[Rhodes22-list] I Hate My Trailer

[Ware, Joseph W.]

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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