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Author Topic:   Trailer tongue hinge

Whalerdan posted 07-26-2001 09:46 AM ET (US)
I got a nasty letter lastnight from my association about my boat in the driveway. I did what probably everyone else does and took some measurements of my garage and my boat will fit if I use one of those trailer tongue hinges. Does anyone have any experience with these?
triblet posted 07-26-2001 10:22 AM ET (US)
First check your CC&Rs to make sure they
really have the authority to tell you not to
park your boat in your driveway.

And double check the height. Most whalers
won't fit under most garage doors.

Finally, there's another option besides
hinged -- removeable. I have a removeable
tongue, and it's built so I can also be used
to extend the tongue about 18", which helps
keep the truck dry. A Eyers Hitch Center
here in Silicon Valley fabricated it.
Chuck
Whalerdan posted 07-26-2001 10:52 AM ET (US)
Unfortunately they do have the authority. I've lived here 3 years and had my boat the whole time in the driveway. Several others in the neighborhood are doing the same thing. Our association just went to a private management company and now there reading everyone the riot act.
My boat is not too tall to fit. The detachable hitch sounds like a good idea but it sounds like a California custom type thing. I don't thing bubba could make anything like that down here.
LarrySherman posted 07-26-2001 11:58 AM ET (US)
Why don't you and the other boat owners get together and go to the next association meeting, and ask for a variance? Its a longshot I know, but who knows?
Whalerdan posted 07-26-2001 12:30 PM ET (US)
Within the first three months after I moved in I got one of these letters and went into the board to talk to them. They wouldn't give me any varience. They told me I would have to get the coventants changed. While our association does have its own private boat ramp, most people still don't have a boat (go figure) so I assumed we'd never get a 3/4 majority to get them changed.I figured I'd blow them off since there's probably 10 to 20 other people in my neighborhood doing the same thing and I didn't think they'd fine us all. Anyway now we are under "Professional Management" and I think they mean business.
triblet posted 07-26-2001 01:35 PM ET (US)
Any decent welder should be able to make it.
All they did was cut the tongue about two
inches in front of the winch stand, insert
the next size smaller square tubing, drill
four horizontal holes, two in the trailer
and two in the cut off piece, bolt the cutoff
piece to the new piece, and use two of the
pins that hold your drawbar to the receiver
on the trailer end. They did weld some
washers on the sides and top of the new
piece so it was less of a loose fit. I then
took the new piece and got it galvanized.
It's not rocket science. A good bubba welder
should have no problem at all.
I can send some pix if you like this weekend
when I have the boat out.
I'd avoid the hinges because of rust.
Chuck
triblet posted 07-26-2001 01:38 PM ET (US)
I would definitely get with the other boat
owners. They have probably just gotten the
same letter. It's worth a shot.
Also, by not enforcing the rule in the past,
they may have lost the right to enforce the
rule.
And if you use, get the world's UGLIEST (but
running) car to replace it with. ;-)
Chuck
triblet posted 07-26-2001 05:48 PM ET (US)
Ooops:
If you LOOSE, get the world's ugliest ...
Chuck
Whalerdan posted 07-27-2001 07:43 AM ET (US)
I thought about the car thing. Maybe a pink gremlin with some profanity (that I can't say here) about the association spray painted on it.
Whalerdan posted 07-27-2001 07:45 AM ET (US)
triblet - thanks for the idea on the removable tongue. I think I'll give that a try.
Whaletosh posted 07-27-2001 08:44 AM ET (US)
Whalerdan,
1) I never said that you couldn't use profanity. I merely stated that we shouldn't be (please keep that distinction in mind when reading my next point). JimH gets to decide what is acceptable, this is his site, not mine.
2) Your story just re-emphasizes to me that I will never own a condo or house anywhere that has an "association". If I wanted to be micromanaged I would live in an apartment complex. this world has got too many people with too much time on there hands, enough free time to spend telling others not to do what is basically harmless to themselves.
3) If you don't feel confident in you local weld shop you could do the work yourself. Based on Chuck's description of what was done on his trailer you could cut the tongue with a reciprocating saw. Champion trailers coud provide you with the tubing for the extension. If you want to go with the swing tongue route you could contact the trailer maker, many of them seel these as a repacement.
Sean
GAwhale posted 07-27-2001 10:35 AM ET (US)
My neighborhood also has Protective Covenants. My boat can sit in the driveway for 24 hours. When I put the boat in the garage the tongue sticks out and the garage door stays open about two feet. I had it like this for about three months and nobody said anything. A bird did decide to build a nest in my garage.
While nobody likes to be told what to do, I did know the rules before I bought my house. It also protects my property value. Plenty of people stretch the rules, but at least it prevents an individual from getting too far out of hand (ie. junk cars, parking in the front yard, pink and purple trim).
andygere posted 07-27-2001 11:48 AM ET (US)
An alternative might be to build a parking pad for your trailer behind your house. Do the CC&R's permit that, if not visible from the street? I've seen this done with turfblocks (pavers that let grass grow through) and it can look pretty nice.
Whalerdan posted 07-27-2001 12:10 PM ET (US)
Yes they permit this but it would obstruct my view of the marsh from the house.

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Author	Topic: Trailer tongue hinge
Whalerdan	posted 07-26-2001 09:46 AM ET (US) I got a nasty letter lastnight from my association about my boat in the driveway. I did what probably everyone else does and took some measurements of my garage and my boat will fit if I use one of those trailer tongue hinges. Does anyone have any experience with these?
triblet	posted 07-26-2001 10:22 AM ET (US) First check your CC&Rs to make sure they really have the authority to tell you not to park your boat in your driveway. And double check the height. Most whalers won't fit under most garage doors. Finally, there's another option besides hinged -- removeable. I have a removeable tongue, and it's built so I can also be used to extend the tongue about 18", which helps keep the truck dry. A Eyers Hitch Center here in Silicon Valley fabricated it. Chuck
Whalerdan	posted 07-26-2001 10:52 AM ET (US) Unfortunately they do have the authority. I've lived here 3 years and had my boat the whole time in the driveway. Several others in the neighborhood are doing the same thing. Our association just went to a private management company and now there reading everyone the riot act. My boat is not too tall to fit. The detachable hitch sounds like a good idea but it sounds like a California custom type thing. I don't thing bubba could make anything like that down here.
LarrySherman	posted 07-26-2001 11:58 AM ET (US) Why don't you and the other boat owners get together and go to the next association meeting, and ask for a variance? Its a longshot I know, but who knows?
Whalerdan	posted 07-26-2001 12:30 PM ET (US) Within the first three months after I moved in I got one of these letters and went into the board to talk to them. They wouldn't give me any varience. They told me I would have to get the coventants changed. While our association does have its own private boat ramp, most people still don't have a boat (go figure) so I assumed we'd never get a 3/4 majority to get them changed.I figured I'd blow them off since there's probably 10 to 20 other people in my neighborhood doing the same thing and I didn't think they'd fine us all. Anyway now we are under "Professional Management" and I think they mean business.
triblet	posted 07-26-2001 01:35 PM ET (US) Any decent welder should be able to make it. All they did was cut the tongue about two inches in front of the winch stand, insert the next size smaller square tubing, drill four horizontal holes, two in the trailer and two in the cut off piece, bolt the cutoff piece to the new piece, and use two of the pins that hold your drawbar to the receiver on the trailer end. They did weld some washers on the sides and top of the new piece so it was less of a loose fit. I then took the new piece and got it galvanized. It's not rocket science. A good bubba welder should have no problem at all. I can send some pix if you like this weekend when I have the boat out. I'd avoid the hinges because of rust. Chuck
triblet	posted 07-26-2001 01:38 PM ET (US) I would definitely get with the other boat owners. They have probably just gotten the same letter. It's worth a shot. Also, by not enforcing the rule in the past, they may have lost the right to enforce the rule. And if you use, get the world's UGLIEST (but running) car to replace it with. ;-) Chuck
triblet	posted 07-26-2001 05:48 PM ET (US) Ooops: If you LOOSE, get the world's ugliest ... Chuck
Whalerdan	posted 07-27-2001 07:43 AM ET (US) I thought about the car thing. Maybe a pink gremlin with some profanity (that I can't say here) about the association spray painted on it.
Whalerdan	posted 07-27-2001 07:45 AM ET (US) triblet - thanks for the idea on the removable tongue. I think I'll give that a try.
Whaletosh	posted 07-27-2001 08:44 AM ET (US) Whalerdan, 1) I never said that you couldn't use profanity. I merely stated that we shouldn't be (please keep that distinction in mind when reading my next point). JimH gets to decide what is acceptable, this is his site, not mine. 2) Your story just re-emphasizes to me that I will never own a condo or house anywhere that has an "association". If I wanted to be micromanaged I would live in an apartment complex. this world has got too many people with too much time on there hands, enough free time to spend telling others not to do what is basically harmless to themselves. 3) If you don't feel confident in you local weld shop you could do the work yourself. Based on Chuck's description of what was done on his trailer you could cut the tongue with a reciprocating saw. Champion trailers coud provide you with the tubing for the extension. If you want to go with the swing tongue route you could contact the trailer maker, many of them seel these as a repacement. Sean
GAwhale	posted 07-27-2001 10:35 AM ET (US) My neighborhood also has Protective Covenants. My boat can sit in the driveway for 24 hours. When I put the boat in the garage the tongue sticks out and the garage door stays open about two feet. I had it like this for about three months and nobody said anything. A bird did decide to build a nest in my garage. While nobody likes to be told what to do, I did know the rules before I bought my house. It also protects my property value. Plenty of people stretch the rules, but at least it prevents an individual from getting too far out of hand (ie. junk cars, parking in the front yard, pink and purple trim).
andygere	posted 07-27-2001 11:48 AM ET (US) An alternative might be to build a parking pad for your trailer behind your house. Do the CC&R's permit that, if not visible from the street? I've seen this done with turfblocks (pavers that let grass grow through) and it can look pretty nice.
Whalerdan	posted 07-27-2001 12:10 PM ET (US) Yes they permit this but it would obstruct my view of the marsh from the house.