[PSUBS-MAILIST] SHOCK!!

[Jon Wallace via Personal_Submersibles]

Thanks guys, I understand the issues that arise with either too little or too much tongue weight.  However, I don't believe the trailer bounce is a result of either too little, or too much, tongue weight.

This was originally a boat trailer that distributed the total boat weight over bunks having a relative wide span (5 feet), and of course lengthwise forward to the winch.  Now picture a K-350 on the same trailer.  To ensure the equalizer is positioned correctly the submarine weight has to be evenly distributed between the axles, which in this case means directly over them because the "footprint" of a K-boat is only about 3x3 feet.  That means all 4500 lbs is concentrated over a narrow 3-foot span across the trailer centerline.  Additionally since the submarine is only 12 feet long, there is about 12 feet of empty space on the forward half of the trailer which explains the lack of tongue weight.  

As described earlier, moving the vessel forward is not an option for me because the shifted weight causes the equalizer for the springs to become cocked upwards and touch the frame of the trailer.  The result is essentially not having springs at all and driving this way long distance would result in mechanical failure of at least the equalizer, probably the springs, and at worst the frame itself.  The only solution I have to get tongue weight is to add weight at the front of the trailer.

The bounciness caused by the trailer wheels riding over roadway imperfections seems to me to be just a natural result of all the submarine weight being concentrated over the axles and magnifying the effect of what otherwise would have been dampened by distributing the total weight over the entirety of the trailer, as in the case of a boat.  The kinetic energy created has to go somewhere and absent shock absorbers its just a matter of waiting for the friction from the bouncing to wear itself out.  Given the limitations of moving the load, I think shock absorbers are my only option to combat the bouncing.  I wouldn't be the first since I see numerous videos on YT showing installation of shocks on trailers, but it certainly is not common.

Jon