldn't want paint on bare metal due to rust. It would probably last a year and then need repainted.

 

I forgot to last night, Anyone measure the wall thickness of the HF tongue?

Anyone know if the HF coupler will accept a 3" or not?

[casabroker]

For all the guys that have HF trailers just move the tounge up. You can drill holes in the frame and re bolt. Also there are hole that are already there that give you 10" s more length.

[Sideoftheroad]

Casa,

Do I really need to be worried about getting it exactly 1.5 - 2 x the axle length or do you think moving it up 10" would be sufficient?

 

If I move it up 10" I will be short 7". I can move it up 17" and drill a couple holes. It would be awefully close to the front though, but at least it would be supported by 2 cross members instead of 1.

 

Would like to still have 1 cross member in the middle for support. I could always get a piece from the metal places we have been mentioning as a cross member and at least that way wouldn't have to worry so much about dimensions.

 

Thoughts?

[tsigwing]

Casa,

Do I really need to be worried about getting it exactly 1.5 - 2 x the axle length or do you think moving it up 10" would be sufficient?

 

If I move it up 10" I will be short 7". I can move it up 17" and drill a couple holes. It would be awefully close to the front though, but at least it would be supported by 2 cross members instead of 1.

 

Would like to still have 1 cross member in the middle for support. I could always get a piece from the metal places we have been mentioning as a cross member and at least that way wouldn't have to worry so much about dimensions.

 

Thoughts?

 

I had a HF trailer with a Sears car top camper and it pulled great with everything stock on the trailer. I did add a small cooler rack and kept "stuff" in it most of the time, so the extra tongue weight may have helped, but I never even knew it was back there until you hit a bump.

[Sideoftheroad]

Monty,

Tried all those places and struck out except for Lusco (maybe). Since 2.5 is close enough to 2 5/8 I asked for 2" x 2.5" x 6' x 1/8" and he just said oh $15. He said he has it, but I do have my doubts. He made a general statement that they have anything I would need.

 

I did measure the wall thickness and it is 1/8"

 

Doesn't seem to be a magic solution to this based on everything I am reading. Sounds like some that don't extend it, don't have issues and some did but once they extended the tongue the issue went away. This might be based on individual setup, how the load is distributed, etc...

 

Sounds like you just have to experiment. Start w/out modifying it, hit the highway and have someone trail you. If it sways at high speeds, then move it up to the hole 10" from where it is currently located at and try it again. If it still does it, start looking at the 1.5-2 x the axle length rule of thumb.