TOPIC: Is my trailer going to pass me going down the road

How's that for a title. I changed the hitch from this and bolted it instead of welding (no welder)to do this. PC1000, anybody?

I'm having a hard time understanding what these pictures show. Maybe too much detail and not enough context? Or maybe it's just Friday and I'm tired!

Frank

looks pretty safe to me NOW, that was a sketchy setup there originally though & bolting it on is not a problem

Frank, it was the piggy back hitch at the top to begin with. Very sloppy and it jacked up the front of the boat too much when hooked to the truck. The second and third pics are what I did to fix it.A pipe within a pipe with a sleeve between the pipes to make them fit together tight and staggered bolts going through all of it.Yes,the original set up had me skeered !

I guess I would have liked to see pics of the entire trailer Jim. I think I understand what you're talking about. I think you'll be fine. It's like a coupler within a coupler.

Frank

PC1000 wrote:

I guess I would have liked to see pics of the entire trailer Jim. I think I understand what you're talking about. I think you'll be fine. It's like a coupler within a coupler.

Frank

Sorry Frank,I'm not really good at asking questions and explaining stuff. I think it will be alright,But you guys probably know more about boat trailers than me.I think that the brace that runs along on the bottom of the tongue needs to run all the way to the underside of the winch tower.Now it stops half way between the tower and the main frame.

my boss has a factory trailer with the piggy back hitch, i think it was an early tilt feature. his pulls down the road just fine. if welding would make you feel safer then get it welded. but i think it looks safe, if the main tube is not rusted . just my 2 cents. frog

Lock Tite on the bolted nuts? Or double "jam" nut them to make sure they dont come loose!

Loc-Tite (like hot sauce), I put that stuff on everything! LOL Looks like you got her beefed up pretty nicely.

You may want to install a safety tie down strap (or chain) from the bow eye of the boat straight down to the trailer or winch stand Jim. I see your set up is like many that won't allow you to put the bow stop above the bow eye of the boat. In a sudden (emergency or accident) stop you don't want the boat riding up over the winch stand and into your tow vehicle.

frog wrote:

my boss has a factory trailer with the piggy back hitch, i think it was an early tilt feature. his pulls down the road just fine. if welding would make you feel safer then get it welded. but i think it looks safe, if the main tube is not rusted . just my 2 cents. frog

As far as I can tell, the trailer has never been salt dipped like my aristo's trailer,so it's fairly clean of rust.

DelRay wrote:

Lock Tite on the bolted nuts? Or double "jam" nut them to make sure they don't come loose!

I used self-locking nuts with nylon inserts. Yeah,I had thoughts of those bolts working their way out on the road.Another way is brad the threads a little with a hammer. Done that before.Thanks fellas for the good ideas.I'm having to work on a shoe string budget on this boat right now so I gotta be stingy,but I want it safe..