Bouncing tow car
Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Saltwater Fishing
Forum Name: Newbies Corner
Forum Description: If you're new to fishing this is the place to ask any questions about getting started ...
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=138929
Printed Date: 27 Jan 2026 at 12:47pm
Topic: Bouncing tow car
Posted By: 610gc
Subject: Bouncing tow car
Date Posted: 11 Dec 2024 at 10:44am
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Hey fishing family I have a 2020 Kia Sorento 2.2 diesel it tows really well but when going over NZ finest roads the back of the car bounces a lot The boat is a 2004 scorpion 610 on a 2020 ultra trailer. the socks ect on the car are all good is that just normal with the boat having most of the weight at the back. ie fuel tanks and engine any tips will be appreciated Thank you
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Replies:
Posted By: MB
Date Posted: 11 Dec 2024 at 10:51am
| Interesting. I'm thinking of buying the same car with towing in mind. |
Posted By: smudge
Date Posted: 11 Dec 2024 at 11:50am
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How does the car behave at speed? Usually if there is too much weight in the back of the boat the trailer will start weaving from side to side. If it is doing that too then you will need to shift more weight up front. Try it anyway and see if that helps.
------------- Best gurnard fisherman in my street |
Posted By: BotStomper
Date Posted: 11 Dec 2024 at 11:51am
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Check your tongue weight. Bit of a stuff around because you need to do it at the height the boat normally would sit when connected. Not enough tongue weight and the boat will see-saw around the axle, as well as being less safe to tow. Or maybe just try shifting a bunch of weight to the front when you tow and see if that makes it better. That's assuming it's definitely not your rear shocks being flogged, but on a 2020 vehicle that would surprise me.
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Posted By: 610gc
Date Posted: 11 Dec 2024 at 12:12pm
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Thanks team Other than the bouncing every thing else is fine. Next time ill move the fuel tanks up the boat more and see if that helps
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Posted By: Pcj
Date Posted: 11 Dec 2024 at 12:55pm
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Can you lift the boat easily by the draw bar? When put new trailer under boat was balanced and thought nah.Need weight on draw bar,moved 150mmboat forward and weight came on,cant quite lift it off car,but tows well at 90/95 no swaying ------------- "Times up" |
Posted By: MB
Date Posted: 11 Dec 2024 at 1:03pm
| If doing long journeys, I try to get as much weight off the boat and into the car and/or move the weight to the front of the boat as possible. |
Posted By: 610gc
Date Posted: 11 Dec 2024 at 1:12pm
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I think i can lift it easily ill check tonight. It to tows well at 90/95kms with no swaying just the bouncing is bad |
Posted By: Alan L
Date Posted: 11 Dec 2024 at 2:59pm
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There is a recommended weight/formula for what is on the tow ball - compared to the weight you are towing. A bit of google may find it. But it should be fairly heavy to lift. If you can lift it easy then what it is doing is porpoising over the bumps - which in turn is lifting the back of the car. Not good. Not enough weight on the rear wheels of the car. Alan ------------- Legasea Legend member |
Posted By: krow
Date Posted: 11 Dec 2024 at 8:47pm
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Alan L wrote:Posted By: kimber7wsm
Date Posted: 12 Dec 2024 at 5:51am
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How many Km's has the vehicle done?If over 100,000km's then your shocks are stuffed. Otherwise check weight distribution as above.
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Posted By: Fish Addict
Date Posted: 12 Dec 2024 at 10:35pm
I believe the recommended weight on the tow ball should be in the order of 7-10% of the trailerable weight. The dry weight of a Scorpion 610 is around 1050kg. You could easily add another 200kg to that when taking into account fuel, fishing gear, esky etc. Given those figures the weight on the tow ball should be in the 90-125kg range. If you can lift the trailer off the tow ball with ease that would suggest to me that, as others have said, you need more weight on the tow ball.
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Posted By: 610gc
Date Posted: 13 Dec 2024 at 8:04am
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Good morning all, Thank you all for your answers they have been a lot of help I can lift the draw bar up in one hand so I think ill be moving some weight on the trailer forward hopefully get it done this weekend and let you all know how it goes Thanks again |
Posted By: smudge
Date Posted: 13 Dec 2024 at 10:05am
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Thanks for getting back to us 610gc, be good to hear the outcome. ------------- Best gurnard fisherman in my street |
Posted By: Kevin.S
Date Posted: 13 Dec 2024 at 10:26am
| I remember when I was a kid we had a caravan and before each trip my dad would carefully load everything into the caravan and then take the bathroom scales outside to check the drawbar weight and move stuff around as required to get the balance right. At the time I thought he was just being fussy, but he was right. |
Posted By: Mc Tool
Date Posted: 13 Dec 2024 at 1:09pm
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While we are here one should consider tow ball size . We have 1 7/8" and 50mm sizes here ( there are peeps out there that think they are all one size ) . If you have an 1 7/8" ball and a 50mm trailer hitch it will clatter and bang about ( accentuating any other misbehaviour at the tow connection ). I guess depending on the design/quality and wear ( of tow hitch ) it may well come apart , Defiantly not safe. Just thinkin that if it was a bit light on the ball ( sounds like it ) a mismatched tow connection may make things seem even worse ..... worth a look  Weight distribution is important to ( bit of a rant ) went to get some of that premixed instant concrete ....took the trailer as with only one leg I gotta think about moving it at the home end of the trip . Helpful cnuts put 8 bags ( 40kg each ) right in the back half of the trailer ........and this was me parked under the sign that says how they take load security seriously . So I move the load up front of trailer while they watched me from the office .  When I was a kid my Dad built a " Flying fifteen" yacht and I can remember him stuffing all the holiday gear right up the front of the boat
------------- I wish I was young again .... Id be heaps smarter than this time |
Posted By: 610gc
Date Posted: 19 Dec 2024 at 10:25am
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Hey team So I finally got some scales and time to weight the trailer As the boat sat with the fuel tanks in the rear and the engine where it sits in towing there was only 50kgs on the tow ball, So that explains all the bouncing. With just the fuel tanks with about 60ltrs between moved to the front of the boat it brought the weight up to 100kg on the tow ball I then added 170kgs of weights to the cabin/front and got it up to 120kgs on the tow ball Then I tried one more thing and put the tanks back in the rear and left the 170kgs at the front and that brought the weight on the tow ball back to 100kgs I've been in talks with the trailer company and they have been super helpful they say the axles need moving back So I've decided to leave it to the pros and its booked in to be done early next year so for now i guess all of the gear will be packed at the front of the boat Cheers for all the help team and merry Christmas happy new year and tight lines to all
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Posted By: smudge
Date Posted: 19 Dec 2024 at 1:25pm
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Thanks for letting us know 610 ------------- Best gurnard fisherman in my street |
Posted By: Alan L
Date Posted: 19 Dec 2024 at 3:15pm
Dads are usually right. Grandads never fail. They know everything. (Ask my grandkids) Alan
------------- Legasea Legend member |
Posted By: Alan L
Date Posted: 19 Dec 2024 at 4:52pm
While the 50mm hitch will drop over a 1 7/8 ball, it won't necessarily stay there. They most definitely can come off. Especially if the hitch tries to unload.Very dangerous. And some of the hitches are adjustable. Which can make it worse - depending how it is adjusted - easy to get on/off. But I suspect a lot of people don't check when dropping a trailer (hired?) on their tow ball. I guess from a Hire Center point of view, it would be safer to have 1 7/8 hitches. Alan ------------- Legasea Legend member |
Posted By: kimber7wsm
Date Posted: 20 Dec 2024 at 5:17am
| Just remember a maximum of 10% of gross on ball. I like about 5%. If you put too much weight on the ball your steering, will be vague and very light. That is also dangerous. Weigh your your boat and trailer, so you know what your dealing with. |
Posted By: 610gc
Date Posted: 28 Mar 2025 at 2:12pm
| Hey team, So Ive had the boat moved forward and lower on the trailer and know the draw bar weight sits around the 120kg mark and wow what a change that has made. its like the boats not there any more tows like a dream. thank you to everyone for all your help |
Posted By: MB
Date Posted: 28 Mar 2025 at 2:17pm
Good outcome 
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Posted By: cosmo
Date Posted: 07 Apr 2025 at 8:16pm
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Can you move the hitch post forward, easier than moving axles, Best multi fit coupling the ALKO if not braked or the CM braked .....they bigh automatically adjust to suit the ball sizes and yes a 50 mm coupling will come off a 1 7/8 towball ------------- i just want to go fishing..........amd ignore all my adult problems |