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Trailer Problems

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Samiam2000

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Lake Winnisquam,NH/Cape Coral,Fla
Before I bought my new Q25 I had a 2275RCW w/Yamaha250....It is just a little smaller and lighter than the Q. When I trailered the RCW to Kentucky for the trade there was no swaying or fishtailing even at 70+ MPH.


When I loaded up the Q I had problems all the way to Fla and all the way back to NH this spring.I stopped 3 times on the way back to change the position of the winch and ladder assembly....moving it back 4 or 5" each time.It seemed to do better the further back it went.Moved it over 1' and it still fishtales at 65mph....should I go further?


They say the trailer ball should carry about 10% of the weight and I don't want to screw it up but fishtailing on a busy highway is unnerving and dangerous....any suggestions out there?


BTW...the trailer is the factory stock twin axle that came with the 2015 Q
 
There is no such thing a stock trailer so we will need more there. Seems like too little tounge weight to me. Can you grab the tounge and lift it at all? If so that is a good indicator you are light. Any photos of it on there?
 
Not an expert but from what I've read so far.... tongue weight is extremely important -- find some scales (truck stop) and figure out your tongue weight.  The preferred way is to move the axles forward or back to get the corrrect tongue weight. There are several threads on here where you can find more info.  Type in "tongue weight" in the search box. (including the quotes)
 
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The winch stand should be moved towards the tow vehicle to add tongue weight.  Moving it away for the vehicle would make it more dangerous.  Find a CAT scale and weigh the rig.  The scale has 3 zones. You pull on the scale and stop the tow vehicle in the middle zone and the trailer in the 1st zone.  Weight the rig.  Disconnect the boat making sure the jack is in the same zone as the trailer.  Reweigh the rig.

I have had to move my winch stand towards the vehicle 14".  With the big gas tanks and motors there is a lot of weight on the end of the trailer.  Weigh it up before you get hurt. 

Torsion axles don't move.  You have to move the winch stand.  
 
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I've had similar problems with swaying and fish tailing but it was because the tongue weight was too light.  Solution was to move the winch stand forward to obtain more tongue weight which should be 8% to 10% of total weight of trailer and boat for double axle trailer, iirc.
 
Done this many times. Drive by the scale in the tow vehicle.

Weight will be recorded for front axle and back axle.

Go back with the trailer and boat. Weight it again. You will get three numbers. Front rear and trailer axles. Subtract unloaded rear axle reading from loaded and you know how much weight is on the tongue. Add that to the axle weight and you know how much the boat/trailer combo weigh.

Add all three together and compare to GVWR see if you are overloaded

You might need a SWAY CONTROL BAR
 
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