opinion - large trailer tounge cut off

[speakerfritz]

I have an 8.5X18 trailer with a large tounge ued for storage that never gets moved. Tounge is 3 6" rectangular square stock that meet at the reciver. lenth about 4 feet. I am thinikng of welding some cross bracing on the tounge at both sides of the cut off point to both keep the 3 6" beams in position and keep the tounge in an aling ment shape. my goal is to cut the toung off and be able to remount it using bolts and u channel. My question to anyone that has done this....how much should be left to provide the chasis side reattach u channel mount points. Remounting will be done with bolts. my trailer ball mount used 4 bolts to attached to my hitch so the idea of using properly spaced bolts on u channel to re-attach 3 6" beams is something I am comfortable with.

thanks for any input

[aevald]

Hello speakerfritz, a picture of the current set-up and a drawing of your proposed design might help immensely with replies that you could receive. Best regards, Allan

[MinnesotaDave]

I have an 8.5X18 trailer with a large tounge ued for storage that never gets moved. Tounge is 3 6" rectangular square stock that meet at the reciver. lenth about 4 feet. I am thinikng of welding some cross bracing on the tounge at both sides of the cut off point to both keep the 3 6" beams in position and keep the tounge in an aling ment shape. my goal is to cut the toung off and be able to remount it using bolts and u channel. My question to anyone that has done this....how much should be left to provide the chasis side reattach u channel mount points. Remounting will be done with bolts. my trailer ball mount used 4 bolts to attached to my hitch so the idea of using properly spaced bolts on u channel to re-attach 3 6" beams is something I am comfortable with.

thanks for any input

The answer is (in my opinion) the entire tongue frame needs to be left together and then re-attached as a whole unit as well.

The four bolts holding your hitch see a much smaller load than the trailer tongue connections, the high moment of inertia in that area is usually either the 1st largest number or the 2nd for bumper hitch trailer design.

[Broccoli1]

To move around your property- go for it. leave just enough to attach the tongue again.

I would not tow it down the road like that though.

[blackbart]

I'm not sure why you need to do this, but if it is to shorten it for storage There are many boat trailer designs with either removable or foldable trailer tounges to shorten the total trailer length while garaged.

[jaysberman]

If there is Bass Pro Shop near you, go look at their boat trailers.
They have tongues that split in half for storage.

[blackbart]

Here is a picture of a boat trailer with a factory folding tounge.

[blackbart]

Moble home tounges are also just bolted on for easy removal.

[Bflee]

Get a bigger yard!


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[speakerfritz]

Thanks for the input.

decided not to do it myself...although I have all the needed equipment....don't really have the seasoned know-how.

I ran an ad in craigslist and got 3 replies. after an onsite, the decided approach was totally different from what I was thinking but based on the experience of the two man team that have done this before. after hearing their proposal, it reminded me of a few tounge arrangements I have seen cut off which I had forgotton about.

the tounge will get a cross brace on both sides of the proposed cut.
each beam will get cut one at a time
1/2 thick square plate flat stock pairs pre-drilled and pre-bolted will get inserted across the cut and tack welded on both sides of the cut.
after all the beams have been cut, square plate flat stock pairs inserted, and tack welded, it will get unbolted to separate tounge from chasis
once separated, final weld beads will be made
there will be 12 3/4 inch bolts in this system....4 bolts per beam.
the 5ft tounge will get cut off to within 4 or 5 inches of the trailer body.

these guys are on the ball and have solved this problem to my satisfaction.

NYC labor rates in general is pretty high plus these guys will provide all materials and hardware and come out on a sunday to do this so I don't have to loose time from work.

job will cost me 700 bucks, which I have no problem paying.

the reason I need this done is because the trailer with the tounge in my drive way blocks the side walk and I get hit with block side walk tickets. Yes, its my side walk.
If I leave the trailer on the street unattached while I use my truck, then I get a detatched trailer ticket.

so the plan is to back it into my driveway, with the tounge off I clear the side walk, and bolt the tounge on when ever I need to move it.

trailer is an 8.5X18 with a GWR of 7K and I have it fully loaded most of the time with construction equipment and supplies needed to fix my 1st floor due to hurricane sandy.

it might not be sellable in this arrangement...but after I finish my repairs...I can toss the trailer with no pain as a result of all the money I am saving to make my onw replairs.

my foundation dropped 6". estimate to fix was 40K. insurance paid me 800 bucks. I taught myself how to do foam injection and used two log splitter pumps to inject $9k of foam and raised my foundation back to where is supposed to be. I learned quite a lot over the last two years, but think this particular welding job is not the place to start to learn how to weld.

thanks everyone for your comments.

[speakerfritz]

so here is the finish product. 4 bolts per beam. each beam gets a pair of boltable plates. beam is welded to plate on all four beam sides. center beam has bolt shank welded in place so that you can slide the tounge into position and use the jack to align , then bolt in the side beams.

[Bistineau]

One other advantage to having this done is, it makes it more difficult to steal the trailer with all your stuff in it.

[mad welder 4]

One other advantage to having this done is, it makes it more difficult to steal the trailer with all your stuff in it.

That is exactly what I was thinking.