trailer tongue bent

[KingFish]

I need to have my ATV trailer fixed. Friend borrowed it and returned it with a bent tongue. Looks like he backed into something and the tongue bent. Where would be the best place to take it and get it fixed.

 

[Katt]

You could try Coffee Hill welding on Rt. 234 up near the MIR raceway. They've worked on our horse trailer. Welding sounds like what your repair will need.

 

[Dupontster]

What part of the tongue? If it is a smaller landscape type trailer, you can buy the triangular piece that goes over the ball...Usually they are made in such a way that it is almost impossible to bend....Must have really rammed something big...Post a picture..

 

[kom526]

Sounds to me that your friend needs to be doing some legwork on this, chief.

 

[KingFish]

The neck is more bent. He said he would cut it off and weld a new neck/coupler on it that is heavy duty. I just want to make sure it is done right and not butchered.

Instead of being centerered, the coupler is more to the left when looking at it straight on. I will post a picture when I get a chance.

 

[limblips]

Not that it helps but I am willing to bet he didn't hit anything. What he did was jack knife the trailer and kept trying to back up. Classic damage!

 

[DoWhat]

I will post a picture .

Ouch..........

What he did was jack knife the trailer and kept trying to back up. Classic damage!

YUUUP.

 

[GWguy]

Hook it up and jack-knife it in the opposite direction and bend it back into shape. Once you get it right, weld some strengthening bars along the frame.

 

[DoWhat]

Hook it up and jack-knife it in the opposite direction and bend it back into shape. Once you get it right, weld some strengthening bars along the frame.

And you "F"up your bumper too.

 

[Dupontster]

That triangular piece can be ground off (welds) and replace it with a new one...One of my trailers needed a new piece because the coupler was all screwed up...I bought the piece and bolted it on with 5/8" bolts and it works great...Want to see a picture of how I did it?

http://www.etrailer.com/dept-pg-Trailer_Coupler-sf-A~Frame_Coupler.aspx

 

[Gilligan]

The neck is more bent. He said he would cut it off and weld a new neck/coupler on it that is heavy duty. I just want to make sure it is done right and not butchered.

.

I build trailers as well as repair them.

That kind of "amateur operator" jacknife damage on that kind of trailer design is not easily repairable with the exception of the coupler itself; that can obviously be replaced.

That "he" suggested anything other than simply removing and replacing the existing "A" coupler with an identical one raises questions immediately as to the competency of "he".

The C-channels that make up the A frame of the tongue are bent and twisted. You'll just have to live with that unless you want to have them replaced completely; all the way back to where they end on the cross-frame. Since its a single-axle trailer, the residual misalignment you'll have after coupler replacement should be of little consequence.

 

[garyt27]

:

Not that it helps but I am willing to bet he didn't hit anything. What he did was jack knife the trailer and kept trying to back up. Classic damage!

:yeahthat