3/4 of the way there.

[asianflava]

I cut the tongue off the trailer last night, I cut about 20in off. Now it is 35in from where it meets the bottom of the arc to the center of the ball.

The trailer weighs in at 1220lbs. That is fully equipped but without food & drink, sheets & pillows, and chairs & tents.

.5 X 1220 X 35 = 21,350

The strength od 2 X 2 X 1/8 tubing is 15,600 so I'm at 73% of Aussie required strength. Just eeking out a couple of percentage points over Dave. I guess you can say that I'm at 1 Dave tongue strength.

I just fear that I may have cut off too much. I want to be able to open the car's hatch with the trailer attached. It is difficult to verify since the car is at the body shop. Since I was so used to the long tongue, the short one looks funny to me.

Thumbnail clicky:

[bledsoe3]

Rocky, 36" should be enough for your hatch to open.
If not you can rip the whole tongue off and put a longer one on.

[asianflava]

35 inches is from the bottom of the arc to the ball. The hatch to apex distance is shorter than that. I just hope the reciever will make some more distance.

[toypusher]

I think that my reciever adds about 6", but I'm not sure.

[bledsoe3]

You could always buy an extended receiver. It's easier than changing your tongue!

[alaska teardrop]

Rocky,

You could add a truss under the main tongue tube. It will add strength. How much, I don't know how to calculate (Andrew?). Lateral braces would also help to reduce flexing.

Fred

80* and sunny

[angib]

The trailer weighs in at 1220lbs. That is fully equipped but without food & drink, sheets & pillows, and chairs & tents.

.5 X 1220 X 35 = 21,350

That should be laden weight, or GVWR. So for your trailer that should be at least 1500lb:

0.5 x 1500 x 35 = 26,250 lb-in

The strength od 2 X 2 X 1/8 tubing is 15,600 so I'm at 73% of Aussie required strength. Just eeking out a couple of percentage points over Dave.

Using 26,250 lb-in, you're down to 59%. But you're probably not in a danger zone - the standard HF 1800lb trailer is at 69% and subject to way more abuse than you will give your trailer. I think the Camp-Inn is below your figure and Cary has a fair bit of evidence that his trailer is not under-strength, just under-rules-strength.

I just fear that I may have cut off too much.

Now you say that!

If you do want to beef up that tongue, a fairly easy mod would be to put a 1"x2"x1/8" (1" high, 2" wide) rectangular tube under your 2" tube and carefully add fillet stitch welds, say 1" long every 4-6". This shouldn't risk setting fire to anything and it would give you a vertical rating of 26,600 and so an exact 100% rating.

Andrew

[bledsoe3]

Rocky, This one may help with your clearance.
http://tinyurl.com/k9quk