# Fold Away Hinge



## LDUBS (Oct 30, 2018)

Saw this on a local fishing forum & thought I would share here. Owner says this one was actually in use for about 17 years.

Not the first time this has come up on TB, but a good reminder to inspect the pin and hinge bolt routinely. Maybe even replace them every year just to be on the safe side.


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## moloch16 (Nov 7, 2018)

Once you have one that has proven itself good, rolling the dice on a new one each year doesn't sound like a great idea.


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## LDUBS (Nov 7, 2018)

moloch16 said:


> Once you have one that has proven itself good, rolling the dice on a new one each year doesn't sound like a great idea.



You mean proven itself until it fails. Addressing a potential failure point, especially if it could be catastrophic, seems like a real good idea. Particularly when it is as easy as this would be. Assumes someone would be aware of the proper fastener grade. If not, then they shouldn't touch it.


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## eshaw (Nov 7, 2018)

I'd like to know how hard the pin is both down the shank from the break and at the break.


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## JNG (Nov 7, 2018)

Reason #4639 why I refuse to buy a trailer with a swing away tongue.


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## LDUBS (Nov 7, 2018)

JNG said:


> Reason #4639 why I refuse to buy a trailer with a swing away tongue.



I had one on my previous boat. It was convenient, but something that I paid attention to. Glad the new boat doesn't have one.


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## JNG (Nov 8, 2018)

Over the years I have seen multiple failures on the internet (pictures and or stories) and seen in person failures that have occurred due to fold away trailer tongues. Some of these failures have resulted in injury and death. A very good friend of mine works for a towing and repair company that is our state police/sheriff/local police towing company for wrecks/drunk tows/etc. I have seen the end results in the towing yard from these tongues failing and causing accidents. I would say on average one, maybe two a year. I am amazed that these tongues are still DOT approved.


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## eshaw (Nov 8, 2018)

I think I'd have a second pin just for a backup installed just as a safety redundancy feature. The chances of a multiple failure occurring at the same time would be minimal. If I had a tongue issue where I had to have a shorter tongue to fit a boat in my garage I'd make one that telescoped. I saw a vid of a guy in Australia (I think) that launched his boat in the surf but he added an extension once he arrived. Same principal though. One other thing I'm curious about is how long these extensions are that people are adding to the hinge because the longer, the more leverage they place on the pin and eventually it will shear. Makes me wonder if they're properly installed from the beginning?


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## vfourmax (Nov 8, 2018)

JNG said:


> Over the years I have seen multiple failures on the internet (pictures and or stories) and seen in person failures that have occurred due to fold away trailer tongues. Some of these failures have resulted in injury and death. A very good friend of mine works for a towing and repair company that is our state police/sheriff/local police towing company for wrecks/drunk tows/etc. I have seen the end results in the towing yard from these tongues failing and causing accidents. I would say on average one, maybe two a year. I am amazed that these tongues are still DOT approved.



I am sure that the application and the total weight of what is being towed greatly affects whether the folding tongue option would be a reasonable option to consider.

I have a small 14 ft aluminum mod v jon boat that fully loaded the weight including trailer will be well below a 2000 lb total weight. The ramps I frequent I need a few extra feet of tongue length to launch/ retrieve the boat while keeping the tow vehicles rear tires out of the water.

Searching the options in my locality the only local source of trailer tongue tubing only sells 24 ft sticks, to replace the entire tongue on my trailer I would only need about half of that length and ordering the full length shipping is rather high.

So my application the hinge and ordering just the short length of tongue material is by far the most cost effective route to fill my needs.

I am planning on using a bolt in both sides of the hinge as I do not need the folding ability per say to fit in a garage or anything. 

I think in light duty, low weight applications this should be a safe option but the more weight and stress that you add then the more I would question only having the two point mounting holding the tongue together as being the wisest choice.

For my application it is just a more economical way to easily extend the trailer tongue a couple of feet and and at the light weight I am towing, usually no more than 55mph I am perfectly satisfied that I will not over stress the hinge connection to a breaking point.

Application of use I feel does make a big difference in whether something can be considered a good choice or not.


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## vfourmax (Nov 8, 2018)

View attachment fulton.pdf


eshaw said:


> One other thing I'm curious about is how long these extensions are that people are adding to the hinge because the longer, the more leverage they place on the pin and eventually it will shear. Makes me wonder if they're properly installed from the beginning?



The hinge company does include a chart that list specific length restrictions to be installed in front of the hinge listed by the ball weight and total weight of the trailer for the different models of the hinge sold.


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## JNG (Nov 8, 2018)

While I would NOT do it, a fold away tongue on a light (under 3000# gross weight) boat/trailer would likely be ok. Especially if you over built it a bit. I would NEVER, nor would I ever recommend a fold away tongue on a heavier fiberglass bass/ski boat or the like. Next time you go to a popular lake ramp, watch how much vertical flex there is in the hinge itself. You can see this when the boat/trailer is being towed. Any movement in the hinge stresses the hinge and the pin. This stress is what causes the pins to shear. And it won't shear as you back it into the garage. It shears when you are towing at 75 mph+ and the boat/trailer now becomes an unstable missile crossing lanes of traffic. And those little safety chains or cables, they are not made to save your butt (and other folks lives) at the speed most people travel at now a days. On a light boat/trailer with an over built fold away tongue and with a driver that has common sense and speeds not exceeding 55-60 mph, they are perfectly safe. Unfortunately that's not the case for most.


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## moloch16 (Nov 8, 2018)

LDUBS said:


> moloch16 said:
> 
> 
> > Once you have one that has proven itself good, rolling the dice on a new one each year doesn't sound like a great idea.
> ...



I'm saying that if constantly buying new pins you increase your chance of getting one with a manufacturer defect while tossing perfectly good ones that haven't shown any signs of trouble.


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## LDUBS (Nov 8, 2018)

moloch16 said:


> LDUBS said:
> 
> 
> > moloch16 said:
> ...



Replacing annually the chances are nil compared to potential wear & tear on the existing bolt/pin. Well, we are not going to agree on this one. Suggest you don't use the same logic with impellers.


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## JNG (Nov 8, 2018)

I agree with you. Replacing the hardware annually seems like good preventative maintenance to me.


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## LDUBS (Nov 8, 2018)

The previous set up I had with the fold away was a relatively light boat/trailer. There is some slop in the hinge especially when you lose one of the little rubber bumpers (dampeners). Good to order a bag of replacements. Anyway, I prefer not to have one, but I would use one if I absolutely needed it. Telescoping has got to be better.


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