What does tongue weight tell you?

What does tongue weight tell you?

Tongue weight is the downwards force from the tongue of the trailer to your hitch. In other words, it’s the amount of your loaded trailer weight that sits behind the rear axle of your vehicle.

What is tongue weight on a boat?

To determine proper tongue weight, total the package weight (boat with fuel/battery, motor with maximum horsepower, and trailer) and multiply it by 6% on single axles and 5% on tandem axle trailers. ShoreLand’r suggests that tongue weight may be acceptable in a 5-7% range.

What happens if tongue weight is too light?

If the tongue of the trailer does not exert enough downward force on the tow vehicle’s hitch ball — meaning that the trailer’s tongue weight is too light — a dangerous condition called trailer sway could result. If the tongue is too light, you need to move some of the cargo forward of trailer’s axle.

How does tongue weight work?

Tongue weight is simply the downward force that the tongue of the trailer exerts on the hitch that is connected to the vehicle. Weigh Safe – as well as most experts agree – that an acceptable tongue weight for any trailer is somewhere between 9 to 15 percent of the gross trailer weight (GTW).

How do you increase tongue weight on a boat trailer?

An increase in tongue weight will most likely help with your sway situation. Adding weight in front of the trailer axles would be the best way to increase the tongue weight, just make sure you stay within the capacities of your towing setup.

Does WDH reduce tongue weight?

Like an airbag, a WDH will raise back of the tow vehicle, reducing some of the sag caused by the trailer’s tongue weight. When you brake hard, the weight of the trailer shifts forward and pushes down on the hitch ball harder than normal, which causes the truck to lose front wheel traction.

Why does trailer tongue weight matter?

Too much tongue weight could overload the rear tires of the towing vehicle, pushing the rear end of the vehicle around. When this happens, the vehicle is difficult to control; corners or curves may become more difficult to maneuver and your vehicle may not be as responsive when you try to brake.

Why is it important to know your tongue weight?

It also puts everyone around you at risk, which is why knowing your tongue weight and making sure it is within 10-15% of your gross trailer weight (GTW) is so important. If you have less than 10% of your GTW on the tongue of your trailer, you have too little tongue weight which means most of your load is on the back end of your trailer.

What should the tongue weight be on a boat trailer?

Both can create costly errors when traveling down the road. The recommended trailer tongue weight for boat trailers falls within a range of 5 percent to 7 percent of the total weight of trailer, boat, motor, fuel and gear. Single axel models perform best at 6 percent while dual axel trailers perform best at 5 percent.

How can I reduce the tongue weight of my Boat?

Repositioning items within the boat is the easiest method to alter trailer tongue weight. If too light, bring a battery or gear to the front. To reduce weight, shift items to the back.

What’s the best way to measure the tongue of a boat?

For heavier boats, a municipal weight scale will again be your best bet. Repositioning items within the boat is the easiest method to alter trailer tongue weight. If too light, bring a battery or gear to the front. To reduce weight, shift items to the back.