Replace Bent Tongue on Utility Trailer - Wall Thickness Suggestions

[Dussy69]

I have an old pop-up camper that was turned into a utility trailer now. The old tongue has bent and come lose because it looks like it was a flat piece of metal that was bent into a horseshoe shape for extra strength. I want to replace it with 2" square tube. I want to keep the trailer light in weight but make sure it can handle weight. Looked at .25" wall square tube but thinking it will be quite heavy. Want your opinions on wall thickness? What kind of weights would the thinner thicknesses be able to handle? There would be 3 feet of tongue out the front and about 3 feet under the bed. The bed of the trailer is roughly 4 feet wide and about 6 feet long. Any info would help...

 

[nvn]

Dussy69: Would you be able to post a dimensioned diagram showing the original configuration of the old tongue?

 

[Dussy69]

I am sorry if this isn't what you are needing... The original tongue is made of about 1/8th thick steel that is in the shape of a "U". It is about 2" tall and 2" wide. It is buried in snow right now but I might be able to figure out how to post a picture this weekend as it will be in the upper 30s to lower 40s... Yippie... Haven't had 40 degree temps for like three months...

 

[nvn]

No, I think I might understand what you mean now. The U cross section is typically called a channel[/color] cross section. (It might also have a small inward or outward lip along the two free edges; no problem.) Measure your channel dimensions accurately. And ensure you are measuring the wall thickness of your channel accurately. Then, you can replace your channel with a steel square tube having the same dimensions and exactly the same wall thickness, which will be slightly stronger than your channel. Or, if you want the square tube to be even stronger, you can increase the wall thickness of the square tube by an additional 0.5 to 1 mm thicker than your current channel wall thickness.