'15+ 240/242 tongue weight

[Neutron]

My Shoreland'r manual says it should be 5% to 7%.

Can't argue with print from the manufacturer.

 

[swatski]

Just do the "@Neutron Post Move" with the new Shorland'r trailers and be done everybody!

It is stupid not to do it. IMO.

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[AZ Native]

Mainah, yes this an old thread, but here is the link to the Shorland’r info Frank referenced. https://www.shorelandr.com/pages/pf_trstep3.htm
As you point out, boat trailers are set up different than a normal utility or toy hauler trailer in that the axles are considerably further back in consideration of most of the weight in a boat is toward the aft. This makes the trailers inherently more stable against sway. In my experience 5% of total weight provides safety and the best towing experience. I run my current 242LS rig at 275 lbs. With my 22’ toy hauler I shoot for between 8-10% when balancing the load. I use a Weigh-Safe 8” adjustable hitch to make sure I properly balance my toy hauler.

 

[Coheeba]

I love their video good display of sway. video

 

[Mainah]

The weigh safe is a very nice hitch and I would bet very accurate as well. Pricey but high quality too. I am being won over to the 7 percent logic for a boat trailer the more I read. I figure my normal total loaded weight to be right around 5,700 lbs with a full tank. More if making a long trip.

5,063 - Dry Weight on trailer
150 - Two group 31 AGM batteries
315 - Full 50 gallon tank
172 - anchor, lines, safety gear, amps, wakeboard, tube, cooler, accessories

5700 * .07 = 399 so lets round that to an even 400 lbs.

I have decided to make my own tounge weight scale using the same principle as weigh safe. I was going to turn my bottle jack into scale but the sping loaded ball bearing valves thwarted that idea. Instead I am making one out of a pancake cylinder and digital gauage for less than 40 bucks that I can use for other things as well. That said weigh safe is much better for the equipment and car loading application.

 

[Mainah]

Well here is my cobbled together load cell. One precision machined aluminum 2.500 in diameter bore aluminum cylinder with o ring wrapped steel piston and rod. One digital pressure gauge. A 0.6 lb piece of .5 inch thick aluminum, a bolt, and some air tool fittings. I also pre-printed a conversion reference and taped it on the cylinder. I tested it using some weight plates and the results were excellent. Will be a bit before I get results with the boat but here is the proof of concept for using this to measure tounge weight very accurately.

The math is radius squared multiplied by Pi multiplied by the pressure reading= load

For the first result with a 45lb plate 1.25*1.25 * Pi * 9.3 = 45.65. Pretty darn good especially keeping in mind at the bottom of the range for this gauge.

For the second result with 160lbs of plates 1.25*1.25*Pi*32.6=160.02 which I bet rivals most bathroom scales.

Not bad for $36 bucks and some stuff I had lying around.

 

[Neutron]

Well here is my cobbled together load cell. One precision machined aluminum 2.500 in diameter bore aluminum cylinder with o ring wrapped steel piston and rod. One digital pressure gauge. A 0.6 lb piece of .5 inch thick aluminum, a bolt, and some air tool fittings. I also pre-printed a conversion reference and taped it on the cylinder. I tested it using some weight plates and the results were excellent. Will be a bit before I get results with the boat but here is the proof of concept for using this to measure tounge weight very accurately.

The math is radius squared multiplied by Pi multiplied by the pressure reading= load

For the first result with a 45lb plate 1.25*1.25 * Pi * 9.3 = 45.65. Pretty darn good especially keeping in mind at the bottom of the range for this gauge.

For the second result with 160lbs of plates 1.25*1.25*Pi*32.6=160.02 which I bet rivals most bathroom scales.

Not bad for $36 bucks and some stuff I had lying around.

Great stuff

 

[Weeb]

I just slid my front post back 2" because my crank leg seemed to have way to much weight on it. I was actually able to push the boat back a little in the garage which I couldn't do before. I climbed on the back with no jack stand and it didn't move and I'm 245lbs so I think I'm good.

 

[Mainah]

I did the 2 inch post move too. But think there is still much too much weight. To get the load equalized on the front and back trailer tires which are close to load capacity it is important the tounge weight is correct. I will update with post to tongue measurements and weight readings once I get the boat on a level surface (my driveway is not level).

 

[swatski]

I did the 2 inch post move too. But think there is still much too much weight. To get the load equalized on the front and back trailer tires which are close to load capacity it is important the tounge weight is correct. I will update with post to tongue measurements and weight readings once I get the boat on a level surface (my driveway is not level).

Mine is moved back by some 8” or so.
What a difference.
Thank you, @Neutron !

—

 

[Neutron]

Mine is aprox 8" also. Been just perfect since.
I have had two people on the swim platform on the trailer and it dont budge

 

[Neutron]

Mine is moved back by some 8” or so.
What a difference.
Thank you, @Neutron !

—

Your very welcome. Lol

 

[Mainah]

I used my load cell with the trailer for the first time a bit over a week ago and encountered an issue. I neglected to account for the fact that the cyclinder only has a one inch stroke and there is a channel at the bottom so air can get in/out from the port along with the length of the hose to the gauge. For every 14.7 psi the air volume is cut in half (atmosphere physics). The cyclinder bottomed out at only 65 psi. I fixed that by finding a high pressure Schrader valve with extenal threads. By pre pressurizing a bit below the expected weight with a bicycle pump bottoming out is no longer a concern. I tested this again with weight plates and still digital bathroom scale accurate

After a couple of moves of the post with the correct tire pressure in the trailer tires. Level trailer, a full tank of fuel, and normal wet load for the trailer I have landed at 383lbs of tounge weight and 6.8% of the total weight. The distance from the edge of the coupler to the leading edge of the post mount is 36.25 inches. What a huge difference I can feel in the trailer jack and when towing.

So IMO the spot on distance from the coupler edge to the leading edge of the post mount is about 36 inches for 2015 plus 240/242 series boats with the shorelander trailer. This is about 5.5 inches back from where mine was stock which was about 600 lbs of tongue weight.

WARNING if the axles are not set precisely the same from the factory this will change things significantly.

 

[swatski]

What a huge difference I can feel in the trailer jack and when towing.

That's been my experience as well!

I followed @Neutron advice from the get go and ended up repositioning my bow stop by about 8" backwards, in iterative steps. Those employed several rigorous scientific tests including a "dances with wolves" swim platform routine and "my fat friends - I need you here here, now".

The bottom line is this: whether you use @Mainah AI-driven superconductor approach, or an alternative (i.e. shake-and-bake) method - do it.
It's too easy, and a solid mod.

--

 

[Mainah]

The bottom line is this: whether you use @Mainah AI-driven superconductor approach, or an alternative (i.e. shake-and-bake) method - do it.

ROFL

Yeah I am that guy that uses a micrometer for wood working. Seriously just measuring the pressure in a cylinder and using geometry to covert to weight (accurate to less than one pound). One could also use a cylinder and a compression tester to do the same. I feel better having a very accurate weight measurement and my kids learned that physics and geometry are useful in real world at home applications all for about $40. I can also reuse it in the future not just for weighing things but for lifting and pulling as well.

This is not just easy it is needed for safety. The front trailer tires are under way too much load from the factory (at least for me and many others). Also for those running on the ragged edge of tongue weight for the tow vehicle this will help but still recommend a tow vehicle rated for at least 6k lbs.

 

[Joshua Miller]

After reading this thread I got curious and checked mine too--2010 AR240. Checked the weight with the tongue at 19" off the ground and again at 18". At 19" which is right where it sits on both my 17 Expedition and 15 F-150 with a 2-in drop, it came in at 496 lb. At 18" which is what it's at in the picture with the level, it was 486 lb. Used cheap bathroom scales so I don't know if the 10lb difference is legit or not, but that was with 3/4 full tank of gas and no gear. You guys are talking about moving your bow stop back but I have an MFI trailer and I don't see how I can do that. Didn't check tire inflation or level at the axles.

I haven't really noticed any handling issues with either of my vehicles but this was more than I expected. Should I be concerned?

 

[AZ Native]

Sounds like you’re running 8 to 10% loaded. Nothing wrong with that. If your tow vehicles are handling it okay and it’s not saggin the rear end to much (unlikely with 1/2 ton or larger) then I wouldn’t change a thing. The trucks you have are made for towing (both half ton), and have strong/stable suspensions.

 

[Julian]

I moved my bow stop back around 4-6 inches and it made a huge difference....tows so much better!

 

[props2you]

Mod Complete!

With traveling 3-4 days a week to boat, thought I'd do some investigating into this. My bunks were hanging a good 2" off the back end. It's a 100% improvement in the towing and ride, less rigid on the bumps and just feels less heavy on the truck, pulls like it should. You don't know what you don't know!

This took about 7 minutes at the marina: 1. Remove transom tie-downs. 2. Pull bow strap to approximate desired length of move (mine was 6"). 3. Unhook safety chain. 4. Back boat into water slowly until it floats to the desired bow strap length. 5. Pull out of water, unbolt the 2 bolts holding the bow stop and tongue jack on. 6. Push bow stop back to measured/desired length. 7. Bolt bow stop back down, tighten bow strap. 8. Back down into water. 9. Retrieve boat back to new bow stop position, hook safety chain and pull out. 10. Strap down the transom straps and enjoy the new set up!

Great find @Mainah

 

[AZ Native]

With traveling 3-4 days a week to boat

This is either unmatched dedication or a typo. Or, does this mean you’re lucky enough to boat 3-4 days a week?