Towing Safety
How to Measure Tongue Weight: Step by Step Guide
Towing Safely Starts Here: Measure Tongue Weight Accurately
Understanding how to measure tongue weight is critical for safe towing. Incorrect tongue weight can cause sway, braking issues, and dangerous handling. Here’s a comprehensive guide to ensure you’re towing safely every time.
Quick-Start Checklist:
- Understand why tongue weight matters
- Gather necessary tools
- Follow step-by-step measurement guide
- Learn common mistakes
- Check FAQs for quick answers
Why Tongue Weight Matters
- Stability while towing
- Safe braking distances
- Prevention of dangerous trailer sway
Towing a trailer with improper tongue weight (the static force the trailer tongue exerts on the hitch/tow ball) would feel nearly the same as driving with egg-shaped tires. You have little to no control of your vehicle, let alone the trailer you are towing. 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.
How Do I Know if I Have Less Than The Recommended Tongue Weight?
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. Have you ever seen a truck pulling a trailer down the road and the truck and trailer peak in the middle kind of like this?
This shows that the trailer is not properly loaded. When you have less than 10% tongue weight, trailer sway (or fishtailing) will most likely occur, especially when the vehicle is traveling fast. It is best to properly distribute your load prior to hitting the road and avoid this side-to-side movement from the get go.
If you do start to experience trailer sway while towing, it is best not to hit the brakes. You should first reduce your speed by letting off the gas pedal and make sure your steering wheel is straight. This should reduce the trailer sway and once it has stopped and you are in control again, make sure to pull over and reload your trailer so that your tongue weight is within 10-15% of your GTW.
How Can I Tell if My Tongue Weight is Over 15%?
Too much tongue weight means that most of your load is on the front end of your trailer and you exceed 15% of your GTW on the trailer tongue. This looks more like a “V” shape kind of like this and is sometimes called “jack knife.”
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.
Just the right amount of tongue weight (between 10-15% of GTW) will reflect a balanced line from the front of the truck to the back of the trailer with the coupler between the truck and trailer nearly level. If you maintain a proper tongue weight within this range, you will improve your vehicle and trailer towing experience by improving performance and minimizing risk on the road.
We also provide online tools, like our tow weight distribution calculator, to make your job easier.
Measuring Tongue Weight
Tools You’ll Need
- Tongue weight scale, bathroom scale (for lighter trailers), or a hitch with a built-in scale (such as Weigh Safe’s Drop Hitch)
- Level surface for accurate measurement
- Trailer fully loaded as it would be during towing
- Lever and fulcrum setup (if using a bathroom scale)
Step-by-Step Measurement Guide
Step 1: Park on a Level Surface
Ensure your tow vehicle and trailer are on level ground for accurate readings.
Step 2: Position the Scale
Place your tongue weight scale beneath the trailer coupler. If using a Weigh Safe hitch, simply attach your trailer and read directly from the built-in gauge. If using a bathroom scale, set up your lever and fulcrum correctly.
Step 3: Measure Your Tongue Weight
Lower your trailer’s coupler onto the scale or hitch ball, ensuring the full weight is resting on it. Clearly read and record the displayed weight.
Step 4: Verify and Adjust
Refer to your trailer’s manual or vehicle towing specs. Adjust your load if your tongue weight is outside the recommended range (10-15%). Distribute heavier items closer to the trailer axle.
Need more help learning how to measure tongue weight? Weigh Safe is your one-stop shop for ball mounts, weight distribution tools, weight calculators, and more.
Shop Weigh Safe Drop hitchThe Types of Scales You Can Use
When it comes to your safety and the safety of other drivers, you don’t want to leave anything to chance. A scale is infinitely safer than trying to eyeball the weight distribution, providing a clear indicator of what you should or shouldn’t be towing.
There are multiple scales you can use to figure out how to measure the tongue weight of a trailer.
Drive-On Scale
This scale is one of the most traditional ways to measure tongue weight. Many drivers depend on the industry-standard CAT Scale.
A drive-on scale is exactly what it says on the tin: You simply disconnect your trailer from the tow vehicle, park on the scale, and record the total weight. Just make sure the tires are off the scale, or it will give you an inaccurate reading.
Bathroom Scale
If you have a smaller trailer and can’t get your hands on a CAT scale, you can use a bathroom scale to measure tongue weight. You’ll have to adjust this setup a little bit to get an accurate reading, though.
- Set up a sturdy lever (e.g., a 4-foot board) with a fulcrum placed one foot from one end.
- Place the bathroom scale at the short end and a block at the other end.
- Rest the trailer tongue on the lever directly above the fulcrum.
- Multiply the scale reading by four to determine your tongue weight.
If you need even more help, try our handy tongue weight calculator for your next towing trip.
Why a Built-In Scale Saves Time
Do you regularly tow different loads throughout the year? You may want to look into a built-in scale that saves you time measuring tongue weight.
A trailer weight tongue scale is located right where you need it so you can get an immediate accurate reading.
Scale Type Comparison
| Scale Type | Drive-On | Built-In | Bathroom |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accessibility | Need to purchase from a reliable manufacturer. | Need to purchase from a reliable manufacturer. | Commonly found in most households or stores. |
| Beginner-Friendliness | Moderate. Takes a little setup, but otherwise straightforward. | High. Provides an instant reading right where you need it. | Low. Driver needs to do a little math to calculate the tongue weight. |
| Versatility | Good for both heavy and lighter loads. | Good for both heavy and lighter loads. | Only good for lighter loads. |
Common Mistakes & How to Avoid Them
Mistake 1: Measuring on Uneven Ground
When learning how to measure tongue weight, always use flat, level surfaces to ensure accuracy.
Mistake 2: Ignoring Load Distribution
Evenly distribute your cargo, placing heavier items near the trailer axle to adjust tongue weight effectively.
Mistake 3: Skipping Regular Checks
Recheck tongue weight frequently, especially after adjusting cargo or before long trips.
Lever Method for Light Trailers
If you’re using a bathroom scale, follow these steps:
-
Set up a sturdy lever (e.g., a 4-foot board) with a fulcrum placed one foot from one end.
-
Place the bathroom scale at the short end and a block at the other end.
-
Rest the trailer tongue on the lever directly above the fulcrum.
-
Multiply the scale reading by four to determine your tongue weight.
See it in Action
Is There A Way to Adjust Tongue Weight?
Now you know what it looks like when the tongue weight is out of the recommended range and how to measure it, you are probably wondering how to adjust the tongue weight. The solution? A weight distribution hitch.
A weight distribution hitch is a trailer hitch that distributes your tongue weight from the back axle of the towing vehicle to the axles of your trailer. Distributed Tongue weight is the value that you will be controlling in order to more evenly distribute your trailer’s weight.
With the weight distribution hitch, you are now seeing 70-80% of the original tongue weight on the back axle of the vehicle, while that initial 20-30% (that was lifted off the front and added to the vehicle’s back axles) is now applied to the trailer axles.
The True Tow Weight Distribution Hitch is the only Weight Distribution Hitch with a built-in gauge that measures your Tongue Weight and can truly distribute Tongue Weight. With the True Tow and the Weigh Safe App, you will be able to calculate the exact amount of tongue weight that is needed to remove that resultant upward force of 20-30% off of the front of your towing vehicle, resulting in a level, evenly distributed, and safe towing experience.
Here’s a quick rundown:
TONGUE WEIGHT
- Needs to be within 10-15% of your Gross Trailer Weight. No more, no less.
- Is the physical weight that is being loaded directly onto the hitch, and therefore, the back of your towing vehicle.
- Does not change when it is distributed by a Weight Distribution Hitch.
DISTRIBUTED TONGUE WEIGHT
- Usually 2-3xs more than your original tongue weight. This is calculated with the DTW Calculator in the Weigh Safe App.
- Is the amount of tongue weight that is distributed from the towing vehicle to the trailer to remove the upward resultant force.
- Provides a more evenly distributed towing ride, better steering control, and and safe towing experience.
Risks of Not Measuring Trailer Tongue Weight
#1 – Trailer sway: ‘fishtailing’ or side-to-side movement
If you hook up your trailer with less than 10% of your GTW (Gross Trailer Weight) situated on the tongue of your trailer you will have:
- too little tongue weight
- too much of your load situated behind the axle of your trailer
- an unlevel tow set-up that “peaks” at the hitch connection
- conditions in which trailer sway will most likely occur
Why is trailer sway so dangerous? Let us explain…
#2 – Loss of steering control
The swaying side-to-side movement of a trailer can escalate very quickly, especially when you’re traveling fast. Enough momentum caused by the sway-force of your trailer can completely, and swiftly, overturn your truck in a matter of seconds.
Check out our Trailer Sway Demonstration Video
#3 – Rear tire overload
On the other hand, if you hook up your trailer with more than 15% of your GTW situated on the tongue of your trailer you will have:
- too much tongue weight
- too much of your load situated ahead of your trailer’s axle
- an unlevel tow set-up that looks more like a “V” shape, referred to as “jack knife”
- conditions in which rear tire overload will most likely occur
Why is rear tire overload so dangerous? This brings us to risk number four…
#4 – Unresponsive braking
As you drive, excessive tongue weight can beget enough force to push your back tires around. This is especially dangerous when turning corners and curves. It also puts your braking system at risk for becoming overwhelmed and unable to find enough traction. And, when that happens, the extra weight you’re towing behind your truck will be unrestrained. Not to mention – any type of frequent heavy braking, with heavy loads, at higher speeds, will run down your brakes and make them less effective.
#5 – Blown tires
Your truck has weight restrictions. While the weight of your total load may be well within your truck’s tow capacity, if you carelessly situate your trailer’s cargo in a way that lays too much tongue weight on on the rear of your truck, the back tires of your truck will be shouldering more weight than they are designed to handle. Too much tongue weight while driving on the road can easily cause the most stressed tire to blow out, or come off completely.
May we also emphasize – a tire blowout on the highway (while towing a trailer) can also trigger the first four catastrophes we’ve already mentioned, like a domino effect.
#6 – Traffic accidents and citations
It should be clear to all those who drive on the road, especially while towing trailers and cargo, that you have a serious responsibility: to understand how to use your tow equipment safely. If you cause a traffic accident because you failed to hook up your equipment in accordance with safety ratings and instructions, it’s a violation – and you’ll receive a traffic citation.
# 7 – Serious injury or death
And, ultimately, towing with too much – or not enough – tongue weight proves deadly when it results in a crash.
Tongue Weight FAQs
The ideal tongue weight is 10–15% of your total trailer weight. Refer to your specific vehicle and trailer manuals for exact recommendations.
You should check your tongue weight before every trip, particularly when cargo loads vary significantly.
Distributed Tongue Weight, or DTW as we like to call it, is a specific measurement from Weigh Safe’s system that indicates the required force from the weight distribution hitch’s spring bars to effectively transfer the trailer’s load across both the tow vehicle’s and the trailer’s axles.
Yes, for lighter trailers, you can use a bathroom scale with a simple lever setup to measure tongue weight. However, for larger trailers, we recommend a dedicated tongue weight scale or hitch with a built-in gauge like Weigh Safe is recommended for safety and accuracy.
Learning how to measure tongue weight can be a little difficult for beginners. The Weigh Safe hitch provides instant and accurate tongue weight measurements, ensuring safer towing without additional equipment or complicated setups.
Tow with Confidence
Eliminate guesswork and towing hazards with a hitch that measures tongue weight—your instant solution for accurate tongue weight measurement. Shop our weight measuring hitches below.
Sleek and strong - rated at 12,500lbs GTW - with a built-in tongue weight gauge
-
The hitch that started it all - features a built-in tongue weight scale
-
Measures tongue weight with a high towing capacity - up to 22,000 lbs GTW
-
Durable fixed mount that measures tongue weight
-
WE CARE THAT YOU CARE.
We want to thank you for caring about Towing Safety. Please feel free to use the following discount code for 10% off your next order with us!
