My Trailer fixing

As you see its kind of short, but it says it works for a 14 ft boat its a Harbor Freight "LON" trailer.

Do I a unbolt the long rectangle tongue steel (its the piece that has the Tongue bolted on and it bolts to the rest of the trailer) and replace with longer piece if I did this I'd replace it with nice alum or just buy a longer trailer!

What do you figure you'd have to add to the tongue length? Maybe 3'-4'?
I'd replace steel with steel, so as to avoid bi-metal corrosion (aluminum to steel). Possibly with some stiffners added along the sides, extending a ways on each side (maybe 1' minimum) of the existing tongue and the new tongue piece, and welded properly it would hold well. If you use too short of pieces, the weight of the boat and traveling might cause the joint to flex and cause premature failure. Ideally, if possible, I'd find a length of square tubing (steel) that slides over the existing tongue. Slide it out of the way, butt the two pieces of tongue (existing and new), weld it all the way around, grind down some, then slide the square tubing over that butt joint and then weld the square tubing in-place. Ensure that the tubing has a decent wall thicknes and is not thin. I can generate a drawing if you want.

Sorry for the long post

I did this before with an old Lonestar trailer. You can ditch the existing tongue and replace it with a 3x4(or whatever will fit) joint of square tubing and tie it into a cross brace above the axle. Extending out that far you want to run the tongue farther back into back of trailer to prevent twisting. Everything can be bolted together.

Ideally speaking, you need to just ditch that piece, and get a new tongue. It looks to be 2 x 3 steel, which is fairly common for that size trailer. I would get a new piece that is the correct length. I am almost positive that there is some place nearby that sells new steel. The seller should cut it to the exact length, so all you would have to do is drill the bolt holes, paint it, and bolt it up.

You can weld splices on, but I have never really liked that idea. Whenever we need to extend the tongue, we could weld a splice on, which would be much quicker and cheaper for us, but we still like to cut out, and weld on a complete tongue.

What about extending the rear of the trailer and add longer bulk boards? It looks like the axle will be out of place if you lengthn either end by itself. The tongue would probally be the cheapest and easiest.

Have you towed (and launched) the boat with the existing trailer? If it works fine why fix it? I see you just have a TM on the stern, unless you plan to add an outboard (with all the additional weight) you can probably get by fine with that trailer.

Take you time and money and add some electronics or something that will help you catch more fish - that is what the boat is for anyway

esquired said:

Have you towed (and launched) the boat with the existing trailer? If it works fine why fix it? I see you just have a TM on the stern, unless you plan to add an outboard (with all the additional weight) you can probably get by fine with that trailer.

Take you time and money and add some electronics or something that will help you catch more fish - that is what the boat is for anyway

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Yes I've towed and launch boat several times with said trailer and its easy.

I do plan on adding an outboard this summer.

sccamper said:

What about extending the rear of the trailer and add longer bulk boards? It looks like the axle will be out of place if you lengthn either end by itself. The tongue would probally be the cheapest and easiest.

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It wouldn't support well. The wooden bunks would flex too much to support well, so the trailer frame needs to go right up to the transom.

As far as the axle, on a boat trailer, especially an aluminum, they will need to be pretty far back. First of all, much of the weight of those boats is in the stern. Even so, if I had the choice of too light, or too heavy on the tongue, I would definitely pick too heavy. A light tongue is not at all fun to tow.

Years ago, my dad sold the truck he pulled the boat with and had the boat stored at a little marina. When he wanted to launch, a guy would get you with a tractor. When he stoped storing near water, all he had to tow with was a 2 door crown vic. He bolted a 2x3" square tube to the front of tongue, and moved the mount to the end of 2x3. Think it was 4'-5' long. Car still got water in the trunk when he launched. It was nasty looking. Couldnt have been safe. It didnt help that the boat was a 18' hydro-vee, walk through w/shield cruiser. He got a goldwing and didnt use the boat anymore. Worked out good for me. The boat was mine the following season.

My post does not directly relate to your topic, pbw, but I figured this would be the best place to ask.

I am considering purchasing a 14' jon boat soon, and would like to have a trailer so I don't have to load it in the back of my truck every time I go fishing. I have watched craigslist.org in my area for several months now, but no good deals on trailers have come about. Harbor Freight seems to have some good options, including the trailer mentioned above. I also looked at this trailer, which has the larger 4.80 x 12" wheels and tires.
https://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=90153



Regardless of which trailer I end up with, I think I will be extending the tongue. I have read that trailers with longer tongues are easier to back up, and I would be more comfortable having the back end of the boat supported. Am I crazy for considering the trailer that was never intended to haul a boat? If I go that route, I think I will try to replicate this setup:



I like the 8 foot bunk boards, the side bunks to help with loading, and the short winch 'pillar' (so I could leave the tailgate down). Sorry for the long post, here are the questions I have at the moment:
-If I were to elongate the tongue, what is the best way to protect the inside of the tube from rust?
-Are the larger wheels and tires really neccessary if I will rarely fish more than an hour's drive away?
-Is a boat winch needed for a 14' jon boat that will only have a trolling motor? Could I just pull it up by hand and put a ratchet strap on it?

Thanks for your help.

Alright, I have built many trailers from scratch, and modified many others. The trailer from harbor is less than 6 feet long. You would have to ad a completely new tongue, but, since it is a bolt together trailer, the only tool you would need would be a cordless drill. Most steelyard will cut it to the exact length you want (especially if you only buy a partial stick. You buy 14 feet, I guarantee they will cut it to 14 feet. :lol: )

Now, I agree with the long bunks. On a flat bottom they are king. Also, an extra long tongue is a must. Backs up easier, launches better, can open tailgates etc. But, the low winch post isn't. You make the tongue long enough, and you can leave the tailgate open with a tall post. Plus, the visibility of a tall post makes it easier to load. Now, a winch is a must. For 20 bucks, it isn't worth skimping. I had a damaged winch on a Shorelander I had last year, and loading 3 times with it was a pain. Even if you can motor up to the post, you just hook, turn 3 times, and drive up. Beats the heck out of fiddling with a strap that isn't connected to anything.

I don't believe in anything smaller than 12 inch wheels. Never before burned up a bearing, nor do I plan on it. Bearing Buddies are a must in my book.

You ask how to keep the inside of the steel from rusting, but short of drilling every hole you need, and getting it cut to size, then hot dip galvanizing it, or dipping the whole thing in paint, there isn't much you can do. Just make sure the back and front remain open, so water can drain, and air can circulate.

My only concern with the idea of that harbor freight trailer is the fact that it only has a 4 foot bed, and you want at least 8 foot bunks. The wood needs to be supported a minimum of about a foot from the end, so you would have to ad another crossbar farther forward, of steel. Make sure the bunks extend past the transom, or your boat will obtain a hook in the hull.

Thanks for the reply! I have chop saw, so cutting the steel to length will not be a problem. On the bunks, if I keep them flat, what size lumber should I use to span the 3 foot gap from the front support to the original trailer frame?

I see the need for a winch post, now. Correct me if I am wrong, but wouldn't you want the winch lower than the front attachment point on the boat, so it is pulled down towards the trailer? Also, how much space would you leave between the winch post and the hitch to allow the tailgate to open?

I would probably use steel for that purpose. Drill, and use stainless bolts to attach that bar to the tongue. It could be something as small as 1 1/2 inch square, or a 1 x 2 channel.

Yes, having the winch pull downward slightly is good, but don't put it too low. Put the roller higher than the bow eye. That way, in a wreck, or ABRUPT stop, and the straps fail, the bow eye will hang on the bow roller/V block. Otherwise, you will be back to hauling in the bed of the truck, without even meaning to.

As far as space is concerned, I would definitely say some is good, more is better. Keep in mind, you will want to be able to turn a good ways with the tailgate open. Also, with a shallow ramp, the farther you can get the trailer in, the better.

Thanks for your reply, bassboy1. I found this trailer at TSC that I think I will be using instead. It has an 8 foot frame, so no additional supports will need to be fabricateed, and I can purchase it locally. Because of its higher weight rating, I think it will ride rougher. Can I pull a leaf from the pack, or will this weaken it too much?



https://www.tractorsupply.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay_10551_10001_33977_______14297%7C14337%7C14342%7C33977?listingPage=true

Also, do you have any pictures of your winch post? I am having trouble coming up with a good solution.

how many leafs doea it have? if ti has 3, then yes i would pull one and see how it road. if ti only has 2, then i probably wouldnt pull any out.

if ti has 3, then yes i would pull one and see how it road. if ti only has 2, then i probably wouldnt pull any out.

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I tend to agree with that.
As for the winch post, my Yazoo will be getting another one soon, but you may have to wait 2 weeks for it. I might be a be able to dig out a pic of the one that we made to put on my since sold Grumman. Bump this post back up on Monday if I don't get to it by then.