Tongue Weight and Total Boat/Trailer Weight

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bigpapaporsche

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I am planning on buying a C Dory 22/25 and I need to make sure my Tow Vehicle is up the the job. Specifically, I need the Trailer's Tongue Weight and the Total Weight of the Boat & Trailer for both the 22 and the 25 Cruiser models.
 
Welcome. The search function is your friend here. 20 years worth of information on this very question.
 
My 22 towing weight is 4400# in standard load (no water, limited fuel, aluminum trailer). Depending on the load and equipment a 22 will likely be in the mid 4000# range. The tongue weight should be 10% of the total weight for safe towing.
 
You can setup the tongue weight. There are many ways to determine what it is, including a hitch which has a scale built in. I usually did it with bathroom scales, and confirmed when I weighcd the boat on a commercial CAT scale. The rear axle of the tow vehicle with and with out trailer attatched. The boat can be moved back and forth, in some trailers the tongue can be moved, and axles moved. I also used a weight distribution hitch on my 2002 C Dory 25 and 3/4 ton Ford Excursion 7.3 L diesel.
Depending on gear the 22 can weigh from about 3800 lbs to 5,000 lbs. The C Dory 25 from 6500 to 9000 lbs. I recommend 10% of trailer weight on the tongue--but that may vary for some trailers.

I recommend trandem axles on both the 22 and 25. I broke the tongue pole on a single axle 22 trailer. Also have remote (vehicle cab) monitoring of tire pressure and temperature. Also do a walk around, with a hand held IR therometer when towing longer distances, every 2 hours. Be sure that your tires are less than 6 years old. No cracking in tread or side walls of tires.

Be sure and pack wheel bearings at least once a season. Check the grease or oil level before any trip--even if hey were "OK" the day before.

Electric over hydraulic brakes are by far the best. They are required in most of Canada if the combiled weight is over 6200 Lbs. There is some information in the literature that suggests all trailer brakes need to be on all axles, and remotely controlled breaks on smaller trailes were not allowed.

I have never been checked, but just looking at the tongue allows an inspector to surmise what type of brakes are present.
 
You can check the temps of the hubs with your hand. They will be warm, but if you can put your hand on the hub after towing some distance, the hub is fine. Approach slowly with your hand, if the hubs are hot you'll feel it without touching them. Also, the hubs on the sunny side of the trailer can be noticeably warmer than the shaded side, but should not be excessively hot.

Personally, I'm of the "If it ain't broke, don't fix it mindset." As long as the hubs are running cool, I leave them alone.
 
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