Trailer Ball Height to Increase Tongue Weight to Help with Sway Control on a Single Axle Fish House

Question

Question:

I have a 16 ice castle single axel fish house that sways quite a bit. I have an adjustable hitch on my pickup and I would like to know, do I raise or lower the height of the ball to increase tungue weight?

asked by: Lyle B

0

Expert Reply:

You should have the hitch ball height set so that the trailer tows as level as possible behind your pickup. If there is a setting that goes between slightly higher than level and slightly lower than level, opt for the slightly lower setting, when the trailer is sitting on the trailer ball.

An increase in tongue weight will most likely help with your sway situation. Adding weight in front of the trailer axles would be the best way to increase the tongue weight, just make sure you stay within the capacities of your towing setup.

If you still have issues with sway after correctly setting the ball height and adding weight to the front of the trailer, you might want to consider adding a sway control unit and bracket. You could use the Reese Friction Sway Control Kit, # 83660, along with a Reese Sway-Control Bracket, # RP26003, if your adjustable ball mount will accommodate the sway control bracket.

We have a section in our weight distribution article that explains this type of sway control for you to review, see link.

expert reply by: Robert G

0

Mark K.

6/5/2020

i have a 23 ft trailer with a 22 ft i/o. the entire package weighs 5500 lbs. while towing, i experienced major trailer sway. i measured the tongue weight and it was only 220 lbs. i moved the boat forward as far as i could, (2.5 inches) and it increased to 330 lbs. my next step is to move the axle more to the rear. do you think i can assume a rule of thumb in my case, that 2.5 inches of weight moving forward will gain 110 lbs? or is there another way to figure out how far to move it, or just do a little at a time and measure along the way? my trailer total length is 23 ft 3 inches, with the transom even with the trailer and the outdrive and wood swim platform overhanging. thanks for any advice you can give me,

Reply

Chris R.

6/9/2020

It sounds like a pain but the best method is really to just move it a bit forward and re-weigh everything to see how much tongue weight it added. There isn't really a rule of thumb that you can go by as far as a certain distance equaling a set amount of tongue weight added. Trial and error is the way to go when moving the axle.

Reply

Answer 1

For a trailer of that length and width, a friction sway control would not be my first choice. Using two sway control units like part #83660 (one per side) is recommended for trailers exceeding 25 feet in length. A friction sway control unit will…

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Answer 2

You can absolutely add a 3rd braking axle to your trailer. You will simply want to match your current axle for dimensions and capacity. I've linked the page to your options we carry to assist. Then you will need to change your hanger locations…

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Answer 3

The Dexter Heavy Duty Suspension Kit #K71-360-00 is designed for 33 inch axle spacing. To add your third axle, you cannot simply add a hanger spring and axle. You can keep your 35 inch spacing but you will need to relocate your hangers. I've…

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Answer 4

First, thanks for your purchase of the ProPride 3P Weight Distribution Hitch w/ Sway Control for 2" Receivers - 14K GTW, 1.4K TW #PR97QR. You got a beast of a weight distribution hitch that's going to serve you very well to stop sway. Now as…

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Answer 5

Based on that information it sounds like you have a Suburban water heater. We have previously found that the Camco Water Heater Element #CAM02143 will work as a replacement for the part number you listed. This fits water heaters with an 8"…

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Answer 6

Dexter 7,000 lb axle hubs come with either 1/2 inch wheel studs like the part #RG03-080 that you referenced or 9/16 inch diameter studs like the #7-257. You'd need to measure what you have to know for certain.

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Answer 7

The standard torque on a Redline Trailer Wheel Lug Nut - 9/16 inch, part #6-53, is 135 to 145 ft lbs. This is the torque range that is normally used. If the instructions for the wheel are saying 110 ft lbs there might be a reason, like the wheel…

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Answer 8

The torque for the Dexter Trailer Hub and Drum Assembly - 6,000-lb and 7,000-lb Axles - 12" - 5 Spoke Utility #8-174-5UC3 is not specified by the manufacturer. For 9/16 inch studs, the typical lug nut torque will be 120-140 ft lbs based on most…

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Answer 9

Typically higher load ranges of tires means higher capacity and a higher max PSI. For example the Loadstar ST175/80D13 Bias Trailer Tire Load range D part #AM1ST77 has a maximum load rating of 1,610 lbs at 65 PSI. While the same tire in load range C,…

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Answer 10

The Dometic 300 Weekender RV Toilet part #DOM64FR that you referenced does come with a base seal so you would not need to provide that separately. No additional components are needed to install this.

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Answer 11

When you're determining the trailer's tongue weight in order to choose the correctly rated weight distribution system for your needs, you will want to include the weight of anything in the truck bed BEHIND THE REAR AXLE as tongue weight. So,…

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Answer 12

I spoke with my contact at Curt Manufacturing, and was told that the spacer plate you describe is typically used if you are planning on bolting the ball to the trailer frame (instead of using the self-tapping screws). The ball would be stacked on top…

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Trailer Ball Height to Increase Tongue Weight to Help with Sway Control on a Single Axle Fish House

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