Amphicar balance point?

[tommyintpa@aol.com]

In a message dated 6/3/02 4:53:22 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
KVacek@Ameritech.net writes:


> So I can calculate the right position on the trailer and reposition the axle
> accordingly?
>
> Thanks!
>
> Karl Vacek
>

Hi, I bought a "Bulldog" brand hitch coupler, it came with some literature
that said your tongue weight should be about 10% of the total weight of the
trailer and it's load. With my steel trailer that translates to 420lbs. It
may be easiest to weigh the tongue with the car on board. I have always towed
trailers and we always tried to get the hitch to carry 400lbs. regardless of
the trailer weight. One other thing, look in the phone book under trailer
supplies. There is a product called "E-RAIL" it is the track that you see on
the walls of semi trailers. Get some and bolt it to the floor of your
trailer. About 5'4" apart get some wheel harnesses from JCWhitney and some
E-Rail D-Rings for the E-Rail system. That combination is the quickest,
cleanest, safest and bestest way to hold the Amphicar to the E-Rail. You just
hook the tires to the trailer the Amphi just floats along. Good luck, Tommy
in Tampa


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

 

[Karl Vacek]

I just bought the car trailer I've been borrowing for some years, and I now can
remedy my tongue weight problem with the Amphicar. It's always been difficult
to get it far enough forward on this trailer to achieve adequate tongue weight,
and I'd rather not load it backwards.

Does anyone know the location of the front/rear balance point on the Amphicar,
or alternatively, the typical weight at the front and rear tires so I can
calculate the right position on the trailer and reposition the axle accordingly?

Thanks!

Karl Vacek


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

 

[a_colo_native]

--- In amphicar-lovers@y..., "Karl Vacek" <KVacek@A...> wrote:
> I just bought the car trailer I've been borrowing for some years,
and I now can remedy my tongue weight problem with the Amphicar.
It's always been difficult to get it far enough forward on this
trailer to achieve adequate tongue weight, and I'd rather not load it
backwards.
>
> Does anyone know the location of the front/rear balance point on
the Amphicar, or alternatively, the typical weight at the front and
rear tires so I can calculate the right position on the trailer and
reposition the axle accordingly?


Karl,

The Amphi (w/spare and 0 passengers) will almost perfectly balance at
the jack points (square tube just ahead of rear wheel well, below
door). With the car jacked up on each side, I can easily lift the
rear wheels off the ground with one hand. So it is VERY close to
exact.

John B

 

[Arnold Hite]

Karl,

I see that Tommy in Tampa is recommending you adjust to about 420
pounds of tongue weight. That seems like a lot to me. Gord is also a
big fan of lots of tongue weight. But I disagree. Some say that weight
like that is necessary for the trailer to track straight behind the tow
car. My boat weighs at least 2500 pounds. I have the tongue weight set
at about 100 pounds and it pulls straight as an arrow. I can think of
at least two reason to avoid so much weight. Weight like that will
stress the tongue of your trailer including the welds. It will also
stress your tow car suspension and reduce the footprint of the front
tires on the road. But to me the most important reason to avoid such a
heavy load is to avoid the stress on your back. More than once you will
find a need to briefly lift the trailer off the ball. 420 pounds makes
that impossible. Even half that weight requires at least two Tylenol
and a stiff drink afterwards.

Arnold Hite
Johns Island

>
>Message: 3
> Date: Mon, 3 Jun 2002 15:45:45 -0500
> From: "Karl Vacek" <KVacek@Ameritech.net>
>Subject: Amphicar balance point?
>
>I just bought the car trailer I've been borrowing for some years, and I now can
remedy my tongue weight problem with the Amphicar...
>
>
>...Hi, I bought a "Bulldog" brand hitch coupler, it came with some literature
>that said your tongue weight should be about 10% of the total weight of the
>trailer and it's load. With my steel trailer that translates to 420lbs.
>



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

 

[Al Heath]

One reason to have such a heavy tongue weight it to shift some weight to
the tow vehicle's front tires with a good equalizer hitch.

Al