Trailer Scrape
 

Okay when I back the Apache in the water at the ramp the trailer is so long and I guess has a good amount of tongue weight that the boat trailer scrapes as the trailer is on the ramp and the truck is on the level part of the parking lot. I have the hitch flipped upside down (not much of a drop hitch) and the ball sits up on top at bumper height. Not enough, when I pull the trailer out of the water with no boat on it she does not scrape at all. So the weight of the boat on the tongue of the trailer makes the back of the dually squat enough that this occurs.
I have stock wheels and tires on the truck, Would putting 285-75-16's lift the truck up enough to keep the trailer scraping or do I have to start messing with helper leaves or small lift kit for the truck to prevent this? Im sure SOME of you guys have had this in the past. What have you done to eliminate this or at least have the scrape decreased to a minimal scratch?
Just for information, the trailer tires are 225-75-15's load range D tires from Goodyear. Im thinking maybe a cheap set of wheels for the trailer and put the 235-75-16 tires from the dually on the trailer (load range E) and have the trailer have a little bit of height increase as well as address the larger tires on the truck to get the whole package up higher off the ground.
Any ideas would be helpful
Thanks
J

Re: Trailer Scrape
 

See if you can measure the height of the trailer loaded and unloaded. Remember, every inch taller tire only raises the trailer half of it. There was one steep ramp a buddy of mine always scraped on. It was a real wide ramp, so he started backing down at an angle. Not so easy to do with a 41 footer.

Re: Trailer Scrape
 

get an 8 inch drop and flip it, my dually is lowered 8 inches in the rear and I dont drag pulling out a 42 tiger.

Re: Trailer Scrape
 

What about air bags? Does the boat need to be moved back a few inches on the trailer to adjust tongue wt and balance?

Re: Trailer Scrape
 

I would think the hitch being such a big drop or flip up would break no? Joe, no I cant back it in on an angle the ramp I use in Delray Beach is not that big. Ill measure the difference on Sunday when I take the boat out again.
Im not exactly sure the height difference between a 235-75-16 and a 285-75-16 would be but I think any bump up would be an improvement since when I scrape the ramp its pretty bad. Offshoredrillin, You feel comfortable pulling out a 42 tiger and trailering with an upside down 8" hitch? I would think if you stopped in a panic, that drop part welded onto the solid hitch tube bar, I would think it would bend real bad or even break and now you have 13000 lbs on safety chains and probably digging up the street and destroying the front of the trailer. That just makes me a little nervous since there is so much weight, If the boat was some 21 foot bass boat or something I would have no issues with this at all but just the sheer weight of the apache that makes me a little nervous.
J

Re: Trailer Scrape
 

it is rated for 15k and welded with gussets. no problem at all. My truck is lowered, put air bags for additional weight, dont really need them and have 19.5 rims.

Re: Trailer Scrape
 

Mine doesnt hit.......but then again mine only weighs 8000 lbs approx........After pulling my boat little tommy pulled his boat and had to check the trailer bakes to see if they were on.........if you move the boat back you run the chance of it hanging off trailer causing a hook in bottom.try using your equalizer bars........but what do I know I have only had my boat 16 years.............mark..........

Re: Trailer Scrape
 

nice boat...

Re: Trailer Scrape
 

The difference is 2.9 inches in diameter, so roughly an inch and a half lift.

Re: Trailer Scrape
 

Too many bails in the cabin?..............mark...........Now that funny.............

Re: Trailer Scrape
 

I ball mount comes from the manufacturer with a specified rating. Whatever it is rated at is what the ball mount can handle....pretty simple. That rating is good regardless of which direction the mount is in the hitch.

Buck

Re: Trailer Scrape
 

I have seen trailers with a steel roller on each side where it hits the ground...........mark...........

Re: Trailer Scrape
 

THat was another thought of mine, small set of wheels or small axle under the middle of the trailer.
So who makes a ball mount that can handle this weight? Reese or someone else?

Im leaning towards putting the larger tires on the truck and if I can get a ball mount that sits a little higher than what I have now that should take care of the problem or at least set up the trailer so that it just might bump the ground and thats it.
J

Re: Trailer Scrape
 

what about the equalizer bars?............m.m..........

Re: Trailer Scrape
 

Mark, are those the 2 fork type things that hook to the hitch reciever and to the 2 frame rails of the trailer with chains? Load leveler things?

Re: Trailer Scrape
 

yes. on my rigg they pick up rear end shifting weight to front end of vehicle.lube pivot points to cover for angle down ramp...........m.m....in 50 years of this boatin stuff i did learn a little..........this education was not cheap by any means!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.............mark......... ...

Re: Trailer Scrape
 

i'll take a pic when I get to the shop, you can get the height very easily.

Re: Trailer Scrape
 

A 8" drop/rise hitch used just at the ramp?

Re: Trailer Scrape
 

no all the time, but it gives you the height you need...

Re: Trailer Scrape
 

The problem you will run into by raising the ball, is that it puts more weight on the back tires. I've noticed it on just pulling my 22 Donzi on my F 350. I need a drop hit to level it out to even up the weight.

I have a hitch that had equalizer bars on a camper trailer that I use to own. I had two different set of spring for it, 500# springs, and 1000# springs. You could actually put the 1000# springs on, drop all the links that tighten it up, and you could lift the back tires of the truck off the ground. That was an F 150. I'll go take a picture of the hitch in a minute to see if it's the same thing you guys are talking about. If it's what will work, I don't have the springs anymore, but I don't need the hitch, and Jay can have it for free if he thinks that would be the ticket.

Re: Trailer Scrape
 

Here's the hitch I was talking about. The springs hook into the place that the red lines are. The blue arrows point at levers that you lift to put the spring in. The purple arrow is where an anti sway bar hooks up.

Re: Trailer Scrape
 

Thanks Joe, But I am not convinced that will solve the problem, When the trailer starts down the ramp and the truck is still on level ground in the parking lot, the trailer scrapes pretty bad in the middle of the trailer the cross members dig up the concrete on the ramp. I think what is going to solve this problem is to get the trailer up in the air on bigger tires and get the truck up in the air on bigger tires. The Hitch part might be the final part to keep it from digging up the ramp. Joe, is this some sort of raised hitch or is it "level" I have a 1 1/2 or so DROP hitch that I have flipped upside down.
Thanks for the offer, Greatly appreciated.
J

Re: Trailer Scrape
 

here is the hictch on mine, never a problem

Re: Trailer Scrape
 

Hay Jay maybe too much gas in the front tank?..........mark........

Re: Trailer Scrape
 

Find something like this that is rated for your wieght and flip it over. That way you can keep the front end down where it needs to be when towing. Before you back down the ramp you can jack up the trailer jack and adjust it to the highest setting. You will have the best of both worlds.

Re: Trailer Scrape
 

Nope, when I pulled the boat out yesterday the front tank was just about empty and she still scraped the living hell out of the ramp and the trailers cross member.
Now mind you the trailer sits on 225-75-15 Marathon tires. I think this puppy needs some bigger meats under it, Like some 235-85-16's on it and get the trailer up higher in the air. Its the length of the trailer and the angle of the ramp is pretty steep.

Re: Trailer Scrape
 

I'd think the combination of some larger (taller) tires and an adjustable hitch would be the way to go. You can raise the hitch or flip it as neccessary. The one I have is by Rotoeze.