It's official. We are now Pontoon Boaters
- Thread starter Doc
- Start date
Not fun. But it worked out ...more details below.
Trailer and tires did okay. no rubbing. But towing a pontoon was the worst thing I've ever towed. Like towing a billboard. Go over 60 and it started dancing back and forth ..so stayed at 58 most of ride home. 10 hours on the road with a one hour delay. Stopped dead in traffic. Then found out rear lights were not working. Brake lights and turn signals worked but no regular lights. So from Charlette to home I had on flashers. I was going slow so no problem. Most of the trip was at night due to shop taking all day to finish up work I had requested ...stereo upgrade and battery charger. So we didn't leave their lot till 6pm. Got home at 4am. Son in law was with us ....we used his dodge ram for towing and it did great. Son in law freaked out with the trailer sway. He was to scared to drive so I had to drive the whole trip. I laughed at him enough that he helped keep me awake ...his anxiety was more than I'd ever seen on anyone about anything. Unreal. Overall a successful trip but not a fun one. The fun started once we got the boat in the water last Friday.
A couple things on the trailer:
The regular lights are the brown wire. When these running lights are all dead, it's normally a bad ground (which I doubt since the turn signals worked) or a bad connection at the truck. Try wiggling the wire around where it connects to the truck.
When a load sways back-and-forth like that, it could be wind but that trailer and boat looks too low to make wind much of an issue. More often than not it's either:
A) Inadequate tongue weight. The truck does look like it's squatting a little. I try to run 10% of what's being towed as my tongue weight or 100# minimum.
B) There's something in what's being towed that makes it heavier on one side than the other. E.g. If the fuel tank is on the port side of the boat and you're carrying 100 gallons, that will make that side nearly 800 pounds heavier than the other side.
C) Brakes. If it starts swaying going down a hill or when you apply the brakes, the trailer braking isn't set high enough so the trailer load is trying to push the tow vehicle. That, or one side of the trailer is braking harder than the other.
When your trailer does sway and pucker factor does rise, if the trailer has brakes and you hit the brake pedal, it should stop the sway. If the trailer doesn't have brakes, it's normally safer to accelerate some which will pull the trailer back into line.
The regular lights are the brown wire. When these running lights are all dead, it's normally a bad ground (which I doubt since the turn signals worked) or a bad connection at the truck. Try wiggling the wire around where it connects to the truck.
When a load sways back-and-forth like that, it could be wind but that trailer and boat looks too low to make wind much of an issue. More often than not it's either:
A) Inadequate tongue weight. The truck does look like it's squatting a little. I try to run 10% of what's being towed as my tongue weight or 100# minimum.
B) There's something in what's being towed that makes it heavier on one side than the other. E.g. If the fuel tank is on the port side of the boat and you're carrying 100 gallons, that will make that side nearly 800 pounds heavier than the other side.
C) Brakes. If it starts swaying going down a hill or when you apply the brakes, the trailer braking isn't set high enough so the trailer load is trying to push the tow vehicle. That, or one side of the trailer is braking harder than the other.
When your trailer does sway and pucker factor does rise, if the trailer has brakes and you hit the brake pedal, it should stop the sway. If the trailer doesn't have brakes, it's normally safer to accelerate some which will pull the trailer back into line.
FrancSevin
Proudly Deplorable
It's great you now have it in the water. Pontoons are the best mobile swim platforms one can have. Fast, maneuverable docks that kids will adore.
Trailer lights are the most cantankerous and unreliable systems on the road. I never understand why everything involved is so fragile. I have many trailers and virtually none have their original wiring systems.
Trailer lights are the most cantankerous and unreliable systems on the road. I never understand why everything involved is so fragile. I have many trailers and virtually none have their original wiring systems.
Good for you! Glad that you made it home safe.
I used to like pontoons. My SIL and I went halves on one once. Ours only had a 100hp motor so we really did just piddle around most of the time. I found them to be a lot of fun and you could load them up with family and friends for a day on the water. They were great for fishing too.
As for trailer sway, I'm with your son-in-law. It's scary. When my SIL was in her "smaller is better" phase of camper trailers, she had one 16' or 18' trailer that would scare the crap out of you at anything approaching 60mph when towed by her SUV. So much so that I used to give her my one ton dually to tow it.
I used to like pontoons. My SIL and I went halves on one once. Ours only had a 100hp motor so we really did just piddle around most of the time. I found them to be a lot of fun and you could load them up with family and friends for a day on the water. They were great for fishing too.
As for trailer sway, I'm with your son-in-law. It's scary. When my SIL was in her "smaller is better" phase of camper trailers, she had one 16' or 18' trailer that would scare the crap out of you at anything approaching 60mph when towed by her SUV. So much so that I used to give her my one ton dually to tow it.
FrancSevin
Proudly Deplorable
Trailer "sway" AKA "Fishtailing" happens when there is too much weight behind the axles. Said another way, you need more tongue weight. Anywhere from 150 to 350 lbs more forward than behind the axles.
That big 350 HP motor is the issue. Obviously you cannot make it lighter. Add some weight to the nose ( bow) or trailer tongue. Or, I possible, shift the boat more forward on the trailer.
That big 350 HP motor is the issue. Obviously you cannot make it lighter. Add some weight to the nose ( bow) or trailer tongue. Or, I possible, shift the boat more forward on the trailer.
Yeah, I agree and also thought tongue weight would help with that big 350 hanging off the back. It did not sway when braking, just at 60 or above. So I avoided it by staying under 60. I had another ball which would be lower and maybe shift a little weight but I did not try that as it was pouring rain at that time and I figured I could make this work, just go slow. I will only tow it to the ramp and home once or twice a season so I'm not concerned with it now that we are home.
Good thought ....I had not even thought of that.
I was thinking the same thing. Does the front-stop adjust on the frame? I'd move it up another foot or so, so the back of the tubes are even with the end of the trailer for starters.
Good point. I just took another look at the pic with that in mind and it sure does look long. It is adjustable, I remember seeing that but do not recall how much. I will check it out next time I'm in the pole barn.
Yea, that trailer does look too long for your boat. I used to assemble and set up boat trailers for a living years ago. Sure our forum can get you straight. Just need some pictures of the trailer, preferably without the boat on it.
Shorten the tongue by a couple feet, move the axles back a foot...
Shorten the tongue by a couple feet, move the axles back a foot...
I have not been under the trailer to know if these can be moved. Another thing for me to consider if I need to trailer any distance. I'm one mile from the boat ramp so I doubt I make any major changes for the one mile trek. Boat dealer is less than 1/10th of mile from the ramp. All close by.
It is an aluminum trailer, very nice but the tongue cannot be adjusted to be made shorter, nor can the axles be moved easily. No problem for me as my towing will all be local from here on out. If I ever take it on the road I will be sure to add more weight up front.