Folding trailer tongue |
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bkhallpass
Grand Poobah Joined: March-29-2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 4723 |
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Posted: January-08-2007 at 5:48pm |
See this thread over on the Mastercraft site. A couple of suppliers are suggested for fold away couplers, and one guy posted photos of his conversion.
Fold away coupler conversion BKH |
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Livin' the Dream
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SkiBum
Gold Member Joined: November-17-2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 587 |
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Actually thought of that. Problem is on this model of trailer there is only a total of 14" of square tube. I guess 14" is better than nothing. Solid methodology as well.
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Kevin's '79
Senior Member Joined: March-05-2004 Location: Florence, AL Status: Offline Points: 179 |
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Bill,
I had a 74 Ski Nautique that someone had cut the tongue off of leaving only the square tube. They then welded the tongue to a piece of smaller square tube that slid inside the one on the trailer (like a receiver hitch). the tongue was then cross drilled and pins were used to hold the hitch in place. You simply removed the pins and pulled the hitch out and it served the same purpose to shorten the trailer as a swing away tongue would do. Also no cutting of the "V" shape near the tongue was required. |
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SkiBum
Gold Member Joined: November-17-2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 587 |
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Gathered all the welding tools and headed to the front of the boat trailer. It was hard to find through all the debris of floor and stringer work. Anyhow, on many trailers there is a 4"x4" square tube 1/4" thick that extends for as much as 36". On the SN trailer there is only about 6" of exposed 4"x4" tube. That means I'll need to install a brace across the forward end of the "V" shape near the tongue, then make some sort of swivel from that point. Much more difficult that I expected. Back to the fibergla$$ for a while.
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JMurph
Gold Member Joined: January-06-2006 Location: Maryland/NC Status: Offline Points: 738 |
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You're the man. Keep the pictures coming also.
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SkiBum
Gold Member Joined: November-17-2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 587 |
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JMurph,
The stringer project is time consuming. I have been doing "mini" projects on the side while I wait for resin to dry. I have decided to cut the trailer just forward of where the two side rails intersect the main beam with the hitch. Then weld a series of plates so that on one side a bolt will remain in place and the other side will have a hitch pin that can be removed allowing the trailer to swing. Just have to find a scrap metal yard. I recently moved and don't really know my way around yet. |
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JMurph
Gold Member Joined: January-06-2006 Location: Maryland/NC Status: Offline Points: 738 |
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tnplicky - Check out the General Discussion Forum. The second topic describes how to upload using Photobucket. I had the same problem as you are having, but the Photobucket seems to work really well. Good Luck.
I would also love to get my trailer tongue to fold, but I've been worried about the integrity of the trailer. SkiBum, keep us posted on how that project goes. I'm sure your stringer adventure is keeping you busy right now. |
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SkiBum
Gold Member Joined: November-17-2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 587 |
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Whooops.
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eric lavine
Grand Poobah Joined: August-13-2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 13413 |
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The hole wasnt on purpose, it was accidential, we pushed a little to hard.
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"the things you own will start to own you"
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tnplicky
Senior Member Joined: December-22-2006 Location: C'trl Illinois Status: Offline Points: 333 |
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I did use the tree picture icon w/ the arrow, and file size was under 35KB, but it still didn't work for me - not sure if I have upload privelages, or what I need to do to get them.
Anyway, best of luck with the trailer modifictions. |
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SkiBum
Gold Member Joined: November-17-2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 587 |
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tnplicky,
I have been successful at adding pictures from my files by clicking on the far right icon with the tree and the upward pointing arrow. Follow the windows. Just have to be sure the picture is less than like 35KB in size. |
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SkiBum
Gold Member Joined: November-17-2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 587 |
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Eric
The redneck in me wants to make the garage bigger. But, I think I'll do something like Steve did on his 77 Tique. |
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Behl
Senior Member Joined: December-05-2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 404 |
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SkiBum
I have posted a pic of my new tongue for my Ski Tique - look at last pic. I used scrap parts that a friend of mine gave me. Steve See "Redone 77 Tique Pictures" on page two in General Discussions |
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tnplicky
Senior Member Joined: December-22-2006 Location: C'trl Illinois Status: Offline Points: 333 |
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off the topic, but what's the trick to getting pictures to post - I obviously wasn't successful
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eric lavine
Grand Poobah Joined: August-13-2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 13413 |
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I still have the hole in the garage wall where the tongue went through, I leave it there for memories eric
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"the things you own will start to own you"
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tnplicky
Senior Member Joined: December-22-2006 Location: C'trl Illinois Status: Offline Points: 333 |
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I know this isn't what you are looking for, but this was my solution to the same type of problem, i.e. boat/trailer won't fit in the garage. In my case, with the platform off, I needed another inch or two to get the tongue of the trailer in the garage so the door could shut. I ended up taking a 6" section out of the garage door rail so the trailer tongue could swing inside without bending the speed sensor pitot tubes - I have 1/4" to spare on either end and I haven't had a problem with the garage door rollers tracking past the gap!
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SkiBum
Gold Member Joined: November-17-2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 587 |
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In one of the posts somebody converted their trailer tongue to fold. I would like to do something like that on my 87 SN trailer. Anybody have pics of either factory or retro folding tongues they could post?
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