Tongue Weight Its Key to Safe Towing

1. Tongue Weight: It’s Key to Safe Towing

2. It 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 tongue weight it, how to calculate it, and how to adjust it accordingly to staying safe while towing.

3. What is Tongue Weight?The term “tongue weight” may seem silly, and who in their senses would be mearing 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.

4. What is Tongue Weight?The term “tongue weight” may seem silly, and who in their senses would be mearing 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.

5. 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 tongue weights greater than 700-800 pounds need to move from a weight-carrying hitch to a weight-distributing hitch.How to measure tongue weightYou can measure the tongue weight of your trailer using one of the several methods available. To calculate a trailer tongue weight, use a tongue weight scale, a bathroom scale, or a vehicle scale. We’ll go through each method one by one.

6. Measuring with a tongue weight scaleA tongue weight scale is a specially designed small scale to calculate a trailer’s tongue 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.Measuring with a bathroom scaleA typical bathroom scale can be used as an alternative for measuring tongue 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.

7. 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:Park your trailer on a level surface and choke the wheels.Position a 2×4 strong board on the ground, right below the trailer tongue. It must be 3-1/2 feet long.Position the bathroom scale around 2 feet from the trailer tongue and a block at 1 foot from the other end trailer tongue.Now insert two horizontal pipes, one at the center of the block and the other in the bathroom scale center. Measure the distance from the trailer tongue.Place the trailer tongue on a vertical pipe and lower the trailer jack till the coupler is entirely resting on the pipe.Take a reading from the bathroom scale and multiply it by three, and you’ll get the tongue weight.Measuring with a vehicle scale

8. The last method to easily measure your trailer’s tongue 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.How Tongue Weight Affects Your VehicleThe 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 tongue 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.

9. Contact US Contact Flag Towing Phone: (972) 567-7299 Email:dispatch@flagtowing.com Website: https://flagtowing.com/blog/tongue-weight-its-key-to-safe-towing