Proper Tongue Weight

[BoxCar]

I just picked up a used trailer that is about the size of a M101. I think the trailer weighs about 400-500lbs empty. It will probably weigh in the 1000-1200 lb range fully loaded. My tow vehicle is a Toyota FJ. My question is, "what do you think is the proper tongue weight?" Thanks, Steve

 

[Martyn]

The rule of thumb is 10 - 15% of the total weight on the tongue. Our experience has been that 15% is about right for an off road trailer.

This may have to be created by the way the trailer is loaded.

 

[BoxCar]

Martyn, thanks for the info. Steve

 

[Steve Curren]

Have one question for you Martyn, is the weight indicated for the Chaser with or without the tent? Also does anyone in Tucson know where I could weigh the Chaser that's closer to the North of Tucson?
Thanks,
Steve

 

[Mayne]

How does one go about finding the loaded tongue weight on a trailer? I've only guessed, and I'm about to retro fit my M416 with a new tongue plus goodies to be mounted there.


Mayne

 

[Martyn]

Have one question for you Martyn, is the weight indicated for the Chaser with or without the tent? Also does anyone in Tucson know where I could weigh the Chaser that's closer to the North of Tucson?
Thanks,
Steve

Steve

The important thing here is it's 10-15% of the total weight. So if your Chaser unloaded weighs 1200 lbs you would need 120-180 lbs of weight at the front of the tongue. Depending on how you had your trailer configured you may have to add water to the water tank to achieve that.

If your loaded trailer is heavily weighted toward the back it acts like a sea-saw and fulcrums the tongue upward, and can produce negative tongue weight, or light tongue weight.

However if the trailer is loaded with heavy items toward the front it tends to produce positive tongue weight.

 

[mog]

How does one go about finding the loaded tongue weight on a trailer? I've only guessed, and I'm about to retro fit my M416 with a new tongue plus goodies to be mounted there.
Mayne

I use this, it works great.
http://www.sherline.com/lm.htm

 

[Martyn]

How does one go about finding the loaded tongue weight on a trailer? I've only guessed, and I'm about to retro fit my M416 with a new tongue plus goodies to be mounted there.


Mayne

Mayne

As tongue weight is a percentage of the weight of the trailer plus load you need to find out how much the trailer weighs. You can use any commercial scale. Make sure the trailer is unhooked from the vehicle.

Calculate your 15% for tongue weight.

You can use a bathroom scale to measure tongue weight see http://www.metrotrailers.com/safetytips.html or do a search measuring tongue weight with a bathroom scale to find more.

Once you get use to the feel of the weight of the tongue you will know if you are in that 10 -15% window.

 

[Photog]

If your trailer weighs 2000 pounds, loaded, you will need 200 - 300 lbs of tongue weight. Any bathroom scale can measure this. 200 - 300 lbs is a lot to lift by hand. Unless you want to grow old quick, you don't want to "get a feel" for when it is correct. Just keep an extra bathroom scale in your garage, or in the trailer.

You will want to reinforce the top the scale: to spread the load over a wide area (plywood should work fine).

Reinforce the bottom: for use on surfaces that are not as smooth as a bathroom floor.

 

[Steve Curren]

Thanks, all I need now is to find a place to weigh my Chaser and I will be ready to go. I tried the bathroom scale trick and it didn't work too well so I guess I am going to see about the one from e-trailer as soon as I can.
Thanks to all for your help.

 

[Mayne]

Thanks for all the info, I'll run with it while I build up.


Mayne

 

[Steve Curren]

I hope that I am not stepping toes in writing on this thread but I found a place in Tucson that will weigh your vehicle for $5. This is Pioneer Rock near Avra Valley off ramp on I-10.:26_7_2:

 

[Tucson T4R]

Thanks Steve. I'll have to load up my trailer and stop by there. I would like to know exactly what my weights are.:26_7_2:

 

[Photog]

Thanks, all I need now is to find a place to weigh my Chaser and I will be ready to go. I tried the bathroom scale trick and it didn't work too well so I guess I am going to see about the one from e-trailer as soon as I can.
Thanks to all for your help.

Why didn't the bathroom scale work for measuring tongue weight?

 

[Martyn]

Why didn't the bathroom scale work for measuring tongue weight?

Brian

I think they are trying to get a total weight for a loaded trailer so they can calculate what the tongue weight should be from that i.e. 15%

I don't know that the bathroom scale would work on all off road trailers due to the placement of the axle and the amount of goodies on the tongue. I wouldn't be surprised if the KK was over 300 lbs.