Trailer Tongue Wheel Support

[Dave S]

Just curious what ways you all utilize to keep your trailer tongue wheel from sinking into the soil when unhooking your boat and trailer.

Was camping this past weekend and when I unhooked my Ranger 621 boat and trailer from the vehicle, the trailer tongue sunk into the soil several inches. You can't then pivot the trailer tongue sideways when rehooking up the trailer to your tow vehicle. Hence making it more difficult to hook up your boat.

Was thinking of getting a heavy piece of plywood to put down under the trailer tongue wheel before unhooking the boat. Curious if anyone has come up with any simple solutions to support your trailer tongue wheels when the trailer tongue wheel will not be supported by any kind of pavement.

[fishead]

carry a 3/4 in piece of wood from an old board ruffly 8 in wide X 14 in long just for that reason , don't use plywood it'll suck up moisture

[Morton]

Stop by a new construction site and grab something from the cut off pile.

I found a wood-lam cut off for a garage door header ( aprox 14 X 14 X 2 1/4 ) and have used it on occasion. Fits nice under a seat so it is out of the way but always in the tow vehicle.

Morton

[REW]

Dave,
Another big help is to change out the jack on your trailer to use a multiple wheel jack rather than a single wheel jack.

There is much less pressure on the supporting surface with a multi wheel tongue jack.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/too...4699_200414699

A 2X12 plank that is about 18 inches long works well to support a trailer tongue. Especially if it is pressure treated to minimize water intake.

Take care
REW

[jalichty@bresnan.net]

Might consider one of those orange squares they sell for trailer use to help with leveling the trailer or to put under the leveling jacks. If you don't have some in your trailer, if you have one, they are quite useful. We were lucky enough to get 20 of them at a going-out-of-business sale for about $25. They normally sell for around $40 for 10.

[Dave S]

Thank you for all of the excellent suggestions. Having a two wheel jack would cut the wheel pressure in half which would be a big help. I need to start carrying a 14 inch section of 2 x 12 or something similar and place it under the trailer wheel before unhooking my trailer. Good idea about using some kind of treated board so that it doesn't soak up as much of the moisture from the soil.

Dave

[Stripehunter]

When you unhook your trailer, mark the ground somehow. When camping I use a piece of firewood placed behind my truck rear wheel like a chock, with the edge on the edge of my tire. When I hook back up, I just back up till the chock hits my tire at the right spot and I'm lined up perfectly side to side and front to back. Don't have to budge the trailer tongue at all. A can of spraypaint can be used too, make a mark on the ground right where it meets your back tire. Make another reference up front to make sure you are straight. Two small lines last for years on a driveway, and for a few days on dirt or stone at a campground. Use those marks when you park your boat, then it will be in the perfect spot when you use them to hook up again.

[huskerdu]

I also have a 621 - I use a 10X10X1/4 piece of alum. plate, lots of weight on the jack, Good Luck!