How long is your tongue!

[pikdiesel]

Hey guys, I'm in the middle of a trailer build and I'm to the point of making it a true roller! I would like to get some input on how long to make the tongue. The trailer is 4x6 in size and I plan on leaving room for extra storage on front of the bed. How long, from hitch to the first contactable structure ,i.e box,cooler,gas cans, etc. , is your tongue? Is there any pros/cons to shorter vs. longer? I plan on pulling this with a Jeep JK unlimited.

Thanks for any advice and/or help anyone can give me!

 

[jeep-N-montero]

Make it long enough to clear the Jeep sides/tires if you end up having to jackknife the trailer in a tight turning situation, which should be around 3.25 feet from the ball to the nearest obstruction.

 

[Woods]

Here's what I would consider.

1. Hitches and tongue boxes come in semi standard designs. I believe that they use a 50 degree angle for the front of the tongue. LINK

2. Tongue boxes are of different sizes. Make sure your tongue is long enough to allow you to open the JK tailgate. Check out my build thread (in sig and pic below) and you'll see how you can use a standard 50 degree A-Frame design and still get some extra length if required. You can extend the center tube to get some additional length.

3. You have options for how high you make the tongue in relation to your hitch. If you're using a factory hitch you'll have some room to play with. If you do an aftermarket hitch and large spare, you may need to consider clearance for your tongue. I wish mine was a little lower. When the angle of the trailer sits high, I can not open my tailgate, as the spare hits the trailer.

 

[TacoDell]

Hey guys, I'm in the middle of a trailer build and I'm to the point of making it a true roller! I would like to get some input on how long to make the tongue. The trailer is 4x6 in size and I plan on leaving room for extra storage on front of the bed. How long, from hitch to the first contactable structure ,i.e box,cooler,gas cans, etc. , is your tongue? Is there any pros/cons to shorter vs. longer? I plan on pulling this with a Jeep JK unlimited.

Thanks for any advice and/or help anyone can give me!

I'd suggest that the trailer's tongue length be determined by using the measurement of your hauling vehicle's axle length (F/R distance)
In other words...
The measured distance between your haulers front and rear axle... and from your haulers rear axle to the trailer should be near equal.
An A framed designed tongue will not always allow for that and still clear at a 90*

In my case... the extension was lengthened beyond my trailer's A frame draw bars to allow for a unrestricted 90*

Special note... my forward mounted spare acts as the stop when it contacts the bumper's side protection

 

[pikdiesel]

Thanks for the input guys...anyone else have opinions?

 

[medic83]

4 ft is usually good. i went 5 ft. I have a 37" spare on my swingout and there is a basket on the tongue. I also wanted to clear at 90 deg for jack knife. The old tongue was 4ft... I like the new one I made at 5 ft. PERFECT IMO.