Hitch extensions - good or bad?

[ralphl]

It seems that two feet of hitch extension would get pontoons out into deeper water to make loading & unloading a bit easier. My thought is to just slip the extension in at the ramp, not to haul the boat down the road with the extension in.

Any opinions? Voice of experience?

 

[Leardriver]

Re: Hitch extensions - good or bad?

Just doing it at the ramp like you described sounds like a very practical idea. I see sailboats do it successfully.

 

[Lion hunter]

Re: Hitch extensions - good or bad?

I don't see a problem with that at all other than the inconvienance of swapping stingers at the ramp. I think I'd solve the problem once and for all and have 2' added to the trailer tongue.

 

[marlboro180]

Re: Hitch extensions - good or bad?

I don't see a problem with that at all other than the inconvienance of swapping stingers at the ramp. I think I'd solve the problem once and for all and have 2' added to the trailer tongue.

Yeah and re-configure the trailer for the proper tongue weight as well

To be clear , I vote for doing it at the ramp....

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Hitch extensions - good or bad?

If you really wanted to get creative, it wouldn't be that hard to make an electro-hydraulic system to do it automatically! You would still want a manual safety pin holding the entire system in the 'short' state, but once you pull that pin, you could have a small hydraulic ram connected to your sliding tongue assembly.

 

[ralphl]

Re: Hitch extensions - good or bad?

SmokinCrater - I like the way you think. Wouldn't that draw a crowd at the ramp?

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Hitch extensions - good or bad?

I vote for a longer tongue

 

[iop]

Re: Hitch extensions - good or bad?

I'm trying to understand how it would have any significant impact at the ramp??
I see a big diff in turning/maneuvering the trailer....

But at the ramp?? Would not it just mean that your truck just be up the ramp more..
The trailer has a "perfect depth" anyhow and an extention would only push up your truck. NO???

Also I dont see how it would impact tounge weight... other than the weight of the extension itself.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Hitch extensions - good or bad?

the impact at the ramp is that it would allow the trailer to be deeper without getting the tow vehicle in the water


The tongue weight would change because a longer tongue is a longer lever which has a greater mechanical advantage over the load it is lifting.... thus the longer tongue would REDUCE tongue weight and increase axle weight..... BUT not very much and it might still be fine or a slight adjustmant of boat position on trailer or axle position under trailer might be needed

 

[iop]

Re: Hitch extensions - good or bad?

the impact at the ramp is that it would allow the trailer to be deeper without getting the tow vehicle in the water


The tongue weight would change because a longer tongue is a longer lever which has a greater mechanical advantage over the load it is lifting.... thus the longer tongue would REDUCE tongue weight and increase axle weight..... BUT not very much and it might still be fine or a slight adjustmant of boat position on trailer or axle position under trailer might be needed

Well yeah... if your tail pipe is bubbling at launch then go for it.

I have to disagree with the tounge weight thing... I THINK in the scope of trailering boats... physics is on my side
Tounge weight is determined by the relation of the center of gravity of the boat and the axle(s). Think of it this way, in theory if the tounge was a mile long a two year old can lift it... but what about the weight of the extension material??

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Hitch extensions - good or bad?

tongue weight has no bearing on this conversation, he isn't going to use it going down the road, and trailer sway isn't much of a problem at 5 mph in the parking lot!

and the extra weight for traction doesn't make THAT much of a difference. If you have issues then toss a couple sand bags in the back. (i suspect it won't be a problem, since the truck now has dry tires and isn't backed in as far.)

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Hitch extensions - good or bad?

deleted

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Hitch extensions - good or bad?

Tongue weight IS a factor if he were to take the suggestion to lengthen the tongue instead of using an extension.... the extension would increase the tongue weight by it's own weight and would also increase weight transfer from front of tow vehicle to rear (which of course wouldn't matter in a parking lot) but the longer tongue WOULD reduce it.... the weight of the material would be negligable....... two feet of 3x4x1/8" tubing weighs what 15 lbs?

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Hitch extensions - good or bad?

the force at the receiver of the vehicle would be less with either an extension or increasing the tongue length..

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Hitch extensions - good or bad?

Both ways would reduce the force at the receiver of the vehicle.

SOOOOO you think that 2 feet between the ball and reciever would reduce the weight on the ball or that some of that weight would vanish between the ball and reciever......................................

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Hitch extensions - good or bad?

Weight at the ball at the end of the extension would of course stay the same.

The tongue weight is not even a factor to be considered for the OPs use since it is so negligible.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Hitch extensions - good or bad?

and thus that weight would ALL be transferred to the reciever along with the slight weight of the extension itself

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Hitch extensions - good or bad?

You are correct. I was thinking extension of the tougue was what the OP was questioning about...not extension of the hitch.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Hitch extensions - good or bad?

edit.... ok

 

[geeco1]

Re: Hitch extensions - good or bad?

On another forum site, a pontoon owner extended his tongue by taking a square steel tube that would slide inside of the existing trailer tongue tube. He then drilled a couple of holes to insert a hitch pin. He towed the boat with the tongue retracted. Then when he gets to the prep area, he would pull the pins, pull the vehicle forward to extend the tongue, then put the pins back in to lock it in place. I want to say that he had about 6 foot of extension. Obviously, after retrieval, he would push the extension back in for the road.