thoughts on tri-axle trailer tongue weight
 

This is my dilemma: 31' cigarette bullet,full load of fuel and gear, and aluminum tri axle trailer weighing in @ 12,000 lbs. Right now only have 280 lbs. of tongue weight, and the trailer builder is telling me all his trailers are set up @ 250-300lbs. on the tongue. The boat is as far up on the trailer as possible(the transom is even with the end of the bunks and the winchstand is as far forward on the frame as possible), and now the only option I have is to move the axles back to add more weight. When I first received the trailer last august I had 14" of hull hanging past the bunks and going over 35mph the boat started swaying. He sent me a longer tongue to move the boat forward (labor was paid by me for the swap),which only now gives me the 280 lbs. I have left 4 messages for him and he has yet to get back to me, because I don't feel I should have to pay for moving the axles (now a brand new trailer is going to be full of holes) on a brand new trailer when he was told when I ordered it what boat it was going to be used for. Just find it hard to believe that he thinks 280 lbs. on the tongue is enough for towing 12,000 lbs. Sorry for the ranting, just pissed off. Looking to see what you guys think.

Tongue weight should be close to 10% of the weight of the load.

250-300# is not nearly enough! I would be looking at moving the axles.

Good luck!

Wow 12,000 lbs for a 31 ft, thats really seems alot, did you weigh it, i have a 38 ft Top Gun with a Myco Trailer, i thought that was around 12,000 lbs

Actually 11,990 lbs. w/ 180 gals. fuel, all gear loaded onboard and the trailer, all weighed on the scales at a local recycling facility.

thats heavy !! i tow mine with a Ford F 350 Dually

I agree with both of the above !!!!!

Also, what kind of trailer and which axles ???
Pix would help .

I usually run mine around 1000 # even tough the boat only weighs 5700 # and the steel trailer 2000..but i go 80 down the road with 0 problems !!!!!

I trade u my STEEL MYCO, twin axle 12000 # trailer and 38 feet long with drive gurad, set up for a 32 foot V bottom and has race bunks !!!! lol

This is how it sat on the trailer before I extended the tongue and moved the winchstand. you can see how much of the hull is past the bunks. Now its even, but you can tell just by looking at it that the axles are too far forward. Would have to look thru paperwork for which axles, but it is a Fastload trailer.

Forgot the pic.

Those axles are way to far forward. Here is my 30' scarab which I just weighed this weekend with 40 gallons of gas and was 9540lbs.

Tongue weight is very close to 1000lbs


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