Adjusting a Parker to your trailer

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Capt. Ronnie

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Wrentham Ma.
I'm trying to adjust my 2320 w the engine bracket to my loadrite 6400lb roller trailer.
I think I need to add more tongue weight as the few times I've towed it it wanders and fishtales.
I can't move the boat much more foreward on the trailer because I will be on top of my trim tabs, so I need to more my exles back.
Can anyone give me a rough measurement as to where your axles are in relationship to the rear of your boat.

Thanks
 
I think all boats and trailers will be a little different so if it were mine I'd start working the axle(s) back till you had required tongue weight. There's a lot of thing that play in to it, how much gear you keep stored aboard etc.
 
Bucket":2bofjl7j said:
I think all boats and trailers will be a little different so if it were mine I'd start working the axle(s) back till you had required tongue weight. There's a lot of thing that play in to it, how much gear you keep stored aboard etc.

This is a Parker site , and the 2320 with the 8.6 beam is trailerable
So I figured I should be able to get some help here, or atleast a starting poing of how far back I should slide the 2 axles! :wink:
 
Capt. Ronnie":13dihasy said:
Bucket":13dihasy said:
I think all boats and trailers will be a little different so if it were mine I'd start working the axle(s) back till you had required tongue weight. There's a lot of thing that play in to it, how much gear you keep stored aboard etc.

This is a Parker site , and the 2320 with the 8.6 beam is trailerable
So I figured I should be able to get some help here, or atleast a starting poing of how far back I should slide the 2 axles! :wink:

Yes, it is a Parker site, but it is a Parker owner's/lover's site, not to be confused with the Parker Marine Inc. site. We all do the best we can, and from what I've gethered here so far, people only pipe in when they have real experience to add. On many other boating sites, you will get a noise:signal (value:BS) that is too high. Too many opinions, without experience to back it up.

If you didn't get a response you expected, I'd suspect that no one who has encountered your problem and solved it, has seen your request for help.

I'll do my best...

When I took delivery of my boat, the trailer tongue was too light by a couple hundred pounds (needs to be about 7%-10% of the total boat & trailer weight. The dealer moved the winch stand forward about 6", and then dragged the boat up to it. That put it in the range, and has worked well since.

You can't do this, so moving the axles back it your only option. Here is what I'd recommend:
Weigh the boat and trailer (with a normal load of fuel and fishing gear). Calculate 7% and 10% of that weight. That will give you the range you are looking for. Weigh the tounge weight, and find the difference you have to add to reach the 7% value. Get a transient slip for the day and launch the boat. Go back to the trailer and move the axles back 3", load the boat, and determine the tounge weight. If you are at or above the 7% value (and not exceeding the 10% value), you are done. If still too light, you have something to work with. That 3" added some weight to the tounge. Divide that weight into the difference you get when you subtract your current tounge weight from the 7% value you determined earlier. That should give you a multiple of 3" increments you need. If it is close to 2, then you need to move it back another 6". If it is close to 1.5, then you need to move it back another 4.5"...etc.

As was said before, each boat and trailer combo is different. Torsion and leave springs will act different on the tounge loading. The only way to do it right is to get some figures, make a move, and do the rest of the calculations to get you in the ball park.

Of course, you could take it back to the dealer, or a trailer sales outfit, and pay them to do it for you.

Sorry...but this is what I can offer that is within my experience and knowledge range.
 
Porkchunker":iay18xo1 said:
Of course, you could take it back to the dealer, or a trailer sales outfit, and pay them to do it for you.

Capt Ron: That might be advisable. For unless there are indexed holes already cut in the trailer frame, moving the axles is something I'd leave to the pros. Any misalignment after moving them could lead to really bad tire wear at a minimum ... and at worst ... cause the trailer to become really unstable when being towed at highway speeds.
 
RONNIE, I own a 1991 2310 WA MV(it has parker written on it, I even checked the vin# with Robin to make sure). I purchased the boat w/out trailer. I bought a trailer and I put the boat on the trailer and towed it home, had towing issues. I also couldn't move the winch bracket any further forward, so I had to play with the axles. Took as many measurements as possible and started moving the axles back little by little till I was happy with it.

I'm sorry that my boat is different than yours, but I think that even if we had the same models that we would have different weight issues.

Do you have 2 house batteries up front--I do
How much fishing gear do you haul with you?
Kicker motor?
Downriggers?
What is your tow rig?

I think it all plays into the picture.
 
I had several trailer issues with my previous boat (a Dusky on a bunk trailer), and I took to to a trailer specialty shop to have a couple of items repaired.

While I was there, the shop manager stood back and asked me who had fitted the boat to the trailer? I told him that so far as I knew, it was done at the factory when the boat was new.

This guy could tell by sight that she wasn't fitted right, and long story short... when I picked her up later in the day, she was fitted, and fitted correctly. In my case, the winch stand was moved as were the axles.

That boat pulled so much better after being done correctly. 8)

Specialty trailer shops have travel lifts (to safely raise the load) and portable scales to get everything done correctly and safely.
If I ever have to have this chore done again, there would be no question who I'd have do the work (and it wouldn't be me). :)
 
It shouldn't cost much to have the trailer adjusted professionally. I local shop here in MD quoted me $250 to setup a new trailer for my 25' Grady.
 
Hey Capt

I work in a boat yard selling boats (Parkers) and trailers. I HATE TRAILERS. I always make the trailer company fit the trailer to the boat. I have seen several accidents involving fingers and trailer componets, it's not worth the effort. Like Dale said let the pros help. Capt Brad
 
Thanks for the replies!
I'll be all set!
I live about 30 miles and was just hoping to get a starting point how far back to move the axles back.
 
I moved my 2 axles back 16in from where they were, and came up with the 6-7 % weight at the tongue, and it tows great !
As for all the "bring it to the pros" suggestions
I wouldn't let the Shoe Maker techs where I bought my Parker from work on my kids bicycle !!!
I can assure all I am MORE than qualified to properly align (or fabricate) a trailer and I was just hoping to get a starting point to get the tongue weight close as I live over 30 miles away from the water!
 
Good to hear that you got her adjusted yourself. Doing things yourself, makes you much more knowledgeable, when it comes to on the water/road problems. You are more likely to solve them yourself than call for Sea Tow or a tow truck.

BTW, I carry a complete hub with grease bearings, seals, cotter pin, and tools to replace a hub on the road if necessary. Hope I never have to do it.
 
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