New method for folding trailer tongue.

[thataway]

Thanks for all of the interesting comments. I agree, I had questioned the size of the trailer--but that was what was sold with the boat. I would have considered it a Yard Trailer. However, we towed it 1200 miles home, and not problems, then over 7000 miles out west one summer. Another 2000 miles around FL, and the South--no problems.

Sorry to have missed you Nancy and Bob! Yes, I was concentrating on the road!

The bow was tight against the bow roller, so there was no flexing. of the boat. There is also a fairly tight SS chain, going to the winch stand right under the winch--so the bow could not move more than a couple of inches at the most. I don't think the bow was bouncing--I think the trailer was flexing.

Dave, your trailer seems to be a bit different, with using I beams, where a lot of trailers use square rails. But your rig actually looks a little less substantial than what I have, in the bow roller support--and photos are deceiving. Point well taken that the V or Y of the frame is further forward on the old trailer. On the new trailer the bow support is behind the V or Y where the side rales do meet the tongue--and your points are very valid.

Dave, the stress crack developed as the towing service was pulling the tongue up and down, to see how it would handle on the road-the conclusion was it would not well--and thus the slow speed and extra chains on the the frame.

Good idea to forward photos to Load Rite. As I recollect the trailer was rated for about 5000 lbs. I may have a photo of the plate in my collection. The insurance company has assigned an investigator to examine the trailer.

The trailer had surge brakes which worked well before the damage--when the brake line failed. The coupler was well locked on (with a lock thru the pin on the coupler)--and the tow guy said move the RV--and I said I cannot undo the coupler--and he could not either. It ooh some creative work to get the coupler loose. Yes, if the front had dug in it would have been interesting.
Many years ago (1961), I had a grossly overloaded trailer loose its axle, and the suspending arms dig into the hot tarmac on I 10 in New Mexico. It stopped the car like a Danforth anchor dug in--and we plowed up some of the pavement-the coupling held in that case also.

This trailer failure is the second I have had in the last 50 years.

[Sunbeam]

Was thinking a bit more about this today. I wonder if the oscillation motion was exaggerated somewhat due to the longish overhang of a DP motorhome. NOT that the trailer shouldn't be able to withstand it, but I was just thinking that might have been one of a number of factors that contributed. At least if I'm visualizing the geometry correctly.

I had a micro version of this a month or so ago, only to the side: Last fall I had backed my boat/trailer into a storage "locker" (individual stall type) with my previous tow rig, which was a van with a very short overhang (distance from rear axle to hitch ball). When I went to pick it up I had my current tow vehicle, which has a longer overhang. Turned out I couldn't get the boat out because there was a (slight) turn I had to make about thirty feet out past the door and as soon as I turned the wheel even just a little bit, of course the tailswing of my tow rig tried to make the C-Dory scrape the wall of the locker. Even backing and filling I couldn't get past that (ended up waiting until morning when they could pull it out with their tractor).

[thataway]

Sunbeam, in fact the overhang of a diesel pusher is far less than a gasoline motor home, all be it less than a van, SUV or truck--I don't have the exact numbers at hand. But we towed our C dory 25 over 10,000 miles behind a 30 foot gas powered RV with much more overhang.

The Roadmaster chassis has 10 air bags and an air suspension, so there is very little road "bump" transmitted to the RV. Marie noted the road in the Yukon, far more that I did in the RV.

Certainly the tow vehicle is part of the equation.

[colbysmith]

After reading the last few comments, I started looking closer at my trailer and Bob's trailer (photos). As for placement of the axle, my twin axle EZ Loader has it's axles in about the same place. The main difference I see is that I have a metal bracket coming off the front of my bow stop down to the frame, which probably adds a lot of reinforcement right there.

[Sunbeam]