How to Determine the Proper Tongue Weight of a Trailer
Towing a trailer can seem like a scary prospect, but there is no reason to worry if you have the proper equipment. If you don't have the proper weight and balance between your trailer and your vehicle, you could end up with serious damage or even a serious accident. One important factor to consider when towing a trailer is the tongue or hitch weight of the trailer. Making sure you have the proper tongue weight will ensure the trailer handles better on the road.
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Instructions
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Find a public scale in your area. You can find one in the phone book by looking under "Weighers-Public".
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Drive your loaded trailer to the scale.
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Park the loaded trailer on the scale with the tongue or hitch just over the end of the scale. Block the trailer by placing a cement block in front and behind at least one trailer wheel. Unhook the trailer from the towing vehicle. Record the weight.
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Place enough cement blocks under the coupler to make the trailer level. The coupler is the part at the front of the trailer that attaches to your vehicle. Record the new weight.
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Subtract the first weight reading from the second weight reading to get your tongue weight. For example, if the first reading was 7,815 and your second reading was 8,780, then your tongue weight is 965.
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Calculate the percentage of the total trailer weight your tongue weight represents by dividing the tongue weight by the second reading. In this case, you would take 965 divided by 8,780. This gives you about 11%, which is a good tongue weight. You should have a tongue weight between 10% and 15% for a single axle trailer, 9% to 15% for a tandem axle, 11% to 12% for a travel trailer and 15% to 25% for a 5th wheel.
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Tips & Warnings
If your tongue weight is too light, you can add barrels of water or other items to the trailer.
If your tongue weight is too heavy, you must remove items or buy a new tongue or hitch.
