Suggestions for Tongue Length

ToolBox Guy

Adventurer
Well it looks like I will be joining the quickly growing cult of Enclosed Cargo trailers guys.

This little 4'x6' is a little smaller than what I want, but for $500 I am having a hard time passing it up.



Cargo-2.JPG


Cargo-1.JPG


Because of my tow vehicle configuration, I will need to lengthen the tongue on this little trailer, and I want to be educated by those that have done it.
I have done some reading on trailer specs., configurations, tongue weight ratio's, all the stuff that needs to be considered. I have also breezed through a few build threads, but honestly, I don't have the time to learn and retain all of that information right now. HAHA!

I know that every trailer set-up and build is completely different, but I was hoping for some suggestions and pictures on length and calculations that most of you have used when making this mod. Maybe even adding the "Don't do it this way" would help also.


Thank You for the help.


Brett.
 

mmuthart

Observer
I'll try to help... When I built my trailer frame, my only consideration for tongue length was - how long does it need to be to fit everything on it that I want to carry? But I had one big advantage over you...I could place my axle where ever I wanted to. Your axle is already towards the back of the trailer (as it should be), so if you lengthen the tongue to carry extra gear, you'll be increasing your tongue weight significantly. The major disadvantage to that is maneuverability by hand. Other than lengthening to accomadate your tow vehicle, do you have any other storage plans for the tongue?

BTW - cute little trailer.
 

mmuthart

Observer
You can see below, that I built my tongue to hold a ton of gear. But you'll also notice my axle is centered under ther main 4x8 section of my trailer. At first I was concerned whether my axle was to far forward. It ended up being the right place. I'd imagine your axle could probably be moved forward if you had similiar plans for carrying stuff on your tongue..
 

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ToolBox Guy

Adventurer
You can see below, that I built my tongue to hold a ton of gear. But you'll also notice my axle is centered under ther main 4x8 section of my trailer. At first I was concerned whether my axle was to far forward. It ended up being the right place. I'd imagine your axle could probably be moved forward if you had similiar plans for carrying stuff on your tongue..




I probably won't be adding too much to the tongue, maybe a deep cycle battery for lighting. It will be more so that I have clearance between the swing out carrier on the back of the truck.


Truck-1.JPG

I almost feel a little odd for having a full-size with a utility bed with all of it's storage, and still wanting to haul a trailer.

So are you saying that length of tongue is adding tongue weight or decreasing it?
 

mmuthart

Observer
So are you saying that length of tongue is adding tongue weight or decreasing it?

You'll be increasing your tongue weight. But if you're only putting a battery on it, it should be minimal (the added weight of the material to lengthen the tongue + whatever you put on it).

Lengthen it to whatever you need; I don't see any issues as long as it's structurely sound. I wouldn't just increase the lenth of the center beam without triangulating out to the sides.

Edit: I don't know what your frame underneath your trailer looks like, but you'll want to triangulate to the furthest forward cross member similar to what I did below.
 

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jim65wagon

TundraBird1
We used 1/2 the width of the truck, and added to that the length of the propane locker and tongue box. The trailer can jack knife without the propane locker touching the truck....it's close but no touch.
 

wingysataday

Adventurer
I like my tongue to be long enough so that I can jack knife it as far as possible without hitting my truck. Shorter the tongue, the less manuverability you have.
 

ToolBox Guy

Adventurer
I like my tongue to be long enough so that I can jack knife it as far as possible without hitting my truck. Shorter the tongue, the less manuverability you have.



This is probably where I was going to start. I just wanted to be a little more "Scientific" than that. But you have a good point, probably long enough to not jack knife into the truck is about all I need to worry about.

Thanks for the replies.
 

John E Davies

Adventurer
Buy an 18 inch length of 2 inch (inside) steel hitch coupler stock at your local steel supply. It has 1/4 inch wall thickness and already has the reinforcing ring installed at the opening.

Buy a length of 2 inch square tubing, 1/8 inch wall thickness should be plenty thick for that light trailer. (An offroad trailer would be better with 1/4 inch wall). You will have to figure out the length you need. It would be better to buy an extra couple of feet and have to cut it off, than find out you are two inches too short.....

Saw off your existing tongue just forward of the jack mount. Weld the square tubing under your existing straight tongue, adding a couple of gussets if you think it needs some reinforcing.

Drill a couple of 1/2 inch holes through the square tubing at about a 12 inch spacing. Drill matching holes where needed in the new tongue bar. Use one 1/2 inch Grade 8 bolt with self locking nut and one locking coupler pin.

Now you can slide your new tongue bar in or out to suit your towing situation - the excess lies neatly below the old tongue - or remove the bar and coupler entirely for storage and excellent theft protection. I actually have two adjustable tongues with a range of adjustment of 30 inches. One has my Treg offroad coupler at a 24 inch "ball height", one has a standard 2 inch ball mount at 18 inch height. My "socket" is bolted in since the trailer is aluminum. Yours can easily be welded. I normally store both bars inside the trailer off season.

If you do plan to use the bar at different lengths, you will need to extend your trailer's harness, and loop and secure the excess cable when the bar is in the shortest position. The next two pics shows the offroad bar in the short position with excess cable secured. The blue stripes (electrical tape) are a guide to show me how much slack to leave when I bungee down the cable.

Treg-001.JPG


Treg-002.JPG


The following pic shows the ball coupler fully extended, so the RAV4 rear door can swing open.

As you can see, the two safety chains are bolted to the bar, not to the trailer frame! This is the reason you use a large bolt to secure the bar to the socket, not just a single locking pin. The bolt with self locking nut provides the extra safety so you know that your bar can NEVER accidentally come out. And it also prevents the bar from shifting around and making noises. When you remove your bar for storage, the chains go too, so a crook can't just hook up the chains to his truck and drag your trailer away.

Trailer-021.JPG


Take the time to make your tongue adjustable and you will pat yourself on the back every time you use the trailer.

BTW, lengthening your tongue will add some weight onto the trailer, but not as much weight as you think onto the coupler. The added arm reduces the hitch weight a little. Until you start adding gear to the longer tongue ;( Remember Archimedes and levers? A really long bar is excellent when you have a really heavy load in your trailer.

Archimedes_lever_%28Small%29.jpg


More trailer pics here: ..... http://www.spokanister.net/vehicles_trailer.htm

Good luck and enjoy your trailer.

John Davies
Spokane WA USA
 
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ToolBox Guy

Adventurer
Buy an 18 inch length of 2 inch (inside) steel hitch coupler stock at your local steel supply. It has 1/4 inch wall thickness and already has the reinforcing ring installed at the opening.

Buy a length of 2 inch square tubing, 1/8 inch wall thickness should be plenty thick for that light trailer. (An offroad trailer would be better with 1/4 inch wall). You will have to figure out the length you need. It would be better to buy an extra couple of feet and have to cut it off, than find out you are two inches too short.....

Saw off your existing tongue just forward of the jack mount. Weld the square tubing under your existing straight tongue, adding a couple of gussets if you think it needs some reinforcing.

Drill a couple of 1/2 inch holes through the square tubing at about a 12 inch spacing. Drill matching holes where needed in the new tongue bar. Use one 1/2 inch Grade 8 bolt with self locking nut and one locking coupler pin.

Now you can slide your new tongue bar in or out to suit your towing situation - the excess lies neatly below the old tongue - or remove the bar and coupler entirely for storage and excellent theft protection. I actually have two adjustable tongues with a range of adjustment of 30 inches. One has my Treg offroad coupler at a 24 inch "ball height", one has a standard 2 inch ball mount at 18 inch height. My "socket" is bolted in since the trailer is aluminum. Yours can easily be welded. I normally store both bars inside the trailer off season.

If you do plan to use the bar at different lengths, you will need to extend your trailer's harness, and loop and secure the excess cable when the bar is in the shortest position. The next two pics shows the offroad bar in the short position with excess cable secured. The blue stripes (electrical tape) are a guide to show me how much slack to leave when I bungee down the cable.

Treg-001.JPG


Treg-002.JPG


The following pic shows the ball coupler fully extended, so the RAV4 rear door can swing open.

As you can see, the two safety chains are bolted to the bar, not to the trailer frame! This is the reason you use a large bolt to secure the bar to the socket, not just a single locking pin. The bolt with self locking nut provides the extra safety so you know that your bar can NEVER accidentally come out. And it also prevents the bar from shifting around and making noises. When you remove your bar for storage, the chains go too, so a crook can't just hook up the chains to his truck and drag your trailer away.

Trailer-021.JPG


Take the time to make your tongue adjustable and you will pat yourself on the back every time you use the trailer.

BTW, lengthening your tongue will add some weight onto the trailer, but not as much weight as you think onto the coupler. The added arm reduces the hitch weight a little. Until you start adding gear to the longer tongue ;( Remember Archimedes and levers? A really long bar is excellent when you have a really heavy load in your trailer.

Archimedes_lever_%28Small%29.jpg


More trailer pics here: ..... http://www.spokanister.net/vehicles_trailer.htm

Good luck and enjoy your trailer.

John Davies
Spokane WA USA





Great idea.

Thanks for the informative post!
 

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