5 x 8 trailer tongue upgrade

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Re: 5 x 8 trailer tongue upgrade

Postby bobhenry » Wed May 21, 2014 12:40 pm

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Re: 5 x 8 trailer tongue upgrade

Postby MtnDon » Wed May 21, 2014 1:12 pm

That's what I believe too.
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We have a small off grid cabin we built ourselves in the NM mountains; small PV solar system; 624 watts PV, Outback CC & inverter/charger ... http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=2335.0
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Re: 5 x 8 trailer tongue upgrade

Postby ctstaas » Thu May 21, 2015 9:27 pm

Hello All,
Andrew and KC, I agree with you both. Regardless of design or weight or tubing dimension, would you rather buy a trailer with a 1/16" tubing tongue, 1/8' or 3/16"? Would 1/4 x ? tubing be too much for a #1000 trailer 13 feet in total length? with an 8' cabin and axles at 62% of the cabin length? I am not going to do the math. I know from experience strength and durability is achieved with size, thickness, shape, design and execution.
My goal was to build heirloom strong and as light as possible. Weight equals dollars. Strong, light, cost effective. 4 x 4 x 8 #1000 Beauty for me.
Enjoy, Chris
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Re: 5 x 8 trailer tongue upgrade

Postby MTalon » Tue Jun 16, 2015 11:47 pm

Figured I would share my tongue extension on my NT 5x8. I used 2.5in square steel cut to about 105. The tubing was a bit thicker than needed but it sure beefed up the front end. Overall I extended the tongue about 2 feet.

The raw steel was around 40 bucks for a 10 foot section and we used a plasma cnc to cut the extra brackets we needed below the tongue.

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Underneath the tongue we welded a spare piece of pipe to run a bolt through for the safety chains. Not sure why we didn't just weld the top bracket and just put bolts through it but we can do that later. Just need to hit the steel with a coat or two of paint and it should be good to go.
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Re:

Postby blentz » Mon Dec 14, 2015 5:37 pm

Cliffmeister2000 wrote:Have you noticed the Northern Tool trailer is now sporting an "A" tongue?

Maybe they listened to all the complaints.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/ ... _200356494

Yes I have, the trailer I am starting has an A frame.
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Re: 5 x 8 trailer tongue upgrade

Postby Gold5one » Wed Dec 16, 2015 6:53 pm

Good upgrades! 15 years ago, I had a 4x8 Snowbear utility trailer that I used to haul a riding mower and one day I almost missed a turn, so braked hard and started the turn at the same time-- bad idea. My single tube tongue bent about 2 feet from the ball end. With that past knowledge, I too, reinforced my Weekender XL's tongue.
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Re: 5 x 8 trailer tongue upgrade

Postby QueticoBill » Tue Feb 21, 2017 10:45 am

I want to do to my recent vintage Ironton 5X8 just about what MTalon shows but a couple of questions. The 2 1/2" tube works well with the 2" coupler but not so will with the existing coupler plate, which he's replaced. I thought I saw here a 2 x 2 through the inverted coupler plate, but not sure best way to attach coupler - whether 1/4" "shim" plates welded/bolted on to sides of 2X2, or sleeve a piece of 2 1/2 X 2 1/2 over the 2 X 2.

Complicating this I want to invert the axle on the springs so the TD bead is lower (I think inverted puts floor around 18") but in any case lowers trailer about 3". That of course raises again if changing from the stock 12" rims to larger - presumably 14 or 15 - around that same 3".

So the tongue - tube - under the frame lowers coupler about 2 to 2 1/2" from stock; inverting axle another 3". Changing to larger rims offsets at least one of those, but would I be better off welding a piece of 2 1/2" tube on top of tongue?

I wonder in the end if the trailer tongue and coupler should be as simple and straightforward as possible and just get a ball mount that allows me to adjust that. I like running a 2 x 2 through the existing mounting plate and shimming tube with 1/4" plates for coupler.

Also only a 12 to 24" extension - so not too worried about the added strength of 2 1/2. If I can get away with all bolted connections, I'd like that also.
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Re: 5 x 8 trailer tongue upgrade

Postby bobhenry » Wed Feb 22, 2017 7:19 am

My Horrible freight needed some lovin' too! Here is the pics of my results........

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Re: 5 x 8 trailer tongue upgrade

Postby QueticoBill » Wed Feb 22, 2017 8:35 am

Very similar issues. The center tube - you added it I assume. Is it 2" or 2 1/2". If 2" is the coupler simple designed for that - stock NT is not - or shimmed?
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