Trailer tongue weight?

[AJFishin]

I'd figure I toss this out there. This is my unscientific weighing of my trailer tongue from my SC16 : 200.2 lbs (jack wheel is off of the ground)

I'm not sure by the picture but I think your scale is on the ground.  I think tongue weight is supposed to be weighed at towing level.

It's an illusion. Actually it is on a make-shift platform that is about 20" off of the ground.

[beancounter]

I wouldn't want any less tongue weight for your rig if it were me.

[Fisherdv]

I'm sure it's ok, it just makes my 16 feel like I'm towing a bigger boat

[Fisherdv]

Definitely. Arima's spec sheet shows a SL, engine (150hp), and trailer at 4600lbs. I tipped the scales at close to 8000lbs fully loaded with a 250hp.... Quite the difference!

Wow! That is a big difference! My best guess is my 16 SC (current model), boat, motor, trailer, all in, ready to fish all day, weighs about 2700-3000#. Again that's just my estimate.

[StreamFixer]

I suspect (including trailer weight) you are off about 600# +/- light.  My 17SC (only a foot difference and all of that fiberglass) ran between 3500# and 3700# including trailer (about 600#).

StreamFixer

[La-Z-Buoy]

Dev, anywhere you can get it weighed? I know that when I brought my 19HT home I weighed it and, while hooked up to the truck, with main, kicker, full fuel tank and some misc. stuff, it weighed 3700. It was tongue light at the time. I can't see yours weighing anywhere near that. Only way we're going to know is if you weigh it.

[Fisherdv]

I will have to weigh it to be sure. I just want to be sure it's an unmanned weigh station so they don't say "oh , while your here let's do an inspection" then tell me I'm required to have trailer brakes in California for trailer over 1500# after reading what Croaker posted about Ca. Law on trailer brake requirements  and trailer weights.

[Dbobby23]

1983 seahunter 2090 lbs stuffed with fishing and camping gear hooked up to my rig, weighed at an open weigh station.

[La-Z-Buoy]

1983 seahunter 2090 lbs stuffed with fishing and camping gear hooked up to my rig, weighed at an open weigh station.

Sounds about right to me. In Oregon, if your trailer, loaded total weight, is less than 1800 you don't need a trailer license. I didn't have a kicker on my Sea Hunter and the total weight just squeaked under the limit. And I NEVER loaded it over 1800  .

[Kimbrey]

Here's a good write-up on weighing your boat/trailer/tow vehicle.  Figuring tongue weight. boat weight et cetera.
http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/016667.html

I do have a tool that weighs tongue weight but getting it to anyone would be the hard part.  Right at the minute it's in Westport and I'm in Tacoma.

Kim

[Yachter Yat]

   Just checked the tongue weight on my 16 SC.  About 190 lbs.  Must be close to correct as I have no stability issues.  On the highway, it seems like I could do a 100 without a problem.

Yat

[Fisherdv]

Maybe when I add the kicker motor it'll take a few pounds off  the tongue 👅

[Fisherdv]

Yat,  just curious have you had a chance to weigh your rig in the years you've had it?

[Yachter Yat]

   Fisher, actually I haven't, but I believe the boat, motor and trailer (combined) are probably somewhere in the vicinity of 2400 to 2500 lbs.  That's with a single group 24 battery, about 15 or so gals. of fuel and a moderate amount of additional gear. 

Yat

[Yachter Yat]

   I suspect my rig is around 1700 lbs. "in the water". 

Yat

[StreamFixer]

1983 seahunter 2090 lbs stuffed with fishing and camping gear hooked up to my rig, weighed at an open weigh station.

You really need to weigh with the trailer off the rig.  The weight you got, PLUS the tongue weight = real weight you are hauling.

Some of the 'un-manned roadside scales (at least in Oregon) are too small to weight the entire trailer.  Pull up enough to unhook the boat with the tongue jack on the scale...  weigh it, -- this is the tongue weight...  rehook up and pull forward so the trailer tires are on the scale (leave hooked up as there is no reason not to) note that weight...  add the two together for a total weight...   Exact?  not really, but close enough for our purposes...

StreamFixer

[GoodDays]

I can just barely lift mine on my 17 Sea Ranger.  its somewhere above 200lbs.  I wouldn't want it any lighter otherwise the trailer will start to ragdoll the truck. 

GoodDays Greg

[Fisherdv]

Really good advice/info here. There's probably a number of people out there that have no idea what their boat and trailer weighs, their tongue weight etc. I've seen people towing a large, tandem axle trailer doing 85-90 mph on the freeway. If I can give any advice to anyone who trailers a boat (small or large) would be to slow down, and most importantly, leave a good following distance. I know we can all get in a hurry to get the boat in the water for a good day of fishing especially when you've had too much coffee. :twocents:

[Yachter Yat]

    I believe my boat, motor and trailer weigh around 2400 to 2500 lbs..............sittin' in the road........all by itself........tied to nothing.   Consider the following: 

   Hull.............................1050
   motor and prop..............250
   battery and wiring............60
   15 gal. fuel......................95
   anchor and lines...............25
   tools and spare parts.........40
   misc. gear.......................100
   trailer w/ walk boards.......700

     Total                             2320

   Add one or two hundred pounds for whatever reason and your very close to what I've stated.  We have this huge scale at the recycle facility in our town.  No doubt the boys would let me put it up on there..........just not sure if it would be much different from what I currently believe.   

Yat
   

[Fisherdv]

    I believe my boat, motor and trailer weigh around 2400 to 2500 lbs..............sittin' in the road........all by itself........tied to nothing.   Consider the following: 

   Hull.............................1050
   motor and prop..............250
   battery and wiring............60
   15 gal. fuel......................95
   anchor and lines...............25
   tools and spare parts.........40
   misc. gear.......................100
   trailer w/ walk boards.......700

     Total                             2320

   Now, add 80 to 100 for whatever and it seems as though this should be very close to what I've stated.  We have this huge scale at the recycle facility in our town.  No doubt the boys would let me put it up on there..........just not sure if it would be much different from what I currently believe.   

Yat
   

If you were fishing/crabbing you could easily add a couple hundred pounds to that. Large coolers with ice, food drinks, fishing poles, reels, nets, crab pots, heavy tackle boxes/weights etc.

[Dbobby23]

1983 seahunter 2090 lbs stuffed with fishing and camping gear hooked up to my rig, weighed at an open weigh station.

You really need to weigh with the trailer off the rig.  The weight you got, PLUS the tongue weight = real weight you are hauling.

Some of the 'un-manned roadside scales (at least in Oregon) are too small to weight the entire trailer.  Pull up enough to unhook the boat with the tongue jack on the scale...  weigh it, -- this is the tongue weight...  rehook up and pull forward so the trailer tires are on the scale (leave hooked up as there is no reason not to) note that weight...  add the two together for a total weight...   Exact?  not really, but close enough for our purposes...

StreamFixer

I am definitely aware I need to to detach to get an exact weight or add the tounge weight for ball park total weight. The official at the weigh station unfortunately did not want me doing that at that moment. I think I have around 160-200 lbs of tounge weight.

At the time I weighed the boat I was carrying a ton of camping gear. Chairs, stoves, propane fire pit, tents, 3 mtn bikes, giant 110 court cooler with 30 lbs of fish + weight of ice. I easily had 200 lbs of camping gear. so right there I can minus the camping gear from 2090 =1890 plus tounge weight 200 brings it right back to 2090.

On a pretty steady average I'm pretty sure my total weight even detached would be around 2100.

Of course my next mission because I want to know for sure now is to weigh it again detached at a closed scale.

[StreamFixer]

Lots of closed scales around to help with this.  When I need/want to weigh the boat, I always seem see a lot of them ---  unfortunately in my rearview mirror...   

StreamFixer

[Markshoreline]

Might ask her to help you lift it...