Tongue weight might seem a strange term, but it’s not related to medical or the human tongue by any means. It’s a mechanical tool used in trailers to allow safe and secure towing. There are always limitations on the weight and stress a particular mechanical device can bear. It becomes essential to know what weight it, how to calculate it, and how to adjust it accordingly to staying safe while towing.
The term “tongue weight” may seem silly, and who in their senses would be measuring the weight of their tongue? However, the tongue weight we’re actually measuring doesn’t have to do anything with the human tongue and everything to do with towing a trailer safely.
Essentially, it’s the downward force that the trailer applies at the vehicle-trailer coupling point when you’re hooked up for towing. At maximum, the tongue weight needs to be about 10-15 percent of your gross trailer weight. It allows the driver to control the trailer when hitched and makes the driving experience safer. The professional towing services provider takes care of your vehicle. While unprofessional towing services providing companies causes many problems while towing that cause broken of vehicle.
For example, when a conventional 2,000-pound trailer is loaded with 1,000 pounds cargo, the loaded trailer’s proper tongue weight should be 300 to 450 pounds, or simply 10-15 percent of the loaded 3,000-pound total. Moreover, some design restrictions may also apply. For instance, the Sierra 1500 model pickup truck towing trailers with weight greater than 700-800 pounds need to move from a weight-carrying hitch to a weight-distributing hitch.
You can measure the weight of your trailer using one of the several methods available. To calculate a trailer weight, use a weight scale, a bathroom scale, or a vehicle scale. We’ll go through each method one by one.
A tongue weight scale is a specially designed small scale to calculate a trailer’s weight. To use a tongue weight scale, you have to place the scale under the trailer jack and take a reading. However, if the jack is not a good fit, a pipe may be vertically placed between the coupler and scale.
A typical bathroom scale can be used as an alternative for measuring weight. When the weight is expected to be under 300 pounds, place the tongue or jack directly on the scale. And to protect the finish of the scale, you might want to place a small piece of plywood down first.
However, if the weight is likely to be greater than 300 pounds, you can use some boards and pipes to set up a test, take a reading off the bathroom scale, and then triple it to find your actual tongue weight. The steps are:
The last method to easily measure your trailer’s weight is to use a vehicle scale at a local dump or a rest stop. Start by weighing your vehicle without the trailer attached. Then hook up your trailer and weigh again but remember not to let the trailer’s wheels touch the scale. Take the weight reading of your vehicle by itself and subtract it from your vehicle’s weight with the trailer attached. The difference that comes out is the actual tongue weight of the trailer.
Also Read: Safe and smart- Ask these 10 questions before hiring a towing service provider
The TW (tongue weight) is the force that a trailer tongue exerts on the hitch ball. Having a proper trailer tongue weight can significantly impact a safe trailer towing and alleviate diverse dangers during towing.
In case the tongue weight is improperly calculated, it contributes to trailer sway and can cause accidents when towing. If the weight is not enough, the trailer might sway from side to side. And if the weight exerted on the hitch ball is too much, the force could overload the rear tires. In conclusion, an improper tongue weight has a negative impact on handling – difficulty going around curves and corners properly, having difficulty coming to a stop quickly.
Tongue weight is essential if you’re looking to tow a vehicle, and improper tongue weight can result in road hazards for you and people sharing the road with you. Suppose the weight is less than 10 percent of the total weight. The trailer may sway back and forth. While if the weight is excessive, greater than 15 percent, the towed vehicle might become less responsive, particularly when braking and turning.
Also, proper loading of your trailer – placing the cargo behind or in front of the axle can significantly impact weight.
You can measure weight using a weight scale, a vehicle scale, or a common bathroom scale. Measure the weight by placing the trailer’s tongue on the scale by using the trailer jack.
A tongue load is the weight of a trailer at its tongue or the coupling point. Usually, tongue load or tongue weight is 10 to 15 percent of the trailer’s total weight.
If you’re looking to weigh RV weight, place the trailer’s tongue on a weight scale. You can also weigh the TW using a vehicle weight scale and then comparing it to the vehicle weight once the trailer is attached. RVs are usually heavy trailers that would need a heavy-duty scale to handle the weight.
Yes, too much weight can cause the trailer to sway; in essence, excessive weight reduces control for the driver over the vehicle.
A tongue weight needs to be around 10 to 15 percent of the trailer’s growth or total weight. Too little can cause sway in the trailer, while too much weight can weaken the driver’s control over the vehicle.
When the weight is too heavy, it can make the trailer challenging to operate and lose control, particularly when breaking or making turns. We prioritize our customer safety over our comfort so, Get in touch with one of our service representatives at (972) 567-7299 and get personalized services.
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