lenghting tounge of HF trailer with no welding?

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lenghting tounge of HF trailer with no welding?

Postby nemoskull » Sat Dec 10, 2016 11:51 pm

im looking to lengthen the tounge of the HF trailer about 12 inch. can this be done with bolt together, or do i need to weld it.
(i learned to weld self taught on a 80 amp stick from HF, using mostly 1/16. so i dont really trust my welding skills.)
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Re: lenghting tounge of HF trailer with no welding?

Postby MtnDon » Sun Dec 11, 2016 1:16 am

Buy new steel for the new extended tongue and you don't need to weld. Is it a single piece tongue? That would be simpler than an a-frame model, but neither should be difficult. I have extended the tongue of a single tube by buying the required length of new tubing as well as upgrading to a heavier wall square tube. I have also extended an A-frame tongue. Both could have been done w/o welding although I welded pieces to also provide a coupler height change.
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Re: lenghting tounge of HF trailer with no welding?

Postby mikeschn » Sun Dec 11, 2016 7:32 am

I agree with Don.

But you can not use the existing brackets on the side and still make the tongue longer. It changes the angle.

So you might investigate getting a longer piece of tube, with at least a 3/16" wall, or even 1/4" depending on length, and have it welded on in the center. Then get one of these...

Image

Your end result might be something like this...

Image

If you don't trust your welding skills, go to your muffler guy. ;)

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Re: lenghting tounge of HF trailer with no welding?

Postby MadMango » Sun Dec 11, 2016 8:40 am

Is a 12" or 18" receiver extension a viable, no-weld option?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01H6 ... UTF8&psc=1
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Re: lenghting tounge of HF trailer with no welding?

Postby daveesl77 » Sun Dec 11, 2016 9:09 am

While you can do the hitch extension, it is far better to extend the tongue by adding in a strong center member. The HF trailer tongues are kind of lightweight in their stock configuration.

I extended Conch Fritter's tongue by 18". Was pretty simple, as I just got a 2x2" 3/16" square tube that was long enough to go from the second cross member back on the trailer to the desired length (something like 7 feet long). Turn the standard tongue holder (the angled platform that the normal hitch attaches to) upside down and run the new tube through it. I'm a belt/suspenders guy, so the tube is both through-bolted and welded at all attachment points. This leaves the "A" frame and the tube, creating a very strong composite tongue. Oh, and on all through bolt areas, on the HF frame member sides, I added in 1/4" thick x 3" long x 1" wide aluminum pieces to displace the loading (think big, rectangular washers) inside the C channel. I think the entire thing cost me about $25 and that was for the tube.

The extension makes it a bunch easier to back up, as the distance between the trailer ball and the most forward area of the tongue box is greater than 1/2 the width of the van. It is easier to tow and a convenient place for my flip up lift wheel that doesn't get in the way of anything when traveling and I don't have to worry about it twisting the frame the way some have. Took maybe an hour to fully mount, but now the tongue loading is almost no concern.

Before I forget, you may have seen that some have had problems with the HF trailer on the attachment point between that weird flip-pin holder and the tongue. Simple fix is to once again through bolt the tongue through the attachment and the frame. No more worries about the cheap foreign welds failing.

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Re: lenghting tounge of HF trailer with no welding?

Postby Dale M. » Sun Dec 11, 2016 10:25 am

Might look here...

viewtopic.php?p=1186508#p1186508

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Re: lenghting tounge of HF trailer with no welding?

Postby tac422 » Sun Dec 11, 2016 8:15 pm

I took a piece of 2" square tube, and drilled and bolted one end to the first cross member. You could run it all the way to the end of the trailer, but I have a dropped floor.
I then turned the "u" shaped piece upside down and ran the 2" tube through it ( and bolted it to that piece, as well.)
You can then make the tongue as long as you want. You will have to drill and bolt the hitch piece on the end.
(My apologies to the picture owner, I don't know who to give credit to)
see here : viewtopic.php?f=55&t=56441&start=135
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Re: lenghting tounge of HF trailer with no welding?

Postby pchast » Sun Dec 11, 2016 8:43 pm

I bolted through th e back of the new center tube and
through the a frame connector to the center tube.
Both done with grade 8 bolts.
It should have been fine.

Later welds were added.
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