boot

Air bags help but , They don't 'distribute' weight , they just make the truck sit higher . If you push down on the back of the truck it lifts weight off the front tires like a see saw ,causing sway ,lose of steering control . wt.dis. bars actualy twist the witch down in the front aplying pressure back to the front wheels and regainign steering control . Air bags will lift the back of the vehicle but DO NOT put weight back on the front tires .It still works like a lever lifting the front tires and causing sway . Granted it will stiffen the rear suspension but it dose not cure the problem .

If you want to take the time , you could experiment with more tonque weight a little at a time by moving the axels a little at a time . This will take some time and must be test driven at each step but you may find a place were you may not realy need weight dist. Just good tires and shock and then maybe air bags if you need to lift the truck . MAybe some where around 300-400 lbs tongue weight might do it . I used to pull a 24' baja with 150 gallons gas behind a 92 f150 ford pick up that was lowered 6''. It handled it fine up to about 80 mph ! With out wt. dis. But I took the time and set up the trailer to carry it right . It took some time !

Waterfoul

I had a buddy towing a 21 Four Winns Liberator with a Jeep Cherokee (4.0 liter). He had to have the WD bars or the Jeep dragged it's bumper and swayed badly. He added these bars and everything was awsome!!! He sold the boat, but may still have the stystem, I'll ask him. I've never seen such a dramatic change in towing. From scarry to perfect in a couple of hours. But as stated, the system wasn't cheap. Required a new draw bar and the attachement for the trailer tongue. But like I said, night and day difference. Oh, and this was a surge brake trailer, so yes, you can get a system that works with them. It's the Equalizer system. They have a web site.....

www.equalizerhitch.com

Before I spent a lot of money, I'd add tongue wieght as stated above and then give it a try. New tires in the trailer too.

O.K......I just talked to him. He still has the entire system. It's rated for a 6000# towed wieght, so it will work for you. He has all the instructions and all the parts. Paid just over $500 for it new a few years ago. He'll let it go for $200 if you're interested. Gimme a call, 616-540-1224 if I can help.

Mike

Chart

WD bars can be good. But we may be a little overkill for Secret 233's needs. Remember, he has a 3/4 ton van and a 23' boat. He should not need WD bars. A Toyota can pull this boat. His van should do fine with enough tounge weight, tire preasure, and stock suspension in good repair.

mcollinstn

SWAY BARS: aka stabilizer bars, anti-roll bars. These are bars that act as torsion springs that attempt to keep the right and left sides of the suspension moving together, thus reducing body roll or cornering lean. If the bars were "gigantic" and inflexible, then it would essentially keep the vehicle from leaning whatsoever. These will not aid a "fishtailing" situation.

LOAD DISTRIBUTING HITCH: Uses spring steel arms to force the front end of the tow vehicle AND the trailer axle to bear MORE of the total weight while REMOVING weight from the rear wheels of the tow vehicle. Useful in instances where the rear suspension of the tow vehicle sags excessively and handles badly due to unloaded front suspension.

Listen to the others in this thread. Tongue weight at 10% of the gross trailer weight. If this tongue weight causes the rear of the van to sag excessively, then you can look to a load-distributing hitch OR overload springs on your suspension.

My thought, though, is that a 3/4 ton van should not require overload springs with a 500# tongue weight.

#1) If possible, move the boat FORWARD on the trailer as far as the setup will allow. Move the winch post forward if you can.

#2) If the above still leaves the tongue less than 500#, move the axles rearward (both of them together, if possible).

*** Replace the rear shocks on the van with some decent KMart HD Gas shocks (around $25 each) - if budget allows, add another set to the front as well.

Miraculously, your troubles should be solved.

cuda

I agree it is probably the fact it needs more toungue weight. I tow a 6000# boat with my F 150, the 2500 van should be more than enough. Can you move you're jack stand farther forward? You don't have to move it far to make quite a difference in toungue weight. A few weeks ago I had the bottom paint blasted off my boat. When they put it back on the trailer, it was a few inches back of the stand. While fooling with the wires on the trailer, I put my hand under the toungue while sitting on the ground, and the trailer started rising! And this is about a 5500# boat. Goes to show not much movement makes a lot of weight difference.

Secret F233

Resolution: Ok we added a 6" raised hitch receiver to level out the trailer due to it's leaning forward towards the van. Also I added the appropriate tongue weight 10% of the boat & trailer was about 400lbs & filled the tires in the van & trailer to the correct weight (they where at 35 & should have been 50psi) & repair the shocks on the van & wow what a difference it make not totally cured but much much better we got up to about 70mph and all is well I did get a sway bar but the tongue on my trailer is almost as long as the back framed half so I think I need to weld a cross beam on the trailer tongue or something.

Any hu much thanks fellas for the wonderful advice heck you probably saved our lives OSO Rocks the house what a great team.

Going for the maiden voyage of the F233 this weekend it's been more than a year I've had this beauty & haven't run her yet but lots of hard work, blood, sweat & tears + second jobs & she's looking almost showroom again & the 454 & Merc drive are ready as soon as the 350 & OMC stringer crap out again so should be good

Thanks again all & I'll see you on LOTO this weekend <<<PERMAGRIN<<<

Chris Oldfather

Chart

Never even thought about the trailer not being level. Glad you fixed that too. I'll be at LOTO this weekend also, will keep an eye out for a 233. As the 302 is not yet water-ready, I'll be in an over-crouded 330SS. Be safe, and have fun.

Secret F233

thanks Chart here's the ol girl I'll keep my eyes peeled for ya

MitchStellin

It looks like the boat is way too far back on the trailer. The xles should be under the stern more.

Secret F233

ya your right it was that's a pre fixed photo. BTW does anyone else have a trailer stem that long I thought it was supposed to split near the bow????