fishjunky
Well-known member
Hello all, first post here.
I currently tow a hobie pro angler kayak on an aluminum triton lxt jet ski trailer. It has angle iron racks to accommodate another kayak (or two) above the pro angler. The whole package weighs appx 350 lbs. My, ahem, "tow vehicle" is a 4 cyl, 1.8 L, FWD hatchback. It tows this just package just fine, accelerating and stopping are no problem. Tow/haul rated max is 1500 lbs including passengers and driver. Right now I live in a relatively flat area, but am moving soon to the mountains.
I really like the pro angler, works great, stable enough to stand up and throw a cast net. However, once I move back I'll be near a couple buddies that like to fish and foresee wanting to go with them often.
What I am considering doing, is extending the tongue on my trailer to accommodate a jon boat. I am leaning towards a 1436 size. Yes I know they are not the most stable, etc, but with my car limitations and width of my trailer (40" between the fenders) I don't think I can do much more. Remember I am coming from a kayak, not downsizing boats, so almost anything like a jon boat will feel bigger and more stable.
I have read a lot of how-to's and think the best way to extend the tongue is to buy stock the same dimensions as my existing tongue (3" x 3" x 3/16") and splice it. The tongue is welded on so I can't replace it. I would think the extension would need to be 4'. Would a 2' (1' each way) splice inside the tubing be sufficient? Can the splice piece be 1/4" aluminum square tube (2.5" x 2.5" will have a little slop due to my existing material is 3/16")? The winch stand would need to be on the coupler side of the splice.
Right now the pro angler kayak sticks way out past the end of the trailer. The trailer is built with a 10-11' jet ski in mind, and the pro angler is just under 14'. So the tongue definitely needs to be extended unless I got a 12' jon boat, which I am not interested in. Also, the square front end on a jon boat needs more clearance at the back of the car than the pointed nose pro angler does.
The jon boat would almost always be used solo or me plus one, but would occasionally be used with me plus 2, which I know will be very crowded. I can use a different tow vehicle for these occasions.
I have access to an older but rebuilt 2 stoke 2.5 hp outboard, and would install a 12v trolling motor.
Weight estimate:
trailer plus spare, 2x4 bunks and tongue extension 170-180 lbs
1436 riveted jon 150-180 lbs
trolling motor and battery 80-100 lbs
2.5 hp motor and 3 gallon gas can 50-70 lbs? (not sure on motor weight)
So lets just say with those numbers, throw in some gear and I'm looking at about 600 lbs. I asked my (trusted) mechanic and he said he would try to keep it at 800-1000 lbs for tow, haul and people. So figure two adults at 200 lbs or so, and the package at around 600 lbs. Am I flirting with disaster here?
I thought about not including the outboard and moving up to a 24v trolling motor, but that doesn't really save any weight when you count the extra battery.
Anyway, this is what I'm kicking around in my head. Any thoughts are appreciated.
I currently tow a hobie pro angler kayak on an aluminum triton lxt jet ski trailer. It has angle iron racks to accommodate another kayak (or two) above the pro angler. The whole package weighs appx 350 lbs. My, ahem, "tow vehicle" is a 4 cyl, 1.8 L, FWD hatchback. It tows this just package just fine, accelerating and stopping are no problem. Tow/haul rated max is 1500 lbs including passengers and driver. Right now I live in a relatively flat area, but am moving soon to the mountains.
I really like the pro angler, works great, stable enough to stand up and throw a cast net. However, once I move back I'll be near a couple buddies that like to fish and foresee wanting to go with them often.
What I am considering doing, is extending the tongue on my trailer to accommodate a jon boat. I am leaning towards a 1436 size. Yes I know they are not the most stable, etc, but with my car limitations and width of my trailer (40" between the fenders) I don't think I can do much more. Remember I am coming from a kayak, not downsizing boats, so almost anything like a jon boat will feel bigger and more stable.
I have read a lot of how-to's and think the best way to extend the tongue is to buy stock the same dimensions as my existing tongue (3" x 3" x 3/16") and splice it. The tongue is welded on so I can't replace it. I would think the extension would need to be 4'. Would a 2' (1' each way) splice inside the tubing be sufficient? Can the splice piece be 1/4" aluminum square tube (2.5" x 2.5" will have a little slop due to my existing material is 3/16")? The winch stand would need to be on the coupler side of the splice.
Right now the pro angler kayak sticks way out past the end of the trailer. The trailer is built with a 10-11' jet ski in mind, and the pro angler is just under 14'. So the tongue definitely needs to be extended unless I got a 12' jon boat, which I am not interested in. Also, the square front end on a jon boat needs more clearance at the back of the car than the pointed nose pro angler does.
The jon boat would almost always be used solo or me plus one, but would occasionally be used with me plus 2, which I know will be very crowded. I can use a different tow vehicle for these occasions.
I have access to an older but rebuilt 2 stoke 2.5 hp outboard, and would install a 12v trolling motor.
Weight estimate:
trailer plus spare, 2x4 bunks and tongue extension 170-180 lbs
1436 riveted jon 150-180 lbs
trolling motor and battery 80-100 lbs
2.5 hp motor and 3 gallon gas can 50-70 lbs? (not sure on motor weight)
So lets just say with those numbers, throw in some gear and I'm looking at about 600 lbs. I asked my (trusted) mechanic and he said he would try to keep it at 800-1000 lbs for tow, haul and people. So figure two adults at 200 lbs or so, and the package at around 600 lbs. Am I flirting with disaster here?
I thought about not including the outboard and moving up to a 24v trolling motor, but that doesn't really save any weight when you count the extra battery.
Anyway, this is what I'm kicking around in my head. Any thoughts are appreciated.