Swing away trailer tongue

[Scott H.]

Hey guys! Been a while since I've been here..



I'm looking to install a swing away tongue on my trailer. It's a 2002 700LX with the single axle trailer.



I've check the local shops and they charge an extra good chunk of change to weld one on for me. So, being the tight wad that I am, I'm considering doing the bolt on one myself. Now, before I embark on the journey I gotta say i don't have a full blown garage shop, so It'll be me, a hack saw (maybe a sawzall), and my drill. Can I handle this on my own? Can I shorten the tongue back to where the vertical stabilizer bar sits?



Just curious if the bolt is a safe bet and something I can handle? Anyone else done it here them selves?



Thanks

-scott

 

[Baja 252]

I put the bolt-on Fulton Swing-away one a trailer last year and it wasn't to hard. I used a cut off blade in my circle saw and it worked great. Get the bolts tight and check them often.

 

[David Williams]

I installed the Fulton swing-away also and it went on without a hitch. The specs say to stay 5 inches in front of the stabilizer bar. I used a sawzall and drill without any problems. Just make sure you protect your wires while your doing the cutting.

 

[TrepMan]

If he doesn't post, check the member list for Dan Nevill, he did one a few years ago for his 640lx and is going strong today! Don't remember which one he used.

 

[Chris Castineira]

I also used the Fulton and it was a snap, I used a sawzall for the cuts, and yea drill for the holes. I did use the red loctite on all 8 nuts, claims not to break the lock unless under a substainal amount of heat from a torch (a little $6.50 insurance policy), that with the provided lock washers I never gave it a second thought -- great product!



CHRIS CAS

 

[Randy Walls]

Make sure to give it some sort of corrosion protection on the exposed metal parts. I am not usre the best to use but i would make sure this happens.



Randy

 

[Scott H.]

Well.. that makes my decision easy! I'll be doing it myself with the Fulton as well. Did you guys paint it after you were done? It looks like others have used the 3X3 kit, so I'm assuming that's what I'll need for the single axle tracker trailer. The boat is currently in storage but I wanna be ready when I get it home to go to work on it. And just to be clear, this doesn't need any welding correct?



Is this the one you guys got? http://www.gandermountain.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?r=view&i=74265&aID=508R&cID=GSHOP#details_box_holder

 

[Chris Castineira]

I used a 3x3 but I can't speek for your trailer, in retrospect I wish I painted the raw metal parts. The started to rust rather quickly. But you could only see it when the tongue was swung open and you looked inside -- the unit is great, can't even tell it was a shade tree job.because of how clean the unit finished up. Well worth the money!



CHRIS CAS

 

[Baja 252]

Here are some photos of mine.

 

[Chris Castineira]

Sidebar note; I noticed that Baja252 has his chaines before the cut -- they should be BEHIND the chains so that is if the swing away fails your trailer will still be attached to the truck and just not the coupler sitting back there.



CHRIS CAS

 

[David Williams]

I have a 1996 180 FS and my trailer tongue took a 3 X 4 Fulton unit. I painted when I was done cutting and drilling and also I painted the finished unit. Turned out really well. Dave W

 

[Scott H.]

wow.. that paint looks nice! Great work!



I pull the rig out of storage tomorrow so I'll be getting to work on this pretty soon. Really appreciate the feeback here..



Up next, resurfacing the two landing pads on the trailer. loooooong over due.

 

[Baja 252]

 

[Baja 252]

Sharp eye CHRIS CAS. I wondered if anyone would notice that. The picture was taken before I redid the chains. You are correct, make sure you read the directions and redo your chains after you add the swing-away.

 

[TRCM]

Funny, the factory puts the cables/chains ahead of the joint, so if the joints fails, the chains do you no good.