Crack the whip!
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Senior User
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 234
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From: Saskatchewan
Crack the whip!
I'm towing a 26' 5th wheel camper and a 17' fiberglass boat behind that. At least once a trip; the boat starts going left and right to get a better view of whats going on up front. Is there to much weight on the 5er trailer bumper?
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2004
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From: West Valley Utah
How much tongue weight is there on the boat trailer? Are both trailers level?
Single axle trailer, especially being the second towed vehicle will dance around some due to the ruts in the road. You likely spend time in the outside lane which is where the worst of the ruts are from heavy trucks. Notice the double and triple sets on semi's how the last trailer will dance, making the rig look like a snake going down the road. Worse in summer as the heat deepens the ruts.
Single axle trailer, especially being the second towed vehicle will dance around some due to the ruts in the road. You likely spend time in the outside lane which is where the worst of the ruts are from heavy trucks. Notice the double and triple sets on semi's how the last trailer will dance, making the rig look like a snake going down the road. Worse in summer as the heat deepens the ruts.
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Joined: May 2004
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From: Home Base Nebraska
Not knowing the weight of the trailer and boat my first guess would be that you have to much boat behind the trailer. My second guess would be that you don't have enough tongue weight on the boat trailer.
Denny
Denny
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Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 18,488
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From: The Big, Oregon
By where you put gear in the boat-
Two things to worry about in this. First, the actual amount of tongue weight on the rear trailer, and second the amount of effect this has on the tongue weight of the front trailer. If you have a big engine hanging off the back of the boat, that's probably making the tongue weight too light and allowing it to dance around.
Also make sure all your tires are full. Any swaying of the front trailer will be repeated and magnified by the rear one.
Two things to worry about in this. First, the actual amount of tongue weight on the rear trailer, and second the amount of effect this has on the tongue weight of the front trailer. If you have a big engine hanging off the back of the boat, that's probably making the tongue weight too light and allowing it to dance around.
Also make sure all your tires are full. Any swaying of the front trailer will be repeated and magnified by the rear one.
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Joined: May 2004
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From: Home Base Nebraska
Move the boat on the trailer, forward more weight back less. If you want to measure your tongue weight just use a bathroom scale and put the dolly wheel on the scale with the trailer at the same towed height that it's being towed at but you have to know the weight of the trailer and boat (full of fuel and gear)to calculate the proper tongue weight.
Denny
Denny
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New User
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 23
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From: Iowa
Slide your winch base forward or backward depending on how you need to adjust the weight. Mine is bolted on with two brackets that can be loosened and moved either way. If your boat is as heavy as mine it might be better to make this adjustment with the boat off the trailer.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 13,873
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From: Atlanta GA
> If you have a big engine hanging off the back of the boat
I agree, if I had a V-8 I would make sure the engine was over the axle, not 3+ feet behind it. I was surprised how much a V-8 engine with exhaust logs and a transmission weighs when I pulled it out of a 32 footer. Probably 1500 pounds.
I agree, if I had a V-8 I would make sure the engine was over the axle, not 3+ feet behind it. I was surprised how much a V-8 engine with exhaust logs and a transmission weighs when I pulled it out of a 32 footer. Probably 1500 pounds.
Tuned
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 342
Likes: 1
From: South central kansas
You might also think about sway control bars. I do not have any experience towing boats behind my fiver, but I do pull a car trailer behind it several times a year. Sway control helps a lot. Also slowing down a bit also helps. I usually run 55-60 mph when towing doubles.
Cargo Master
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 2,196
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From: Carstairs Alberta
alot of the time trailer sway can be driver induced as well, especially towing double. as you go to look in the mirror to see if everything is good, you turn your head . if you are not careful you can move the wheel just the tiniest bit bit but by the time that motion gets to the 2nd trailer its magnified until it can be pretty dramatic. very common mistake is to look in the mirror, see the trailer off center and try to straighten it, course by the time it looks straight the truck is off center the other way and now you correct the other way and so begins the sway. it can also be the perspective, park any truck trailer straight and when you look from left to right mirror it looks like its crooked both ways, that is what gets people frantically turning the steering wheel when backing up