Dear 7.9er's -
I'm in the market for a trailer for my 7.9, and I thought I would touch base with the list in the hope that someone might help me to avoid an expensive mistake. . . .
I talked to the people at Loadmaster in Port Clinton, Ohio who can build 7.9 trailers (price new - about $4200 plus tax). They said that for a used trailer, one could get by with one built for power boats IF both the beds and the axels were adjustable - and of course if it can accomodate a boat that is 26' long, 9' wide, and weighs 4500-5000 lbs. (The axel has to be moved forward to avoid HUGE tongue weight - since power boats have very heavy motors mounted far toward the back).
Is there anything else to look for? Is there a special shape required for the beds? How far apart should they be?
Any advice that you can give would be much appreicated . . . .
Thanks, AJ Oliver
Sandusky Sailing Club
soliver@heidelberg.edu
Trailers for 7.9
Moderators: Tim Bosma, Tom Elsen
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drake
trailer setup
I have just bought a used EZ Loader trailer-- it's in decent shape, with 64 rollers on 4 posts, and the previous owner seems to have taken pretty good care of it. Here's my question: I can move the axles, so where do I want the boat to sit on them? On my last trailer, the front axle was just behind the aft edge of the centerboard, and it seemed to be balanced pretty well as far as tongue weight. I'll need to move the axles on this one back about a foot to match that. I guess one question is where is the midpoint of the boat as far as weight? I recall seeing a posting earlier this year that said it was about 3 feet aft of the centerboard-- is that correct? What is the effect on the midpoint of having the keel resting on a trailer roller (which you usually would when the boat is resting or traveling on the trailer)? Does that effectively shift the boat's weight midppoint aft? I need an engineer.
Once I figure out the midpoint question, would I set up the trailer so the boat's weight midpoint is just forward of the center of the 2 axles?
Any tips on this would be appreciated, or perhaps a reference to a resource (maybe the EZ Loader folks).
Once I figure out the midpoint question, would I set up the trailer so the boat's weight midpoint is just forward of the center of the 2 axles?
Any tips on this would be appreciated, or perhaps a reference to a resource (maybe the EZ Loader folks).
You don't really need to do any calculations, just some trial and error.
You generally want about 10% of the total trailer weight + load on the tongue. In my case I keep the tongue weight just above 500lbs. If you like towing at high speeds, you may want a bit more to keep the trailer from wiggling behind you, but not too much. You can try 50 to 100 lbs more if you like.
Now, since most people don't have access to an easy way of measuring the tongue weight, here's what I did. Take 10 minutes to build a sturdy little saw horse (very sturdy) out of 2 by 4's. Then go to your local marine store and get about 3 feet of wire capable of supporting 1000+ lbs, and have them swage eyes into both ends. Now, use rope and lash one end of the wire to the little frame, and make a rope loop for the other end that you can set your trailer tongue in.
Now you can use your Loos gage to measure the wire tension. Head over to a public ramp. Measure the weight on the tongue, then launch the boat, and move the axles to your first best guess.
It will probably only take 2-3 launchs to get it right. An afternoon's worth of work.
You generally want about 10% of the total trailer weight + load on the tongue. In my case I keep the tongue weight just above 500lbs. If you like towing at high speeds, you may want a bit more to keep the trailer from wiggling behind you, but not too much. You can try 50 to 100 lbs more if you like.
Now, since most people don't have access to an easy way of measuring the tongue weight, here's what I did. Take 10 minutes to build a sturdy little saw horse (very sturdy) out of 2 by 4's. Then go to your local marine store and get about 3 feet of wire capable of supporting 1000+ lbs, and have them swage eyes into both ends. Now, use rope and lash one end of the wire to the little frame, and make a rope loop for the other end that you can set your trailer tongue in.
Now you can use your Loos gage to measure the wire tension. Head over to a public ramp. Measure the weight on the tongue, then launch the boat, and move the axles to your first best guess.
It will probably only take 2-3 launchs to get it right. An afternoon's worth of work.