As a rule, when hauling your fishing trailer, the lower you can get it to the ground, the better. Most trailers used for fishing entail the hauling of the fishing boat, and because of the high center of gravity of a boat when it is out of the water, you want to get that boat as low as possible. With an enclosed trailer, where there is storage space under the main boat hauling tracks, you have your work cut out for you to lower the unit. You have two options for lowering your enclosed trailer.
Instructions
Difficulty: Moderate
Things You’ll Need:
- Shop jack or hand jack
- Tire irons
- Smaller trailer tires
- Trailer tongue lowering jack
- Wrenches
- Pliers
- Screwdriver
- Spray lubricant
Step 1
Place the trailer in a workshop, where you can slide either the shop jack or a hand jack–found in cars and trucks–under the trailer. Raise one side of the trailer, and use the tire iron to loosen the lug nuts on the tire. Once they are loose, turn them to the left by hand until they come off.
Step 2
Remove the tire from the trailer and place the smaller-diameter tire onto the wheel mount. Tighten the lug nuts at first with your hand, turning them to the right.
Step 3
Go around in a circle and make the lug nuts as tight as you can with the tire iron. Change the other tire in the same way. Lower the trailer off the jack. Notice the lower profile because of the smaller tires.
Change Tongue Mount
Step 1
Place wheel chocks in front of and behind the trailer tires to secure the trailer in place. Go to the front of the trailer and remove the trailer tongue mount, where the ball hitch is. Turn screws to the left to loosen, and, when they are loose, screw them off with your hands. If they are sticky or corroded, spray them with a lubricant, let it soak in, then try again.
Step 2
Place the trailer tongue lowering jack onto the area where you removed the tongue mount. The trailer tongue lowering jack is a specialized device that allows you to lower the front of the trailer without having to unhitch it from the tow vehicle. This can lower the enclosed trailer enough for fishing purposes if you are transporting the fishing boat and gear over short distances.
Step 3
Secure the new trailer tongue lowering jack by aligning the screw set holes on the unit to the holes on the trailer arm. Use the tongue mount screws to attach the new jack onto the trailer arm. Turn the screws to the right by hand until firm, then use the wrench or pliers to firmly tighten the screws.
