Tongue Weight vs Level Trailer

[haknslash]

In the RV world mfr supplied trailer dry weights are known to be very optimistic. Has anyone loads their boat like they would for a typical trip and brought it to a scale?

Yamaha lists the 24’ boats with a dry weight of ~3500. I assume that doesn’t include the trailer. By the time you add gear and a full tank of gas you could easily be over the 5k limit a lot of 1/2 ton trucks have without the wdh.

There's a few people on here who have gone through a truck scale to weigh their boat. This is @blacksapphirez old SX190 with his gear and full of fuel https://jetboaters.net/threads/got-on-the-scale.8001/

 

[buckbuck]

2008 212X on the scales with a full fuel tank and no coolers- 4720 lbs.

 

[Joshua Miller]

I recently moved from Jacksonville, NC to Baltimore MD and had to get certified empty and full weights of the boat for a military move reimbursement. 2010 AR240 with an MFI tandem axle trailer with a full tank and storage compartments full of all my boat stuff--wakeboard, tubes x3, dual battery, fishing gear, emergency tool kit, safety equipment, etc put me at 5,400 on the scale.

 

[Markk]

I went by boat storage tonight and attempted to put grease in the shackle zirks. Got some grease to pass, but with much resistance. Thinking I may have to take these joints apart to evaluate why they’re so hard to grease.

Also noticed the front spring sits in this shackle oddly. I expected it to wrap around the pin, but it is pushed past it. Matches on both sides. See photos.

 

[Seadeals]

I agree that spring position looks odd. It is like they used too long of a spring or welded the back bracket to close. I can’t say it is not supposed to be that way; but it does seem to defy common mechanical practices. It almost looks like the one side could possibly “escape” if you hit a big pot hole just right.

 

[Mainah]

I went by boat storage tonight and attempted to put grease in the shackle zirks. Got some grease to pass, but with much resistance. Thinking I may have to take these joints apart to evaluate why they’re so hard to grease.

Also noticed the front spring sits in this shackle oddly. I expected it to wrap around the pin, but it is pushed past it. Matches on both sides. See photos.
View attachment 90929View attachment 90930

Almost seems like the spring has been over compressed or as @Seadeals mentioned. Something else for me to check, not that I needed something else. Please do let is know what you find when you take the equalizer apart. My trailer is boatless for the season and at some point I am going to haul it back from storage to replace the poor excuse for a tounge jack, lube it up, and inspect it.

 

[Sbrown]

I went by boat storage tonight and attempted to put grease in the shackle zirks. Got some grease to pass, but with much resistance. Thinking I may have to take these joints apart to evaluate why they’re so hard to grease.

Also noticed the front spring sits in this shackle oddly. I expected it to wrap around the pin, but it is pushed past it. Matches on both sides. See photos.
View attachment 90929View attachment 90930

Thats called a tandem axle slipper spring suspension. Having the rear of the spring open like that instead of a closed eye is normal for this type suspension. The rear spring should have a closed eye at the equalizer and the open end will be at the rear mount. As far as it being pushed past the pin, that can also be fairly normal for a trailer with a load on it or if you jacked up the front axle. No it wont come off the pin no matter how hard a bump you hit. For it to come off the pin the weight would have to be removed from the suspension, when that happens, the spring arches and captures the pin. Its a very common suspension system, even used on trailers rated for 10k and above. Its a simple, easy to maintain system. It rides a little rougher than a twin-eye spring suspension, but hey, there's always tradeoffs.

 

[Markk]

I flipped my 2” drop receiver today for an effective 4” rise in tongue height. Also pushed the winch post back 2inches. These two changes made my trailer very close to level.

Haven’t been able to put it back on the scale, but will soon.

In other news, (however I fear re-igniting the great hitch capability debate) factory 2017 GM hitches on 1500 series are rated 1200lbs tongue weight and 12,000lbs tow weight. They are bolted directly to the frame in two separate places per side. See sticker below from under my rig.

Also see my helper that was more interested in swimming than moving weight around.

 

[Dan_NC]

For what it is worth, I did an add-a-leaf kit which raised my rear 1.5" and run a no drop hitch. I am sure it rides a little high but the standard 2" drop hitch made towing feel like a trampoline over bumps. Other than that, I too noticed different ball hitch weight ratings depending on manufacturer etc. Below is what I went with, it's a solid shank and It will outlast the boat trailer by probably 50 years or so. Rated for 7,500 lbs trailer and 750lbs of tongue weight.

Amazon.com: CURT 45665 2 Ball Hitch with 2-Inch and 2-5/16-Inch Trailer Hitch Balls, Fits 2-Inch Receiver, 7,500 and 10,000 lbs. GTW: Automotive

 

[dzeppos]

I just had my trailer mechanic check my tongue weight for my 242 - coming in at 450 lbs (and that's with the 4" modification back on the bow stop -which seems to make a wold of a difference. That means i'm at about 9% -which is seems right. I know some of you did 6 or 8" pushing it back - but it seems 4" is good for me. I tow with a 2018 Expedition Max

 

[Nexus]

Also see my helper that was more interested in swimming than moving weight around.

It's difficult to find good help these days!

 

[F.M.]

I've never really felt like my 242 had too much tongue weight. I always felt like it towed with ease behind my Ram 2500, no bouncing, no pushing in stops, etc.... Even though it tows well and sits level I've been meaning to try sliding my winch post back a few inches, and finally got around to it while on my "corona-cation". I slid the post back 2" and I don't know exactly what the tongue weight is, but it is even less noticeable behind the truck now than it was before. In fact my wife even asked if I changed something on the truck because it felt different towing the boat.