E15A tongue extension modification

[dstreight]

Yesterday was chop-chop day in preparation for the tongue extension and Max Coupler install on our project 15A...

More to follow.

[cpaharley2008]

post moved from another thread..

[Brian B-P]

The Max Coupler design appears to use the mounting bolt through a common ball mount as the vertical axis pivot, which doesn't seem very sound or durable to me. There are several three-axis non-ball hitch systems available; why this one?

[dstreight]

Had a TREG that came on my '09 Kimberley Kamper and it was a good hitch design if not a little complicated to integrate as I'm doing. And I didn't want to spend what it takes to get a multi-axis from AU and haven't seen anything good made on this continent.

Had a Lock N Roll, which came on an Adventure Trailers Horizon model trailer I bought new back in '06: Worst POS hitch I've ever used. Quickly crossed that one off my list 14-years ago from direct experience.

Had a custom off-road trailer built to my spec a few years ago with the Max Coupler and was 100% pleased so I opted again for another for this Escape 15A project.

They've made a couple little improvements in their latest gen unit; but they've been around quite a few years now and have improved steadily.

I tried to post photos but for whatever reason vBulletin wants to rotate them...when I have more time I'll fiddle with the native files to override...for now its all in your imagination

[Brian B-P]

Thanks for the coupler background. Sometimes a questionable design which is proven to work better than other designs with their own problems might be the best choice.

Originally Posted by dstreight

I tried to post photos but for whatever reason vBulletin wants to rotate them...when I have more time I'll fiddle with the native files to override...for now its all in your imagination

The forum software and your browser ignore the tags which some devices (typically from companies founded by guys named "Steve") insert to indicate that the image is incorrectly oriented and so needs to be rotated. You have to post images which are actually upright.

[gbaglo]

I've posted hundreds of photos here, most shot with my iPhone. I don't have a problem with orientation on this forum or FGRV.

I email the photo to myself. I open the photo on my MacBook Air and Export it to the desktop.

I then crop, enhance, sharpen with PhotoShop Elements and save to my desktop. Then I post from my desktop. There are several other apps you could use.
You can also shoot pix with the phone held horizontal and the home button on the right, but that is rather limiting.
I'm not defending Steve, because I don't think the problem is only an iPhone issue.

I'm taking my iPhone in to the Apple store Tuesday for a new battery. They recommend I back up my phone first. And how do I do that if I need the charging cord to keep the phone from shutting down? I could connect to my MacBook Air, but how do I back up my iTunes Library when Apple removed it from my new Air?

If Steve is there, he's gonna get an earful.

[dstreight]

For whatever reason the photos I tried to post (unsuccessfully due to rotation code interpretation...) were taken on my iPhone 10 ("portrait mode...x = horizontal short and y = vertical long), Air Dropped to my MacBook Pro then uploaded to here.

This site just won't upload the photos in the correct orientation even if I 'counter rotate' the JPG before uploading. In this example it will upload correctly . Can't beat the system...LOL. The issue seems to be "portrait" mode. This site appears to upload "landscape" orientation without issue.

I post to numerous other web forums without issue. Not a big deal as I know what the project looks like .

[gbaglo]

Try a 'Save As' and rename the file when you have it in the correct orientation.
BTW, no photo attached to your post.

[dstreight]

Photos of the beginning frame chop & new extended hitch install project...

Thanks @gbaglo for work around tip to get these photos to post in their correct orientation!

[gbaglo]

Welcome.

[Doug2000]

I did this on my 1977 Trillium so I could use my bike rack, and also the old coupler was worn out. A new coupler was $20 from Princess Auto, (like Harbour Freight). The RV dealer wanted $225 for a coupler. That's not installed.

[Bobbie54]

Why the extended hitch?

[cpaharley2008]

Originally Posted by Bobbie54

Why the extended hitch?

Perhaps for more sway?

[dstreight]

Originally Posted by Bobbie54

Why the extended hitch?

More space between the swingarm on the LandCruiser bumper (when parked and accessing the hatch/rear of the LC) as well as the HD2500's tailgate (when dropped). And additional real estate for camp stove pull out box...which will come later.

And the slightly longer wheelbase will make backing up a little easier too.

Sway won't be a factor. In fact, if anything, it will be even more stable especially over rough terrain which we have a propensity to search out

[Bobbie54]

Yeah, boat trailers have the wheels back farther and are less susceptible to sway and easier to back. So I get that. No room in my garage for a longer tongue, though! My neighbor used to have to back his boat into the garage at an angle and fold back the tongue extension to get his in.

[Eggscape]

I like how you can remove the hitch so it is less likely to be towed by someone else.
I would like to see a lower strut welded on with the center point of the strut under where the old hitch was at the junction.
It is hard to find a picture so here is an adaptation with the new strut drawn in red.

[dstreight]

Not shown in my photos but the new "receiver/tongue" will be welded to a 1.5"x3" box tube, mitered cross brace (between each frame "leg"), just forward of the nose box.

Where the ends of each frame leg were mitered will be a 1/2" plate welded to the frame legs and the existing bottom plate at this junction. The 1/2" plate will raise the 2-1/2"x2-1/2" square receiver/tongue the needed 1/2" (d'oh ) to sit flush with the tops of the frame rails.

I thought about scab plates on the outside of the frame at the cross piece junctions. Although this particular 15A wasn't apart of the recall I plan to weld in scab plates at the same trouble spot as well as where the frame bends upward...not hard to do but will go along way into strengthening the entire front section of the frame...for the more rugged off-highway use it will see.

After the new tongue assembly is welded, next weekend, I'll post up photos and then it will all make sense

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by dstreight

For whatever reason the photos I tried to post (unsuccessfully due to rotation code interpretation...) were taken on my iPhone 10 ("portrait mode...x = horizontal short and y = vertical long), Air Dropped to my MacBook Pro then uploaded to here.

This site just won't upload the photos in the correct orientation even if I 'counter rotate' the JPG before uploading.

Again, it's not this web site. All those things that you are doing (with devices from the company started by Steve and Steve) are just changing data tags within the file, intended to be read by the next stage of use by the same suite of software, which are still ignored by the forum and browser. In Glenn's example, he uses all the same brand of hardware, but crucially uses software from another company.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Bobbie54

Why the extended hitch?

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Perhaps for more sway?

No, less sway. Jim may be confusing extending the ball mount (which decreases the tow vehicle's ability to control the trailer) with what is being done here, which is extending the trailer tongue.

Originally Posted by dstreight

Sway won't be a factor. In fact, if anything, it will be even more stable especially over rough terrain which we have a propensity to search out

True.

Stability is improved by:

• concentrating mass near the middle
• increasing the distance from trailer mass to hitch
• moving the trailer mass centre forward relative to the trailer axle(s)
• and other factors

The tongue extension doesn't change the concentration of mass, increases the distance from the mass to the hitch (good), and doesn't change the distance from trailer mass to axles. It will cause an increase in stability.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Bobbie54

Yeah, boat trailers have the wheels back farther and are less susceptible to sway and easier to back. So I get that. No room in my garage for a longer tongue, though! My neighbor used to have to back his boat into the garage at an angle and fold back the tongue extension to get his in.

There are a few things going on with boats that makes towing them different from towing a typical travel trailer. A trailerable power boat usually has its mass distributed quite far rearward, especially with outboard motors but even with an inboard. That means the trailer wheels are way back on the trailer to be behind the boat's centre of mass, and that makes the distance from boat+trailer mass to hitch long, which is good for stability. Small boats also tend to have more concentrated mass (near the motor), which is also good for stability. Power boats of a size which people routinely tow also have less side area than travel trailers, so they should be affected less by crosswinds.

The extended tongue only corresponds to one of those differences, but it should still be good for stability.