snowmobile trailer tounge help advice needed,

[escavader]

Hey guys.I want to convert the tounge on my aluminuim snowmobile trailer,so i can use my weight distrubution hitch.I cant weld aluminuim,so i was gonna use steel and bolt it togeather .Heres a pic.I was gonna weld two peices togeather and bolt to the existing hitch.bolt on two peices of plate on the front of the bed.and weld the new v arms to.I hope you are following me ....to make it similar to my tandem trailers nose.Im worryed about touching the two different metals so i was gonna use some gasket material between them.I understand i will be eliminating the tilt feature,but i dont use it much any way,i primarily haul atvs,and take a ramp.
PLEASE GIVE ANY SUGGESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.
ALAN

 

[Blk88GT]

Why do you need a weight distribution hitch on a sled trailer? Even with 2 quads on it, you're nowhere near needing one in my opinion. I don't even think the axle will handle over 2500lbs.

 

[MikeD74T]

All a weight distribution hitch will do for you is bend that trailer tongue. Bad idea. MikeD74T

 

[escavader]

Why do you need a weight distribution hitch on a sled trailer? Even with 2 quads on it, you're nowhere near needing one in my opinion. I don't even think the axle will handle over 2500lbs.

Well,i cant seem to find the perfect spot hauling my two large atvs.Im either too far forward and my jeep is down in the rear or just when i think i got the sweet spot i start fish tailing the trailer.It never use to be an issue,but the wifes new wheeler is alot heavyer then mine.I know this sounds crazy,but my 14 ft tandem car hauler seems to haul easier with 3 on it then my 10 ft aluminuim trailer with two.I just cant seem to find the perfect tounge weight,i thought i could mofify it to use the wdh.So id bend my tounge? I was only thinking of a slight weight increase forward,would it then?I guess when you get use to a weight dis.hitch there is no turning back.MABEY i should just use the tandem for trucken them,i just figured the aluminuim trailer had to be lighter by far,it should be better on fuel mileage.We got a 700 mile trip planned ,i need to get max mileage at 3 dollars a gallon
ALAN

 

[MikeD74T]

With a weight equalizing hitch the torsion arms increase the vertical rigidity of the "hinge" at the coupling ball. By pushing/pulling down on the trailer tongue it lifts the rear of the tow vehicle transferring some the force thru the tow vehicle's frame to it's front wheels. One of the hitch manufacturers used to advertize the hitch's effectiveness by adjusting the hitch between a trailer & an Olds Toronado (front wheel drive), removing the Olds' rear wheels, and the tongue would hold the rear of the car off the ground. Your idea might work most of the time but an incline like entering steep driveway could overload the tongue to the point of failure. I'd go with the heavier trailer for the trip. A failure away from home is never cheap. You might also consider converting that trailer to dual axle if you're carrying 4 wheelers a lot. They just balance a lot better. Mike D74T

 

[plowking]

If trailer was wide enough, you could load them sideways instead, the atv trailers load from left or right side with ramps, don't know if that would distribute weight better. We hauled four machines on car trailer and had to load them sideways, because of fenders. The tongue you described building, is called a wishbone tongue, some snowmobile trailers have them. I have a straight tongue on my snowmobile trailer similiar to yours, it is double walled, because single walled tongues are known to bend or break from road salt and fatigue. plowking

 

[MikeD74T]

Escavader, I just reread your original post. I'd missed your intention to rework the tongue. The "duh" in my head seems to be in charge today. You can make the weight equalizer work if you make the tongue strong enough to hold up the back of the Jeep. Seems like the cost of that alone would buy a lot of gas. MikeD74T

 

[escavader]

Escavader, I just reread your original post. I'd missed your intention to rework the tongue. The "duh" in my head seems to be in charge today. You can make the weight equalizer work if you make the tongue strong enough to hold up the back of the Jeep. Seems like the cost of that alone would buy a lot of gas. MikeD74T

MIKE,
I THINK I can get the pieces at work and fab at home.Its steel though and the trailer is aluminuim,so ill have to
1] bolt the stuff togeather ,probably with stainless steel bolts
2] use some sort of gasket between the metals.

I was thinking the two outside angled piecesof this"wishbone"[thank you PLOW KING]ill cut the ends at the proper angle[45 mabey] and weld some plates on with holes drilled in them so they can be bolted to the tounge,and the other end to the trailer body.Do you guys think a couple 1/2 holes will weaken the tounge,as long is they are not directly over each other?SO really its only two 5 fters and 4 little pieces of plate ,and some bolts.
Ihave found myself even in the winter hauling just my own sled,wanting the weight dis.hitch on.When i put the aluminuim hinged cover on ii the winter,i dont have much leway of where to put the sled,especially if im also hauling my buddys longtrack.
Any advice on minimum size on the frame work[or any thing else] would be appreciated.I think the tounge now is like 4by 4 if i had to guess.Its also possible to fab it,so i use u bolts to hold the outside supports to the tounge,instead of drilling it .
I just feel the only other option i have is tow this trailer with something else,or add some springs to the jeep so i can have more tounge weight,and that would be costly.Some of you know im buying a new truck,but ill probably still use the jeep in the winter,to keep my new rig out of this darn road salt up here.
ALAN

 

[Blk88GT]

I would get the leaf springs beefed up a little, or consider an airbag system in the jeep. It can be done cheaply (springs are around 200 installed) or with Airbags (around 500, you install)

I've had airbags before and they worked well, although I would try the springs before I went with a set of bags.

 

[tommu56]

escavader

You want a sway bar to help prevent fish tailing
DrawTite-Hitches.com


3400 series

you might have a problem with the side wall stiffness on your tires

tommu56

 

[MikeD74T]

I've modified things that worked well & some that didn't. In this case I'd fab a completely new tongue from steel ( because I also can't weld aluminum)with all welded joints. If it works - great, if it don't just put the original tongue back and restore the trailers original value. By making a new tongue you gain in another way. You can make it longer which should reduce sway some as well. I'd be wondering whether a connection bolted to the original tongue will get you where you want to be strength/rigidity wise.
Something else that may help is a method to keep the 4 wheelers loaded at exactly the same place once you determine where the sweet spot is. i.e. a fixed length chain & hook or strap/bar at front or back & tensioner at the other. This also simplifies loading. MikeD74T

 

[MrJimi]

I would go with MikeD74T idea and go with a steel tongue and a $60 set of air shocks that you can adjust to your needs

 

[schmism]

what kind of jeep?

TJ's dont tow more than about 1500 lbs total without issues.

Load via toung weight.

you should have ~10% of your total trailer load in toung weight.

so 4000lbs of trailer and 2 ATV's would mean 400lbs toung weight.

load your ATV's, disconnect from the vehical and do this

Tongue Weight Scale

once you have the proper toung weight, mark the postions of the ATV's and reconnect to the tow veihcal and see how it sits.

If i had to guess, your exceeding the tounge weight capacity of your tow vehical to properly tow that setup.

in which case a load leveling hitch is not the answer.

 

[Ductape]

I'll add 2 cents worth. Watch out using stainless hardware on anything structural. Theye are generally about a grade 2 bolt..... very weak.

 

[pat32rf]

Ditto to Ductape....It will probably be the aluminium that corrodes to the point of failure. Back when Jeep made pick-up trucks they used aluminium bumpers- for a while. My dads bumper bolts finally pulled right thru the corroded bumper. I once made a longer tongue for a camper trailer out of 4" aluminium electrical conduit, clamped between two pieces of channel iron. Worked great but only got used in the summer when we had no salt to contend with.... Love those longer tongues.
Most ski-doo trailers aren't built to haul ATVs with their load concentrated at the 4 corners instead of spread out over the whole track and skis

 

[escavader]

HI GUYS,
YOU have convinced me to just use my tandem,it aint worth the effort to modify it.My oldest daughter is about ready to have her own so ill need the tandem any how to haul 3.In a couple years my other daughter will be riding too,ill be hauling 4.Time to park my CHEROKEE and make up my mind on a truck. 4 atvs is about what my tractor weighs,but i aint gonna haul them 700 miles with my jeep.I TOOK 3 last year without any problem,but i think a truck would fit the job better.
You gotta laugh at this:The last time we went and the trailer got a little wobbly ,it scared the old lady I told her we really needed to step up to the plate and buy that new TUNDRA now,before we wrecked She said nice try,but not yet dear
THANKS FOR THE INPUT ALL.
ALAN