Folding hitch hinge

[jedimaster]

Does anyone know where in Ontario u can pick up a folding hitch kit? I know they sell them online but has anyone seen them at any stores? Was gonna put one on.

[Carp]

I'm assuming this is the kit to convert your current toungue and coupler to a folding model ?

 

I remember seeing them on one of the boat trailers at the outdoor show (International Centre, Mississauga),

but I can't remember which dealer it was that had them.

 

Try Central Outboard and Marine in Markham, ON

I just talked to them and they do carry them.

You'll have to give them the width of the trailer tongue & coupler size as well I guess.

 

Good luck !!!

[Billy Bob]

Does anyone know where in Ontario u can pick up a folding hitch kit? I know they sell them online but has anyone seen them at any stores? Was gonna put one on.

I would assume it would readily be available at any Marina/Boat store near you at a much higher price.....then this one.....

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Boating/Boating-Trailer-Accessories/Trailer-Couplers-Locks%7C/pc/104794380/c/104781780/sc/104642280/Fulton-Trailer-Swing-Tongues/701511.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Fboating-boating-trailer-accessories-trailer-couplers-locks%2F_%2FN-1100656%2FNs-CATEGORY_SEQ_104642280%3FWTz_l%3DSBC%253BMMcat104794380%253Bcat104781780&WTz_l=SBC%3BMMcat104794380%3Bcat104781780%3Bcat104642280

[misfish]

Are you handy with a welder and cut off wheels for a grinder?

I have a drawing at work somewhere, to do this yourself if your interested.

[pidge]

princess auto perhaps??? alot of towing goddies there

[misfish]

princess auto perhaps??? alot of towing goddies there

 

NOT

[Fisherman]

Honestly, I'd be a bit more tempted to forego the hinge, many $$$$, and use a simpler method such as a 3/16" or 1/4" "sleeve" about 1' long over the existing center tube. 6" goes over the rear tube, 6' stays open, then you can still use the same piece from the cut forward and just use a 1/2" tractor attachment pin to hold it in place. Get home, pull the pin and slide out the front piece.

[perodimi]

I bought mine here:

 

Fulton swing hitch kit

 

Just cut the tongue, drill holes for the bolts and torque them down. I did my boat trailer 2 years ago with no problems. Make sure you have the correct dimensions. They're located in Milton but shipping was real fast.

 

Peter

[skeeter]

Fulton is $10 cheaper then they are in the states!!!!!

[Pigeontroller]

I bought my Fulton fit at Bay City Marine in Hamilton before Christmas. Lots more room in my garage now. Easy to do with a 4.5" grinder and cut-off wheel, drill, and some wrenchs...

[jedimaster]

I can do all the welding, cutting, drilling no problem. I was thinking of just looking for a sleeve to go over the 3x3 tube, but not sure how easy it would be to find one. For 75 bucks the hinge is all I need. I only need to shave off half a foot to fit the 16' lund with motor inside the garage. This would save me so much headache come summer time if I could just back it in pull a pin and fold the tongue away. Right now she is all wintered up and tucked in with the motor off and it fits with about a foot and a half from tongu to door.

 

PM me your info so you can send me those plans you have I wouldn't mind seeing what you had in mind.

[Billy Bob]

I can do all the welding, cutting, drilling no problem. I was thinking of just looking for a sleeve to go over the 3x3 tube, but not sure how easy it would be to find one. For 75 bucks the hinge is all I need. I only need to shave off half a foot to fit the 16' lund with motor inside the garage. This would save me so much headache come summer time if I could just back it in pull a pin and fold the tongue away. Right now she is all wintered up and tucked in with the motor off and it fits with about a foot and a half from tongu to door.

 

PM me your info so you can send me those plans you have I wouldn't mind seeing what you had in mind.

 

You say you only need about half a foot to fit it in the garage with the motor on. Then just cut off about 10-12" and remount the coupler part back on...I took off about 18" on my trailer when I first bought it 26 years ago and never looked back. This will cost you ZERO dollars and only about 1 hours worth of work.

 

Bob

[jedimaster]

Thought about that but I am a bit worried about the tongue being too short and affecting the ride of the trailer. Plus the shorter I can make it the less of a shin whacker it'll be.

[Tom McCutcheon]

You say you only need about half a foot to fit it in the garage with the motor on. Then just cut off about 10-12" and remount the coupler part back on...I took off about 18" on my trailer when I first bought it 26 years ago and never looked back. This will cost you ZERO dollars and only about 1 hours worth of work.

 

Bob

 

Just asking Bob and not trying to be a smart ass. Does that not make it easier to jack knife the boat and trailer into the back of your tow vehicle when in reverse?

I hope you look back when your backing up LOL.

 

Tom.

[Gerritt]

Not if you know how to back up a trailer correctly...

[Tom McCutcheon]

Not if you know how to back up a trailer correctly...

 

Some can, most can not...Like I said I think inexperience will have the trailer into the rear corner of the bumper in a heartbeat.

 

Tom.

[Billy Bob]

Just asking Bob and not trying to be a smart ass. Does that not make it easier to jack knife the boat and trailer into the back of your tow vehicle when in reverse?

I hope you look back when your backing up LOL.

 

Tom.

 

So you want to be a smart ...LOL

 

VERY GOOD question.....No, would be the easy answer here but since I was a professional driver (only means I got paid to drive) I will further explain the physics of backing up a trailer in short terms (I'm also lazy).

 

The shorter the distance between the ball hitch and the trailer tires the harder it is to back up...WHY...because a short distance means the trailer reacts MUCH faster....but I only cut off 18" and since it was when I first got this rig (26 years ago) I didn't have any problem whatsoever, because I had a smaller boat & trailer before this one so it was actually a bit easier.

 

MY problem is head room if someone is parked on the street opposite of my driveway...but then I just go around the block and come in from the top of the street depending on where that vehicle is park (more north or south in relation to my driveway). At boat ramps where there is a TON of room there is no problem whatsoever. Towing down the highway at high speeds (up to 85 mph) I have never had a problem and shouldn't because of the shorter length.

 

Again GOOD QUESTION as many boat towers would never think of that.......worst trailer I own is my utility trailer that has a very short distance between the ball and the trailer tires.....if you can back that thing up you can back up ANY trailer made...

 

Bob

[dave524]

Again GOOD QUESTION as many boat towers would never think of that.......worst trailer I own is my utility trailer that has a very short distance between the ball and the trailer tires.....if you can back that thing up you can back up ANY trailer made...

 

Bob

 

ARRGH! got one of those too, was a humbling experience backing it into the drive the first time. The worst part is trying to back the darn thing up in a straight line, when it's straight you can't see it behind the van. It's actually easier to get it into the drive from the street than to back straight down the drive.

[smally21]

if the trailer tongue is long enough to open your tailgate/hatch whatever then its long enough. just cut off the excess. i built swing tongues for customers that made no difference cuz the boat fit the trailer, and you can swing away the tongue but not the boat.

 

if they insisted on a swing tongue id have to make the trailer longer to allow for the trialers winch post and vstop to be behind the swing tongue - as in it made no difference!

[jedimaster]

There is room for the tongue to fold out of the way as the tounge is fairly long past the A arm where it hooks up to the trailer.I too have a short armed utility and its a pita. I can back it up np but other that have tried curse and swear. Still undecided as to what I am going to do. I am going to hook up the motor to the boat this weekend and see how much I need to lose. If its within 12 inches I think I'll just cut it off. Part of the other thing is I can't let the A arm get too close to the jeep, as I have a 31" tire on the back and plans for 35's so I need to keep enough room to be able to use the cranky.

[fisher]

+1 on the fulton swing arm option.

 

After many years of putting my boat into my garage on an angle, and having less than 1 cm clearance before the garage door would not go down/up, I decided to add the swing arm myself. Surprisingly it was very easy (as long as you have the tool to cut the arm - not sure the name, but I used a mitre saw like tool for steel to cut the arm. It was 3 years ago, took about an hour and it has been very handy, saving me a ton of room.

 

Just remember to get a very good drill bit to drill the holes for the bolts.

Edited April 6, 2011 by fisher

[Billy Bob]

Just remember to get a very good drill bit to drill the holes for the bolts.

Just remember to start out with a SMALL drill bit and work your way up and the job will go a LOT FASTER....a small amount of cutting oil (tranny oil works nice if you have some) to protect your drill bit and it will be a "snap"...LOL

 

Bob

[misfish]

Cant find the drawings.They were at the old plant,someone must of thrown them out.Sry about that.