Should Weight of Boat on Trailer be Balanced on Either Side of Axle

Updated 11/24/2021 | Published 11/16/2021

Question:

Hi there, I just assembled my CE Smith multi-sport plus trailer and Im fitting my 14-ft aluminum Delcraft to it and notice that in order for the boat to be perfectly balancedinch it is hanging about 4ft off the back of the trailer. This is the best position where the boat is the most balanced weight-wise front to back on the 5 ft bunk boards. I am concerned that it is sticking out too far past the end of the trailer. Is this something to be concerned about? I know it makes my total trailer length with boat longer however, I am not concerned about that as much as I am having a balanced towing boat and trailer combination. The pictures I included do not reflect me changing the upright bow stop with winch. Thank you so much for your help. I am already looking forward to Summer LOL.

asked by: Joshua R

Expert Reply:

You actually do not want the weight of the load on a trailer to balance perfectly on either side of the axle. You want more weight forward so that the trailer doesn't sway. What you'll want is 10-15 percent of the total trailer weight as tongue weight so you'd want to position the boat and bunks further forward. For a lighter duty trailer setup like yours you could use a bathroom scale to measure the tongue weight when it's sitting level.

expert reply by: Jameson C

boat on trailer
(click to enlarge)

Joshua R.

11/17/2021

Ok, I understand. Now, what about my bunks? I received 5ft bunks with the C.E. Smith Multi-Sport Plus trailer. With the 14ft boat as far forward as possible on the tongue, the back is still sticking out 3ft from the end of the trailer. Roughly 2 feet (18-20 inches) of the bottom of the boat is not supported by the bunks. Everything I have read on your site states that the bunks should extend to the very back of the transom. Is that correct for even such a lightweight boat that will be trailered w/out the engine? I did purchase the 7ft C.E. Smith carpeted bunks from you guys today to remedy this problem if it is recommended.

Les D.

11/24/2021

@JoshuaR I would try moving the winch support upright as far forward as possible, and moving the bunks as forward as possible. You might still need to rig up some sort of keel support between the bow and bunks.