foxmulder said:
You could also go with a fold away trailer tongue to fix your trailer. Bolt one of these bad boys on, make your trailer tongue nice and long, but still garage friendly.
https://www.etrailer.com/dept-pg-Trailer_Coupler-sf-Fold~Away_Couplers.aspx
Yet
another good invention, the fold-away tongue.
Of course, if you are a fabricator and have access to welding equipment, you can design your own fold-away tongue. Where you make the cut, you'll need to weld a piece of 1/4" plate, cut to the size of the tubing, and cut where it can be inset about 1/4" into the tubing, for a nice weld all the way around, and it's flush with the end of the tube. Do this to both halves. This plate will prevent the mouth of the tubing from bending and stress cracking under load.
Next, you'll need to fabricate a barrel hinge assembly for the pivot. This can be accomplished with some pipe, and solid cold rolled round stock. Cut the pipe into 2 equal length pieces, then cut a piece of round stock equal to the length of the 2 pieces put together.
Slide the round stock into the 2 pieces to keep them aligned, and place the entire unit vertically on the seam where the 2 halves of the tongue join together. One piece of pipe will weld to one half of the tongue, and the other piece welds to the other half.
Now, on either the top, OR bottom side where the round stock comes flush with the end of the pipe, crank up the heat, and put a good plug weld there, bringing the puddle onto the edge of the pipe.
NOTE: ONLY WELD ONE END! Do not weld both ends, or it will not pivot and work as a hinge.
OK, now for the closure on the other side of the tube. You'll need two more short pieces of pipe, basically the same thing you used for the hinge side. Except, on this side, the pin will be removable. Use the pin inside the two halves of the tube to keep them aligned, and weld one piece of tube to one half of the tongue, and the other piece of pipe to the other half, positioning them so that when the tongue is folded out, the top pipe overlaps the bottom pipe, and you can drop the pin through them.
For the pin, either use a straight pin with a big washer welded to the top side, or, heat a piece of rod, and put a bend in it. Make the piece long enough so that an inch or so extends out the bottom. Drill a small hole through the part that extends through, this will be for a cotter pin.
Lastly, use a good quality cotter pin as a retainer, and use a split ring, or tack weld a short piece of chain to both the retaining pin, and the cotter pin so they don't get lost.
