Tongue weight question

[Metallicat]

I have a question that, based on my personal searches, hasn't been posted or discussed. The question has to do with tongue weight. Admittedly, I'm quite new to this world, but I've done extensive research and feel confident that I'd ace any written test. Now, since we all know that ideally you'd like your tongue weight to be 10-15% of gross trailer weight (or ACTUAL, loaded trailer weight), how does one actually go about obtaining this weight? I've seen many people post with the suggestion that they fall in that tongue weight sweet spot. But without a tongue weight scale......HOW?! I've researched tongue weight scales and I really don't want to come out of pocket for $150 for a product that will see very minimal use. Also, I don't actually see how to use a CAT scale to determine this, either. Thoughts from the smart people, please.

[CecilD]

Welcome to the forum. Some people use a bathroom scale and a 4 or 5 to one lever. Support the end of a two by eight or four by four with a piece of pipe or similar. One foot over, center your tongue jack, another four feet over block up the board on your bathroom scale. Multiply the scale's reading by four. Make sure you read the weight of the board before applying your trailer's weight and deduct from the reading. Not perfect, but close enough.

[tuffr2]

I think you can come close with a CAT scale. It will take 2 weights. One with truck only then one with truck and trailer without a weight distribution hitch.

The truck's rear axle weight difference will be very close to the tongue weight.

It would be close enough for me.

[DirtRider]

Originally Posted by tuffr2

I think you can come close with a CAT scale. It will take 2 weights. One with truck only then one with truck and trailer without a weight distribution hitch.

The truck's rear axle weight difference will be very close to the tongue weight.

It would be close enough for me.

This method would exaggerate your tongue weight. The trailer has leverage on your rear axle, so it would put additional weight on your rear axle, and remove it from the front. Depending on the distance between your rear axle and hitch, this can be dramatic. On my trailer, I weighed (with the tongue weight scale) 650 lbs of tongue weight. Hooked up to my RV with no WD hitch, it added 1200 lbs to the rear axle.

You know, though, if you looked at the total weights between both truck axles, I think this would work.

[1bigmess]

There are a few ways to find the tongue weight.

https://www.etrailer.com/faq-how-to-...ue-weight.aspx

[Lafayettemo]

Shearling LM 2000 cost $130.00 new.
Benefit is that you can KNOW your tongue weight...which likely will change from trip to trip...more or less.
It is likely that over time you will learn what tongue weight to expect under your unique loading scenarios. You can then sell the scale if you wish, likely for half or more of it's purchase price. Net cost then would be $65.00 or less. I believe that knowing the tongue weight is worth the full $130.00 ... so I will likely keep mine.

Like they say, 'to make rabbit stew, start with a rabbit'!

[Old-Biscuit]

Two trips/3 weigh tickets across CAT Scales
1st weigh----Truck/trailer WITH WDH hooked up
2nd weigh....still on scales----Truck/trailer W/O WDH hooked up


Then drive off...drop trailer in parking lot and do 3rd weigh...Truck only


$20/$30 for all three weigh tickets and you have ALL the weights needed to figure Trucks GVWR, Truck/Trailer GCVWR, Affect of WDH, Tongue weight, Axle weights etc


Simple......

[SmokeyWren]

Originally Posted by Metallicat

Now, since we all know that ideally you'd like your tongue weight to be 10-15% of gross trailer weight (or ACTUAL, loaded trailer weight), …

10 to 15% of actual gross trailer weight is the number usually spouted by the informed. But if you want a better towing trailer, then you need to have at least 12% tongue weight (TW). 13% is the average TW for a travel trailer (TT), and more than 13% doesn't really help any, so I recommend getting as close as possible to 13% but not less than 12%.

...how does one actually go about obtaining this weight?

I have thousands of dollars tied up in my tow vehicle, hitch, and RV trailer, so the additional cost for a tongue weight scale is only a tiny percentage of the whole package. Mine cost $125 several years ago, and still works fine.
Here's mine: https://www.etrailer.com/Tools/Sherline/5780.html

You'll use it more than you think. I use mine several times each year.

Even if you have a tongue weight scale, you still must know the gross trailer weight or so you can compute percent of TW

Also, I don't actually see how to use a CAT scale to determine this, either.

Follow the bouncing ball:

1] Remove the spring bars from the weight-distributing (WD) hitch and put them in the bed near the tailgate.

2] With the trailer loaded to as close as possible to the way it will be loaded when on the road, weigh the rig on a CAT scale. That will get you the weights on the steer, drive, and trailer axles and the gross weight on all axles of the rig.

3] Drop the trailer in the parking lot, and weigh the tow vehicle without the trailer. The tow vehicle need not be wet and loaded for the road, but it should be loaded the same for both the above two trips across the scale

4] Add the weights on the steer and drive axles to get gross vehicle weight (GVW) for both scale tickets.

5. Subtract the GVW without the trailer from the GVW with the trailer and the answer is tongue weight (TW).

6] Add the weight on the trailer axles to the TW to get gross trailer weight.

7] Redudancy: Subtract the gross weight without the trailer from the gross weight with the trailer to get gross trailer weight.

Note: the two weights for gross trailer weight may not be exactly the same because of rounding of the weights on the various scale pads.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Okay, now you know both the TW and the gross trailer weight. Divide TW by gross trailer weight. If the answer is 12% to 14%, you're golden. But if not, then you need to move weight around in the trailer and compute TW again. Now the lights should come on in your brain to say "Hey, if you had a tongue weight scale, you could simply weigh the tongue again." But without a TW scale, you have to go back to the CAT sale and weigh the rig again. Maybe three or four times to get it nailed down perfect.

[jjackrash]

I tow lots of different things (flat bed, dump trailer, TT, boat, et.) and I like to know the tongue weight each time out. I also like to get the trailer level. But I don't like guessing, or math or hassles all that much. So I bought a weigh-safe hitch and liked it so much I bought one for my wife's SUV. It was a bit spendy, but it is a breeze to adjust the hitch height and worth it to know the tongue weight for each and every trip.

https://www.weigh-safe.com

[SmokeyWren]

Originally Posted by jjackrash

But I don't like guessing, or math or hassles all that much. So I bought a weigh-safe hitch and liked it so much I bought one for my wife's SUV.

Those are great if all you need is a weight-carrying (WC) hitch. But any trailer with more than 500 pounds tongue weight and towed by a half-ton tow vehicle requires a weight-distributing (WD) hitch. I don't know of any WD hitches that can be used with a weigh-safe hitch. So if your travel or cargo trailer grosses more than about 3,850 pounds when wet and loaded on the road, you still need a tongue-weight scale.

[jjackrash]

Originally Posted by SmokeyWren

Those are great if all you need is a weight-carrying (WC) hitch. But any trailer with more than 500 pounds tongue weight and towed by a half-ton tow vehicle requires a weight-distributing (WD) hitch. I don't know of any WD hitches that can be used with a weigh-safe hitch. So if your travel or cargo trailer grosses more than about 3,850 pounds when wet and loaded on the road, you still need a tongue-weight scale.

You are correct about the WD hitch. I don't tow heavy with a 1/2 ton and don't usually use a WD hitch. However, in a pinch you can still use the weigh-safe hitch as a scale and then swap it out for a distribution hitch.

[Metallicat]

Wow! Thanks for all the informative responses. It looks like I've got a lot to look into this evening when I get more time.

[Yellowcub]

Hypothetical then a Question:

Tow Vehicle GVWR = 10,000 #
Tow Vehicle Weight =. 7600#
Carrying Capacity. = 2500#
I am technically 100# over weight

Now this newbie has a question. I can already see the eyebrows raising and the laughs. This is probably a stupid question.

My tires weigh 224#. My truck is not carrying those tires. Why would the weight of the tires be included in the weight of the truck. If they weren't , the truck body and suspension would only weigh 9876#. Now I'm 124# under. I guess I could inflate my tires with helium. (Ha)

I am not trying to be a wise guy but limiting weights are for reasons of structural integrity of the Vehicle and safety. Many, its just peace of mind, even if its only 100 or 200 pounds. Knowing you are legal.
I do have a life, just a crazy question.

[1bigmess]