Hey, glad you are still lurking the list! Must be amusing to watch me flail around in your boat! Haven't sunk her yet despite trying. OK, just weighed the tongue weight with the bathroom scale method. Worked well. 190 pounds. I actually like the trailer quite a bit, but it is a beefy one. Thanks for springing for a good one! The keel guide is particularly useful. I called Pacific Trailer today. They said that it is very easy to rebalance the boat by undoing the u bolts. I just went out there and looked. The boat is dead center on the keel guide with about 2 inches of overlap on either side, so it seems that the boat is in the right spot. So, I don't think I want to move the bow aft support. But, looking at the bolts, after most of my salt water sailing they have a bit of corrosion. You know how that would go. So, I think I will call a local trailer shop and have them do it. They should be able to loosen it and move it, and balance it. Pacific Trailer thought that would be the move. Now, regards the trailer extension, boy you sure are right. It misses the boat by about 10 inches, so that extra foot was going to be a problem. I am easily able to move it to the correct position and get the pins in, and line it up in either position while wearing gloves. I just hate having to unhook the car, move the extension, rehook the car, and do the whole thing twice for launching and retrieving. But, I think I just have to. Oh, well! It is just a tad too short for my Honda, even though I have been launching it that way! Daniel On Jul 9, 2012, at 6:25 PM, Robert Becker wrote:
When I picked up the new Pacific trailer the trailer guy said it was set for my, now Daniels, M15. I believed him, silly me. I knew it had a lot of tongue weight but thought it was due to it being a much heaver than the Trailrite it replaced. It seemed to tow fine but was a beast to move by hand; tire pressure makes a big difference. I wonder if a lighter trailer would work better.
I think I would be cautious when changing the boat/trailer configuration and perhaps first contact Bob Egg or Pacific Trailer for their factory settings. The next time you have the boat in the water, unhook the trailer and check its balance. If that seems ok, perhaps the boat is not correctly positioned on the trailer. If the trailer needs adjusting, it should be easier to tweek the wheel positions when the boat is not on the trailer, but check the balance again with the boat on the trailer. Perhaps just moving the bow support aft will position the boat further aft on the trailer and at the same time change the trailer balance point.
I had Pacific trailer cut about a foot off the tongue extension. I could not imagine needing the extra length, it seemed like less weight to drag, and it appeared the extension could be inserted too far and damage the boat. The extension must weigh 30-40 lbs a foot; no surprise it is so difficult to move.
I also think the extension is a PINA and usually did not use or need it, except in Sausalito. I tried greasing the extension, but ended up getting most of the grease on me. Best results were to lower the trailer jack to take up the weight, muscle the trailer and capture the hole with an awl or screwdriver. KISS
Fair Winds,
Bob Becker retired M15 sailor
On Mon, Jul 9, 2012 at 4:40 PM, Don White <princecraft49@gmail.com> wrote:
I've always read about 8% to 10% of the whole rigs weight. 200 pounds for an M15 tongue seems way too much. I'd guess closer to about 125 or so. When I bought my latest boat last month I stopped at a highway weigh station and first weighed the whole rig, drove to the parking area to unhitch the boat and got a second weighing for just the tow vehicle. My new boat combo weighs just over 1900 lbs and I figure the tongue weight at 178 lbs. Tows like a dream although uphills slow me down a bit. May have to get a stronger tow vehicle.
On Mon, Jul 9, 2012 at 6:19 PM, Daniel Rich <danielgrich@gmail.com> wrote:
OK, interesting. As an aside, does 200 pounds at the ball mount sound about right for this trailer?
Daniel
On 7/9/2012 2:10 PM, Tom Jenkins wrote:
I concur with Dave's observations. I can relatively easily slide the tongue in and out of the trailer when it is off the tow vehicle. Working alone, I find it too hard to get holes lined up using the tow vehicle's motive power. Since I never take the tube all the way out, and the two tube ends are flush in the full out positiion, a little plate welded on the back end of the extension tube would line them up perfectly when the extension is pulled out by vehicle or by hand. Rather than drilling another hole for a stop when I go to traveling mode, I think I will use a 2x4 guage between the surge brake housing and the mast upright. I can just slide the extension in until the wood stops it right at the hole. Should work; we shall see.
Tom Jenkins M17 Pacific trailer 2004
On Jul 9, 2012, at 9:50 AM, W David Scobie wrote:
i've had no issue adjusting the tongue or controlling the weight (if the
extension stays in the receiver tube). i unhook the vehicle, un-pin the extension, walk it out, and re-pin. the reverse is true when returning the extension to 'road mode'. i am careful as i do have a bad back. the trailer is carrying the weight of the tongue ... i am just pulling (or pushing).
all my trailers are new(ish) so as Ron states check for any rust or other 'gunk' on the extension.
the other item could be the extension is slightly bent. this would be enough to make the extension bind in the receiver tube. unlikely as Pacific _really_ overbuilds the trailer ... but still could have happened.
for lining up the holes make a mark/line on the top of the extension (perm. maker of a good contrasting color) right where the receiver tube accepts the extension. one mark when 'in' and another when 'out'. this will allow you to see when the pin holes are lined up. you will need to 'refresh' the mark every know and again. don't use paint as this has 'thickness' that may cause the extension to bind in the receiver tube.
:: Dave Scobie
--- On Mon, 7/9/12, judy casino <jratesq@yahoo.com> wrote:
Hi Dan,
I have a 2007 M15 with the Pacific trailer that contains the long, heavy tongue extension that slides into the trailer tongue. I remove it to fit the boat comfortably in the garage. I generally launch at deep-sloped ramps, and so have not had to use the extension in its extended position often. However, it is nice to know you can launch at a shallow ramp without drowning the tow vehicle.
A little lubricant makes the extension slide more easily so that you can line up the holes without a lot of back and forth.
To make attachment and detachment easier on my back, I keep the extension on a small furniture dolly with castor wheels. That allows me to roll the extension to where I need it to be. Then all I need to do is lift it for insertion or lower it on the dolly after removal.
It's not a perfect solution, but it works for me.
Ron Casino M15, "Spirit"
______________________________**__ From: Daniel Rich <danielgrich@gmail.com> Sent: Monday, July 9, 2012 9:16 AM
Montypals:
I have a newer Pacific trailer for my older M15 (Thanks, Bob Becker!). I tend not to use the trailer extension because the thing weighs a ton, and seems to be really hard to deal with. Anybody got any suggestions on how to get that extension in and out without killing myself, and lining the holes up easily??
Daniel Rich M#208 Kestrel