I have a small 14' fishing boat in the garage and I got tired of walking around the tongue all the time. This seemed like the perfect solution and easy winter project. It took nearly 4' off the end, making it A LOT more compact when it folds back. Assuming this holds up, I would put this on any future boat I upgrade to.
Installation was easy, just takes some time. I used an angle grinder with a cut blade to cut the circumference of the tongue. Took maybe 15 minutes. The drilling of the holes can take more time and requires good alignment of all the holes. You only get one shot. Take your time. All the bolts are on the top going down and bottom going up. They don't go all the way through from one side to the other, which seemed a little odd. Rather they are a bolt and nut on the inside, both top and bottom.
Drilling the holes in the underside of the trailer side of the joint was a little awkward since you are drilling up, but not bad. One drill bit did make all the holes no problem. You need to file off burrs. After that you want to seal up the exposed steel to avoid future corrosion (holes and cut area). That took more time than anything else because I applied a coat of primer and then two coats of oil based paint, letting it dry in between. I repainted the whole tongue because I had some rust. Final installation was quick.
Overall it seems solid. There are some small rubber bump stops in between the joint when it closes. Those don't look like they will hold up and I expect I'll need to create my own. When the joint is closed there's a little wiggle in the joint even with the rubber bump stops, but I don't think it's enough to be an issue. I haven't driven any major distances yet to see how it rattles or holds up over time. The pins and joints look solid, but the joint itself is die cast, so that's less strong. I don't think my boat is heavy enough to be any concern.
You will need to move your spare tire location and trailer jack (most likely). You're not supposed to have these on the tongue portion. I had to relocate it. My boat is light so I could make the joint pretty far back from the hitch, pretty much as far back as it would allow. Heavier setups won't let you put the joint that far back. The instructions provide a chart for the maximum distance from the hitch to the joint based on trailer weight. You'll need to rewire the end, but not a big deal.
| Material | Steel |
|---|---|
| Brand | Fulton |
| Product Dimensions | 3"L x 3"W |
| Finish Type | Unfinished |
| Mounting Type | Door Mount |
| Weight Limit | 5000 Pounds |
| Unit Count | 1.0 Count |
| Manufacturer | Fulton |
| Model | Fulton HDPB330101 |
| Item Weight | 11 pounds |
| Country of Origin | Mexico |
| Item model number | HDPB330101 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Exterior | Painted |
| Manufacturer Part Number | HDPB330101 |
| OEM Part Number | HDPB330101 |
