Cp19 weight and trailer (axle) capacity question

[Mattlikesbikes]

My trailer title lists the trailer as being able to tow 2000lbs.  My current axle is a  square 2x2 axle which from everything that I have read is rated at 2000lbs ( square 2x2)

All the 2x2 replacement axles that I can find that have the correct spring center for the perches or perches that need to be welded and close to the right track distance are all rated for 2000lbs.  The CP19 weighs 2000 lbs empty.  How safe is this ?  I know the trailer is 30 years old and seems to have held up to towing fine over the years but it seems the trailer would be a little overloaded.  Hopefully the load rating on the axle is on the conservative side.  All the 3500 Lb axles are going to be too wide for the trailer.

If anybody has replaced there axle what did you go with?

[Mattlikesbikes]

I found a Dexter axle rated for 3500lbs that should work and a bonus it comes with no weld adjustable spring seats.
The new springs I am ordering should be good for for 2900lbs I just need to check the load rating of my tires.

Now to decide if I want to spend the extra $75 on the better axle or is that going to be overkill

[Bob23]

Good move, Matt:
   It's better to have a bit of reserve capacity. Easier on the brain while towing.
Bob23

[Salty19]

Go big. The trailer is over 600lbs, plus battery, fuel, outboard, gear, options, spare tire, galley, etc You're looking at 2900 lbs total axle weight easily.
Also boat weights from a manufacturer are not to be trusted. Do you think the boat is exactly 2000 lbs? Nope,it's more like 2200. Weigh it to see for yourself.

Having recently blown not one but both tires on the trip to CLR, I'm going the opposite way.. Will be installing a double axle before next long tow.

By the be sure to get load rating E tires. Anything less is asking for trouble.

[Mattlikesbikes]

I went with the bigger axle. Everything should be at my place sometime next week.   I currently have load rating C tires on there now.  Will upgrade them at some point over the winter.
Fixing the trailer including the welding the tongue pretty much killed my boat money budget for a little.

[Bob23]

Salty:
   Didn't know about your blowouts. Glad you sustained no damage to trailer or boat. I always believe in a bit of overkill. Nice to have a safety margin.
Bob23

[Billy]

Ugh! You guys are freaking me out!

2,200lbs Boat
600lbs trailer
60lbs engine
60lbs battery

2,920lbs just for that not including...

20 lbs fuel (i usually leave in my truck until I get to the ramp)
10lbs life jackets
10lbs sails
30lbs of anchors & rode
15lbs of misc gear (tools, fire extinguishers, seat cushions, bimini)

now we are up to....
3,005lbs!  

While the Load E tires are rated for 1650lbs each & the axle is rated at 3,500lbs, the 3 ply leaf springs are only 1,500lbs each.
That is too close!

No more gear in the boat while towing for me!
I always try to keep the cooler, and fuel in the back of my truck so that should help some, plus subtracting whatever the tongue weight is..... 200lbs?

I sure do hope they put in a safety factor!!!

Mike, please give us an update if and when you decide to add a second axle.

[MacGyver]

Once I find a damn parts guy I will be adding a second axle as well. I think that is a fantastic idea, and have pondered that since we bought ours. Not that it needs it but if you blow out one tire, you have 3 to back it up.

But I plan to stick with the small fatty tires and do a double axle that way.

Salty, take pics and let us know who you buy from so that we can do the same.

Mac

[Bob23]

Mac:
   Check this place out:
http://www.easternmarine.com/
Iv'e been to the store in Delaware. Like being in a candy store...they have everything. When I bought my 23, the trailer needed alot of work. I found everything there...prices so competitive it was worth my 1 1/2 hour drive each way to buy there.
Bob23

[CaptRon28]

My 2500 pound Horizon and 750 pound 2 axle trailer actually tipped the scales at around 4160. And that was with almost nothing inside the boat. I tow with a 6300 pound Avalanche rated for an 8000 pound trailer, so the extra 900 pounds over factory specifications doesn't really bother me. But I would not be comfortable with a much smaller tow vehicle. Horsepower to climb a grade is not the real issue - it's stopping and turning it.

I'd weigh the 19 or at least find someone who has actually weighed his. These specs are never right.

[Mattlikesbikes]

I wonder if the costs of converting a singe axle to a tandem would be worth it.  I just spent $320 for a 3500lb axle 2 3500lb hubs (both galvanized) a pair of 1500lb leaf springs and all hardware needed to mount it. If you are going dual axle you will need to add tires, wheels, new spring hangers hardware and at that point you will need to add brakes and I think some states require brakes on both axles so you might have swap out your original axle with one with brake mounts.   It might be more cost affective to sell the old trailer and buy a tandem outfitted exactly how you want it.

www.easternmarine.com and www.trailerpartsdepot.com both have really good prices on parts.  I ended up ordering from http://www.sturdybuiltonline.com/ they had the 3500lb galvanized Dexter axle I wanted.

[Salty19]

Matt,

You're right, I'm going to look into a new trailer/sell old trailer vs. upgrading to see what's the better deal. I suspect it will be cheaper to upgrade--depends on what you could sell a 1998 trailer for too.

There's a few places around that make trailers, I just need to start calling around and stopping by some shops.

Brakes will most certainly be added, as will an extension.  I might not get to this right away, we keep the boat in a slip and only tow long distances once a year, but chances are I'll have something figured out by late winter.

[MacGyver]

When I weighed the boat and trailer, it all weighed in correctly. 2060 lbs boat, 580 lbs trailer

As far as I am concerned on adding a axle, I think it is worth the investment just because it is peace of mind. as far as adding brakes, i cant add brakes on this small of tire, from what I have seen, and also on pontoon boat trailers they use dual axle no brake setups with these tires and do well.

Big issue I see is moving the trailer around on its own, but that isnt a big deal, in comparison to being able to be better road worthy.

cool ideas just require money, which is not usually in abundance...... kind of like the wind since CLR....... NONE lately.

Mac

[CaptRon28]

When I weighed the boat and trailer, it all weighed in correctly. 2060 lbs boat, 580 lbs trailer

When you weighed the boat and trailer, did you include the tongue weight? Either your truck or the trailers jack stand was holding up perhaps 300 pounds. My 20 foot Horizon has approximately 400 pounds on the tongue when attached to the truck.

You can put small drum brakes behind the 10 inch wheels. That's the way my Horizon came. It's got 13 inch wheels now because I switched over to install disk brakes on both axles. I was not happy with soaking the drum brakes in salt water.

[skip1930]

So holding the trailer up with boat and all equipment are two spindles and tires with each spindle burdened at about 1,600 lb. load. [Just my guess].

Check the LOAD RATING of the tire, not the diameter [diameter means nothing] and then cypher the bearing load. It's either good or it's bad.
Temperature plays little factor in the bearing lube as long as it's not boiled out.

For a quick check the ultimate strength of steel is 10,000 lb x the thickness [diameter] of the spindle divided by a safety factor of 4 for each spindle.

The wall thickness of the square steel axle can be treated the same. Then there is the Moment of Bend and the Moment of Torque to be cyphered in.
The standard charts can be found in bearing catalogs and Ryerson Steel book and New York Blower shafting tables. Might even find it in McMaster's or W.W. Granger.

I slid my axle back on the trailer rails to achieve more tongue weight. It's at 288 lb when I put an electronic scale under the jack's wheel.

skip.