[Rhodes22-list] I Hate My Trailer

Tue Aug 12 18:10:43 EDT 2003

Slim, 

   Sorry, I haven't had much time to get involved.  However, I agree that
things aren't adding up quite right.  What bothers me most is in an earlier
post you mentioned that you topped off a 300lb scale and estimate that you
had at least 400lbs tongue weight and STILL had sway problems.  Doesn't
sound to me like tongue weight should have been the problem after that.
(BTW, you can use a system of levers to reduce the force on the scale to get
a better estimate of tongue weight. Let me know if you're interested in how
to do this)

OK, so you had to do a lot of gymnastics to get that much tongue weight.
That is a problem.  However, once you got that much weight you STILL had
sway.  I think there may be something else wrong.  Go back to Rummy's post
and check those things.  Is the trailer tracking right? Are the wheels and
tires matched? Problems with the brakes?  etc?

--Doug

-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Alm [mailto:salm at mn.rr.com]
Sent: Tuesday, August 12, 2003 5:02 PM
To: Rhodes
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] I Hate My Trailer

Steve,
Yeah, Dan and Julie live close and I think I'll do just that.  And you're
right--things just don't add up.  Nobody else seems to have as much
difficulty as I do, so I suspect the trailer may very well have been
modified.
Thanks, 
Slim

On 8/12/03 3:53 PM, "Steve" <rhodes2282 at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Slim
> If there is another Rhodie around where you live;
> might want to pull your trailer over to them and line
> them up.  Just to see what kind of differences there
> might be.  My Triad trailer is a 1982 and I have never
> had a problem getting the boat on and far enough
> forward.  
> Just a suggestion.
> Steve
> 
> 
> --- Steve <rhodes2282 at yahoo.com> wrote:
>> Slim
>> Something is not right about that.  Only 4".  Don't
>> know for sure but sound like the trailer been
>> altered.
>>  Should have a couple of feet to play with.  Anyway,
>> I
>> have been reading this tread of e-mail and this is
>> just not adding up.
>> Steve
>> 
>> 
>> --- Steve Alm <salm at mn.rr.com> wrote:
>>> Joe,
>>> I only have about 4" of room to move it forward
>>> unless I also weld on more
>>> tongue.
>>> Slim
>>> 
>>> On 8/12/03 2:16 PM, "Ware, Joseph W."
>>> <joseph_ware at merck.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>>> 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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>>>> 
>>>> 
>>> 
>> 
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