Jerky Trailering

[Bluebill]

I recently purchased a 1993 GW Tournament 19 on an alluminum dual axle trailer with surge disc brakes. The trailer is a little oversized (18-24') but in excellent shape. When trailering over bumps like bridge crossings, the whole unit cycles back and forth (bow jumps up and down too). It feels like the brakes are grabbing and letting go in a cycle. I have tried tieing down the bow to the trailer, and that has helped a little bit, but it still goes ina cycle onthe worst bumps. I am towing with a suburban 1/2 ton and tongue weight is around 275#...only reference that I have seen is that tongue weight should be about 5-7% of trailer and boat. I was told that the total weight of the package should be around 3,000 # is that right? I usually keep the fuel tank full. any insight would be appreciated

thanks

 

[Fishtales]

Hi,
I do not trailer my boat, but have trailered a camper and utility trailer in the past. This sounds like a weight distribution problem. As you indicate there is a tongue weight recommendation as well as load distribution factors.

One thought may be to go see someone who sells/services trailers. They should be willing to help. Nothing like having confidence shaken in your trailer set up. Good luck...

 

[Lucky Stars]

weighing the trailer on a platform scale like the ones at truck stops and recycling centers will get you the true weight. 5-7% has its limits. I would not go less the 400# if possiable or over 800#.
If the brakes are cycling you may have a bad shock/dampner in the hitch

 

[Boats Rock]

There is an adjustment to the tongue to add resistance along with a shock?

Try this web site http://www.atwoodmobile.com/Service/Trouble/surge.cfm

 

[Lucky Stars]

there is a shock built into the hitch with the master cyl.
It it there to dampen the action.

 

[BobP]

Your hitch adjuster for the ball may be loose, happened to me.

Of course a professional set it prior to delvery and attached trailer to car ball, you would think the guy would see that ??

Make sure pin is right size for tongue.

 

[gradyfish22]

If the trailer is over sized, either the weight distribution is wrong of the shock damper is shot, they do seize up over time. Have you checked the brake fluid on the trailer, if that is low or there is air in the lines the brakes will not work properly also and the damper will not work right. It has nothing to do with the trailer bring too big, professional guys use large trailers for all their towing and do not have problems with the size. If your trailer is a bunk trailer, you MUST have the transom end at the end of the bunk, not overhang it, that will ruin your hull, the hull will sag aft of the bunks on that type of trailer causing the bow to ride low. If you have rollers you have more play with where the boat can sit. I'd first check your brake parts, if that does not work, repositioning the boat on the trailer to redistribute weight, or adjusting the length of the tongue may be needed, if that does not solve it, then you need a new trailer that is built for your boat, some guys just buy trailers that work length wise but are not built for the boat.

 

[jehines3]

If the trailler is way too large, you may need to move the head stock and axles back. Do you have a photo to post. jh

 

[plymouthgrady]

BRAKES

If they are surge brakes, the actuator is in the coupler. As you apply brake pressure to the tow vehicle, the brakes engage on the trailer.
B/C you commented that it happens going over speed bumps, it sounds like a combination of the weight dist. engaging the brakes prematurely.

 

[Tashmoo]

My guess is that your tongue weight is too light and when you hit a bump the trailer pivots about the axels and puts an upward load on the ball coupler which in turn activates the surge brakes. This is much the same thing that happens when you back up a trailer with surge brakes and do not disengage them before doing so.

As I am writing this it also occurs to me that you may have the tow hitch ball too high relative to the trailer axel horizontal center line. If I remember correctly the Suburban trailer receiver is pretty high. Is your trailer tongue pitched up when attached to the Suburban and sitting on level ground? If yes this will have the same effect as too little tongue weight. You may need to get a drop down trailer ball fastunglemyer (very technical term here) to lower the ball center line to that of the trailer axles.

 

[capt chris]

My guess is that your tongue weight is too light and when you hit a bump the trailer pivots about the axels and puts an upward load on the ball coupler which in turn activates the surge brakes. This is much the same thing that happens when you back up a trailer with surge brakes and do not disengage them before doing so.

As I am writing this it also occurs to me that you may have the tow hitch ball too high relative to the trailer axel horizontal center line. If I remember correctly the Suburban trailer receiver is pretty high. Is your trailer tongue pitched up when attached to the Suburban and sitting on level ground? If yes this will have the same effect as too little tongue weight. You may need to get a drop down trailer ball fastunglemyer (very technical term here) to lower the ball center line to that of the trailer axles.

I think what Tashmoo is trying to say is get a receiver tongue with maybe a two inch , 2", drop. That's what I use with my GMC Sierra P/U which should be about the same height as your Suburban.