Check your swing tongue hardware!

[Shellback]

Just happened to grab my swing tongue on my 2013 Alaskan with a Shorelandr trailer. Noticed it had quite a bit of play in it. The bottom bolt was sheared off. Funny thing was, the bolt was installed from the bottom and it was still in place with the broken piece and the nut still in the frame. My last trip was 375 miles returning from Canada. I replaced both with Grade 8 bolts, but there is still a little slop. They are 1/2" bolts, I may look into going up to 9/16 bolts.

[Thunderbucket]

Same here made my own hitch and installed one of these

http://www.fultonperformance.com/pro...rxsGHZeED7ZvuS


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[Bobby Winds]

Originally Posted by Thunderbucket

Same here made my own hitch and installed one of these

http://www.fultonperformance.com/pro...rxsGHZeED7ZvuS


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That is the exact hinge that came with my Trailmaster Trailer.....of course it's welded on from the factory. So far (only 3 years) it's as solid as a not hinged trailer. VERY happy with it.

[Bill Krejca]

Had my drop pin break a few years ago on my Shorelander, bought 2 new ones. I had noticed a sway on the tongue, talked with factory tech, he said to tighten bolts on the hinge (I should have thought of that myself, not rocket science). Perhaps that was why the pin broke. Seems OK now. not sure why bolts needed to be tightened, perhaps some wear (?), or not tight enough to begin with.

Bill

[Shellback]

My swing tongue hinge is a welded part of the trailer. Two bolts on the hinge side and one solid pin on the locking side. I was temped to put one long bolt on the hinge side, but decided against it. The one remaining bolt kept my tongue from coming apart. If it had been just one bolt and it broke, who knows?

[Hot Runr Guy]

Originally Posted by Shellback

My swing tongue hinge is a welded part of the trailer. Two bolts on the hinge side and one solid pin on the locking side. I was temped to put one long bolt on the hinge side, but decided against it. The one remaining bolt kept my tongue from coming apart. If it had been just one bolt and it broke, who knows?

I like the 2-bolt method, but I would use bolts that have an un-threaded section to ride in the flanges, rather than fitting on the threaded area. Even if you need to add washers or a spacer to tighten things up.

HRG

[Bobby Winds]

I just hooked up my boat for tomorrow and took a closer look at it........I was wrong it's not a 2"X3" hinge but rather the larger one for a 3"x 4" trailer tongue. Same, but different . . . . LOL

It's this beast instead.......

http://www.fultonperformance.com/pro...c4B1AjS63TOGE=

[Shotgun]

When I'm pulling on a long trip I replace the pin with bolts, which makes my trailer tongue solid. I just like taking any potential issues away from the hinge and any potential movement. Also, with a swing tongue - for accident prevention your safety chains need attached to the trailer portion of your tongue. If for some reason the hinge connection would malfunction as has been mentioned (pin or bolts breaks/comes lose) and the safety chains are ahead of the hinged connection, you have a runaway trailer connected to nothing.

[Shellback]

Originally Posted by Hot Runr Guy

I like the 2-bolt method, but I would use bolts that have an un-threaded section to ride in the flanges, rather than fitting on the threaded area. Even if you need to add washers or a spacer to tighten things up.

HRG

Attachment 303326

That's what I did, a couple extra flat washers and nylon lock nuts.

[Huntindave]

Originally Posted by Shellback

I replaced both with Grade 8 bolts, but there is still a little slop. They are 1/2" bolts, I may look into going up to 9/16 bolts.

The next step up in diameter would be to use a 13MM bolt which is .5118 inch diameter. I'm guessing a 13MM would go in your present holes without the need to open them to 9/16 (.5625) That way you take out the slop without losing any, or at least less, material in the hinge.