Drop neck tongue idea?

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Drop neck tongue idea?

Postby shoeman » Mon Jul 09, 2007 4:04 pm

The bumper on my tow rig is gonna put the ball about 27" from the ground. Some of you guys have suggested an adapter that will let me use different hitch types, but I'm wondering if anyone ever builds a tongue with an extension to raise the coupler height?

Ball trailer frame
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Pardon the lousy ASCII art, but you see what I mean? Good idea or trouble waiting to happen?

Geoff
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Postby angib » Mon Jul 09, 2007 5:28 pm

If I'm guessing what you mean correctly (sorry, that ASCII-art doesn't make any sense to me...), it sounds like it would work OK, though maybe wouldn't look the prettiest!

The joints in the tongue would clearly be a point of weakness. Joining the top and bottom of the tube to the next piece isn't much use at a corner like this - it's the sides that carry all the load at the joint. So instead of the bare joint on the left, you should add the red doublers on the right, fillet welding round the edge of them to the tubes.

Image Image

This design of tongue will put more bending load on it, so be sure to pick a strong tube - it would be worth going to a 3" tube when you could keep the wall thickness reasonable - 1/8" is probably enough.

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Postby sdtripper2 » Mon Jul 09, 2007 6:53 pm

Geoff:

You need to know the balance point of your trailer.

To have the trailer appear balanced to your much higher Tow Vehicle (TV).

Your Drawbar you make or buy should have a drop of much less than the
27" from the top of your hitch receiver opening.

Glossary Term:
The key term is your Drawbar = Ball Mount Adapter
-A metal bar that is inserts the hitch ball into the hitch receiver.

Here is a formula with pictures to help you formulate your exact draw bar's drop:clicky
This will facilitate your Tow Vehicle and look correct and in balance when you pull your trailer.


Then you can make or buy a Drawbar that will fit your needs with confidence.

* The link above also has some unique drawbars that are adjustable.

* Here are some More Drawbars clicky that may help you visualize or have options.
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Postby Alphacarina » Mon Jul 09, 2007 7:05 pm

Assuming you have a standard 2 inch receiver on your tow rig, you can buy dropped hitch inserts for it in 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 inches

I would much rather have a commercially made 10 inch dropped hitch than I would a home made trailer tongue as radical as you would need to achieve the same drop

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Postby madjack » Mon Jul 09, 2007 10:49 pm

Don, he has a step bumper hitch...very high in the air....

Shoe, the tongue would always be a weak point in your setup as suggested...plus it would be a liability for resale...the adapters that bolt to the bottom of your bumper, cost less than 50 bucks and would be a MUCH safer method plus you wouldn't have that oddball looking...and uuuugly riser on the trailer frame..JMNSHO
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Postby asianflava » Tue Jul 10, 2007 12:56 am

Doing this mod to the trailer means that it should only be towed with a bumper hitch. If you got a new TV with a reciever hitch you'd have a problem. If you had to sell the trailer you'd be limiting the number of potential buyers.

You're better off trying to get a hitch for your TV or using the under bumper mount.
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Postby shoeman » Tue Jul 10, 2007 8:28 am

Thanks Guys. Sounds like the under-bumper adapter and a drop ball thingie are the way to go. Cross one more question off my growing pre-build list.

Geoff
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Postby UK-Corlett » Mon Jul 16, 2007 7:59 am

Hi Shoeman

I put a "swan neck" in my tonge. As my TD only weighs in at 320kg, I welded it without the fish plates. Note my tonge has two 2" square tube (14 uk SWG [2mm thk])

I also used a machine saw to get the angles correct.

Ive done approx 1000 miles so far / so good.

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Postby madjack » Mon Jul 16, 2007 8:42 am

Clive, how much difference is there in your "swoop"...I like it but would be very leery of using it without the fish plates...but maybe our roads and speeds are much different to what yours are...I do like it though and it is similar to the original KIT frames which had a bent tube tongue like yours....
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Postby shoeman » Mon Jul 16, 2007 9:33 am

Nice job! Dumb question... what's a fish plate? Is it what I might call a gusset?
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Postby UK-Corlett » Mon Jul 16, 2007 9:34 am

Madjack

My "swoop" is 150mm (6") in 408mm (16") roughly a 10degree up and then 10 degree level off. The best this is that it look pretty.

My nose weight is only light. I have a small wife and it was important that she could handle it. So its approx 50kg (110 lb).

So if you do the sums and I did the loads are not amplified so much.

I once forgot that it was hooked on and remembered when i got to 80mph. I also gave it a massive jolt the other week when I was not quite straight and zoomed of from a stand still, my tow car is a big Jaguar.
I do check for cracks but non yet.

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Postby madjack » Mon Jul 16, 2007 10:32 am

Shoe, a fishplate is basically a gusset that follows along side the profile of a weld...

Clive...thanks for the additional info...just don't power a flip into the trailer with that big ol' Jag.......
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Bent tongues

Postby Melvin » Mon Jul 16, 2007 12:06 pm

U-Haul does something similiar, though the curve is on a single tongue not a V:
Image

These trailers get abused something horrible carrying a lot more weight then our tears.
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Re: Bent tongues

Postby Nitetimes » Mon Jul 16, 2007 1:50 pm

Melvin wrote:U-Haul does something similiar, though the curve is on a single tongue not a V:

These trailers get abused something horrible carrying a lot more weight then our tears.


Keep in mind that that tongue has been machine bent not cut and welded back together. Makes a big difference in the strength.
Rich


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Postby Nobody » Wed Jul 18, 2007 2:49 pm

Bringing this up again, here's a link to an adjustable ball mount that might be just the ticket for Shoeman's problem - http://tinyurl.com/2t8zdk - Sometimes this place has some great buys. I bought my "First-Up" E-Z Up clone from them for $49 (without the name on it), best price I've seen for the 10X10 First-Up from Wal-Mart is $79. These adjustable ball mounts are kinda pricey from what I've seen elsewhere (U-Haul, etc.)
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