boat trailer

[JerryJ]

I'm asking for a friend
He has a boat and trailer with a single tongue as opposed to our regular "V" shaped tongues for our TTs
His mini van is rated at 3,500 lbs, not sure what his boat and trailer weigh but's it's an older cuddy cabin. Nice boat too. I've been on it a few times
When he bought his brand new Dodge minivan he didn't consider the front wheel drive of his van being able, or not, to tow the boat and trailer up a steeper ramp out of the lake. He used to toe the same boat with his older GMC Safari with no effort. The only difference here is the front wheel drive.

He does have a class 3 receiver and just as a test I was thinking of using my weight distribution receiver and one of the torsion bars just to show him the difference of tow-ability.
As with any weight distribution system when the torsion bars are torqued up the mechanism tends to lift the middle (at point of hitching) and relocating the weight (by method of torquing) and allow his front wheel drive to have more traction and enable to to grip that ramp.

I think I am correct in my assumption. Am I????

What system would you folks recommend, for a single tongue?
Thanks guys

[Sunline Fan]

I think you'd need to build a setup like this to use WD. I saw this setup on a boat in a storage building I was in many years ago. See attached pictures.

[JerryJ]

Looks interesting but hard to make out the details.

I think what we might try is to rig up my WD system on his van and boat trailer and use only one torsion bar and saddle bracket.

The other thing I thought of was to use both torsion bars and place both saddles in line of each other then hang the chains to each saddle bracket. It's hard to explain but I may have answered my own query.

If successful I'll take pictures and post them

[JohnB]

They make what is called a "Pole Tongue Adapter" to do what you are talking about. Assuming the trailer tongue is strong enough to allow a WD hitch.

See here. Do not know what brand WD hitch you have as they have several types.

https://www.etrailer.com/s.aspx?qry=Pole+Tongue+Adapter

The WD hitch will help put lost weight back on the front wheels to help with traction. However you have to confirm that the van receiver is rated for a WD hitch. Some Class 3 receivers have a WD rating and some do not.

I would recommend to not to test with or use a WD bar with a weight rating over the rating of the receiver if it is rated for WD. The light frame of the van or the receiver can bend with a WD bar too strong. And as FYI, each WD bar is capable of producing the full force of the WD bar sticker rating regardless if it is only a single bar. Both bars can create double the WD force if both are flexed far enough.

Hope this helps

John