Kevin Van Dam Forums

I got this old 12’ ModV boat and trailer free from my in-laws.  It’s a custom trailer and the tongue is ridculously short (1 foot).  It’s unforgiving to back and I dang near have to put Mama Bear’s Acadia half in the water to launch.  Also, it has an old coupler where you have to tighten up on the ball with a large hand nut assembly.  One time at the ramp it actually came off the hitch!  It made a loud clunk sound.  I thought buggered up her ride.  I was thinking, “She’s gonna $@#t!  She’s gonna kill me!”  Luckily the chains caught it and there was no damage.  But you should of seen me trying to pull those two back together on the ramp like He-Man.  No wonder my back is screwed up.  What is nice about it is that it can fit sideways in the garage nicely, and the boat and trailer only weigh about 300lbs.  When I look at my buddies Nitro trailer he’s got a “swing tongue.”  I figured I’d buy one.  Kind of expensive.  Then I was thinking why don’t I sleeve it.  I’ll grind off the old coupler leaving the foot long tongue (doesn’t sound right).  Then I’ll slide a 3-3 1/2 foot peice with a modern coupler over it.  I can pin it or use grade 8 bolts and take it off in the garage.  It makes me wonder at what point do I just get another trailer?  What do you guys think?

http://s1097.photobucket.com/albums/g352/seahawkII/?action=view&current=DSCI0005-1.jpg

I would get an extension welded onto it, another 2-3 feet, then put a normal hitch coupler (like $30). Your way would work too, if you want to spend the time messing with those bolts every time you want to go fishing.

BBK - 09 November 2011 02:19 AM

I would get an extension welded onto it, another 2-3 feet, then put a normal hitch coupler (like $30). Your way would work too, if you want to spend the time messing with those bolts every time you want to go fishing.

X2, i’m no expert but an extension is exactly what i was thinking.

That is the shortest tounge I have ever seen. What kind of shape is the rest of the trailer? If its soild otherwise Id have an extention welded on or a removable tounge put on depending on the storage situation. If the trailer is starting to fall apart, then Id look for a new trailer.

never seen anything quite like that before

You can buy a kit that will make a normal solid tounge into a swing-away.  Take the coupler off attach the swing away bracket and I would buy a new pc of sq tube cut to length and attach it to the other end of the swing-away bracket.  That would extend it so its longer and still takes up the same amount of room in the garage.

There’s this kit too, that replaces the tongue and would give you a bit more room.  I was looking at these last week and the installation instructions see pretty straightforward:

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Fulton-Trailer-Swing-Tongues/701511.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath;=/catalog/search.cmd?form_state=searchForm&N=0&fsch=true&Ntk=AllProducts&Ntt=Swing+tounge&x=0&y=0&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products&Ntt=Swing+tounge&WTz_l=Header;Search-All+Products