trailer sway

[BAITNH]

towing a 23 ft boat w 200hp and 9.9 kicker on an Armstrong bracket   cant  go over  50-55 mph. trailer I s a load- rite rated 5400lb   boat motors and trailer  weigh 6220  with  125 gal of fuel.   On the   hitch  weigh  5760    I did the tongue weight with scale  figured 540lbs   I have brought  the boat  4 inch  forward on the trailer  I cant go more  unless  I move a set of rollers  or  move a axle . Pulling  with a F350  v10  and already dropped the hitch  4 inches.  Should  I increase   tongue weight  up to 15 %   Its a long way to the big O  @50.   any suggestion's????

[Richard]

Your tongue weight should be some were between 10 to 15% of the total load. That is boat, motor, trailer, fuel, gear, and anything else you tend to travel with in the boat. Using the weight you listed of 6220 pounds your tongue weight should be some were between 622 pounds to 930 pounds. All set ups travel slightly different and there are other variables I am sure I am forgetting at this moment. I would start by adding 200 lb. of weight in the bow of the boat and take a trip with it down the street. If all looks good then check the tongue weight with the added weight, remove the weight and slide the boat forward to obtain the approximate same weight and take another trip. continue process until you have it riding nicely behind your truck.

Edited April 5, 2015 by Richard

[dawg]

I do not trailer my boat long distances with a full tank of fuel. For long distance trailers (greater than a hour) my boats gas tank is usually 1/4 to 1/3. Also coolers of food ice beverages are in the truck not the boat to lighten up. 6.3#/gal x 125 gals is 780#s.Buy your fuel when you arrive.I had problems with tires due to too much weight and by lightening the load I have been trouble free.

Sent from my XT1080 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[Sk8man]

Sounds as though the axle needs to be moved to re-distribute the weight.  Sounds like a lot of tongue weight to me. You should also have a full tank of gas in the boat so it doesn't slosh back and forth.  Often the width of the wheelbase can be a factor but it shouldn't be with that truck. I had to get an Expedition rather than the Explorer because of that issue.  I also had to have the axle on my trailer moved a couple times before the weight of the boat was right. Prior to that it was like going down the road and having the tail wag the dog as the front wheels of the Explorer were nearly off the ground.

Edited April 5, 2015 by Sk8man

[ERABBIT]

http://www.hitchingup.com/weight-distribution-hitch.htm

[Sk8man]

Pretty cool Ed first time I've seen that.

Edited April 5, 2015 by Sk8man

[skipper19]

Tandem axles right? Hopefully..sounds like you have the weight on tongue close to right but you could go more. Moving the boat ahead only helps a tiny bit. Most boats equipped for lake o are tail heavy. Down riggers 40 or 50 lbs lead balls..trolling motor...extra portable gas tank and cooler of ice on transom...live well stuffed with fishing tackle.. extra battery in the back for riggers and temp thingys...etc.

Let's get tire composition checked. Make sure it is a trailer tire not passenger car. Sidewalls are stiffer on ST type tires whether radial or bias. Load range D (hard to find in 14 inch) is best for that weight with 65 lbs pressure.

Tandems need to be aligned with each other or they fight and sway. Check axle spacing. You can move the forward axle back toward the rear one if you have more than a foot between them and reset the alignment. Then drive it. You might find moving the one axle will be enough. Longer wheel base is better for less sway. Slide the fender back to center the axles once again. Should help. If you want, Ask me about alignment procedure if you move the axles or want to check them as are.

Mark

[MCF]

You have a tongue weight issue, you can correct it by moving the winch stand forward or the axles back.

[muskiedreams]

You said that the trailer is rated for 5400 lb and the total weight is 6220 lb. It looks like you are over the trailer weight capacity. Technically that should not be done.  Also, as Richard had mentioned, your tongue weight should be higher. If you are adding any more weight with gear, you have to consider that. It sounds like you will have to increase the tongue weight and that will have to be done by moving the axle(s) back. If it is a dual axle you might have to move them both. You will have to put the trailer on jack stands or blocks. Connect the hitch to your truck to help hold it steady. Mark the position of the axle(s) on the trailer frame and move both sides back the same amount. Do the same for both axles. This is to make sure the axle(s) stay square with the frame. Then check the tongue weight again. Since the total weight is over the rating of the trailer, it might be a good idea to limit the weight as much as possible by traveling with less gas and considering carrying as much as your gear as possible in the truck. Keep in mind that if you remove riggers, coolers etc from the back of the boat, it will change your tongue weight. Also, depending on the location of your gas tank(s), the amount of gas may have an effect on tongue weight.

 

You should also look at the weight ratings of your tires. Multiply tire rating by the number of tires.

 

If it is a dual axle, make sure that the trailer sits level when hitched up so that the weight is distributed evenly on both axles and the tongue weight should be measured in the same level state.

 

Since you are pushing the limit of the trailer capacity, you should periodically inspect the entire trailer for stress cracks. This includes axles, suspension and their mounting components. You don't want to have an axle break loose or or the hitch beam break loose. It will also be wise to take bumps such as railroad crossings slowly as to not over stress anything. I have an 18 ft aluminum boat on a trailer that is borderline adequate. I got it used and added a 15 hp 4 stroke kicker and two more batteries. So I had to deal with all these issues. I even had heavier springs made for it then I had problems with the spring brackets cracking and had to replace them. The last time they cracked, I had a welder reinforce them. I am hoping that they will hold up. I was lucky that when the spring brackets cracked, that the axle didn't tear out while I was on the road. On my trailer there was an adjustable hitch beam to adjust for different length boats. It was held into a yoke where the "Y" in the trailer is with two bolts. There was play at that point and stress cracks developed around the bolts. This may also have been contributing to sway problems I had at one time. I had a welder permanently weld the beam.

 

I think that very often boats are sold with a trailer that is barely adequate for the boat as sold and then after adding all the extra gear, ???

Edited April 5, 2015 by muskiedreams

[BAITNH]

the 6220lbs includes  the weight of the  trailer  I think is 1350  going to find that  out.  I think rather  than move the axle  with 4 bolts  I can take  the most rear rollers  out  and move them  forward.  it  seems  a easier  task.

[CaptSpike]

Moving the axles is easy. I had to do it to mine to get the trailer to run right. I started with a suggested 6" move. Turns out the 6" made all the difference in the world. I'd think you wouldn't want to remove rollers as they help support the entir weight of the boat and it's likely the trailer rating is based off of the trailer having all the rollers.

Spike

[muskiedreams]

One thing I am not sure of is if the trailer rating of 5400 lb includes the weight of the trailer. I believe that if it is gross weight, it means weight of boat and trailer combined.

Edited April 5, 2015 by muskiedreams

[rolmops]

It might be time to look for a different trailer. There are legal problems with this setup. If the trailer is rated at 5400 pounds you cannot legally overload it. Transferring weight to the hitch may cause a conflict with the gross vehicle weight limits. It seems like a good way to loose all insurance coverage in case of an accident. My advice is to talk to your local triple A and find out about the legality of your trailer plans.

Edited April 5, 2015 by rolmops

[skipper19]

I would move the axles rather than move rollers and pull the boat higher up the trailer for a couple reasons besides proper support of the hull by them, as mentioned earlier.

1... I know you have rollers and those might be easier than bunks to reel the boat up to the bow stantion but it still is a longer way to pull it up.

2.. you will need to back in the water farther to float the boat off and pull it on. You could have the rear of your pickup in the water as well on some ramps that are gentle slope. With axles further back you stay higher up the ramp out of the water with your vehicle at the same time achieve the handling your looking for on the road with the longer bridge of the frame.

I can't stress enough how the right tire and pressure are 90 % of the steady ride as well. What size are they? Hopefully 15 inch. 14 inch can do it but there is only one tire manufacturer of load range D. Kumho Tire. Trouble is the tire has the circumference of a 15 inch profile and may cause fender clearances issues.

Mark

Edited April 5, 2015 by skipper19

[BAITNH]

I took  the back set of rollers  off and moved them  forward in an empty pre drilled spot then moved  the boat 6 inches  forward took  it for a spin   got to 65  with no issues, now im going to pump out  some fuel  and  get some urethane caps  to put on the back of the trailer  I will  see  how that works  talking to boat on and off  the bunk tilts right down   so I don't think it will be a major  issue   if so    the   saws all    will  fix it.   A big thanks to all that responded  this site is  priceless  and a awesome  group  of  fisherman   here.  

[skipper19]

Fantastic! Glad it's working right and safe travels. Glad you're pumping the gas down. That is a lot of extra weight at 7 lbs a gallon. Your tires will be happier at highway speeds too! Now FISH ON! good luck!

Mark

PS stick a hose in the boat tank for that V10 to suck on and you'll be down to under load limit in a few miles! Lol!

Edited April 6, 2015 by skipper19

[Iceman]

BNH:

 

If it is a dual axel trailer, make sure the trailer beam is level, so you don't put too much stress on one of the axels. If your tongue is high the rear axel takes a beating, if the tongue is low the front axel will take a beating.

 

Good luck!

 

John

[BAITNH]

thanks for that John  I dropped  the  hitch 4 inches  cause  the F350  is pretty high she rides level now..  I have learned a lot  about boat trailers  the last week or so.

[Iceman]

BNH;

 

You are most certainly welcome, happy to send useful info to others!

 

John

[Chas0218]

thanks for that John  I dropped  the  hitch 4 inches  cause  the F350  is pretty high she rides level now..  I have learned a lot  about boat trailers  the last week or so.

I wouldn't cap the trailer rails, you will trap water and cause rusting if galvanized/painted.