Is there any formula regarding tongue weight? I am redoing my boat trailer,
and it seems a little heavy on the tongue. I can shift the axle, but just
wanted to know if there is any standard to apply as a rule of thumb.

Steve

"Steve B" fired this volley in
:

Is there any formula regarding tongue weight? I am redoing my boat
trailer, and it seems a little heavy on the tongue. I can shift the
axle, but just wanted to know if there is any standard to apply as a
rule of thumb.


IIRC, about 10% of the total gross weight should bear on the hitch, with
the maximum being about 15%.

Less than 10% can begin to induce "tail wagging", which can amplify until
it sweeps the tow vehicle off the road (or at least out of its lane).

LLoyd

On Sun, 1 Jul 2012 17:01:31 -0700, "Steve B" wrote:

Is there any formula regarding tongue weight? I am redoing my boat trailer,
and it seems a little heavy on the tongue. I can shift the axle, but just
wanted to know if there is any standard to apply as a rule of thumb.

Steve

10 to 15 % trailer weight on the tongue. On a 1500 lb class trailer,
150 lb on the hitch. MY rule of thumb is no less than 75 lb on the
tongue, regardless how light the trailer.

"Lloyd E. Sponenburgh" lloydspinsidemindspring.com wrote


Less than 10% can begin to induce "tail wagging", which can amplify until
it sweeps the tow vehicle off the road (or at least out of its lane).

LLoyd

I saw a short wheelbased Bronco hauling a short trailer of cinder blocks get
squirrely when the trailer went kaflooey. All over three lanes of busy
traffic. I have to give the guy credit, he brought it in with no damage.
save a change of underwear. That was the wildest ride I have ever seen that
someone recovered from. Obviously from a light tongue weight. I once got
crazy towing a boat, but, it too was brought under control by deceleration
rather than braking.

Steve

On Sun, 1 Jul 2012 17:55:28 -0700, "Steve B" wrote:


"Lloyd E. Sponenburgh" lloydspinsidemindspring.com wrote


Less than 10% can begin to induce "tail wagging", which can amplify until
it sweeps the tow vehicle off the road (or at least out of its lane).

LLoyd

I saw a short wheelbased Bronco hauling a short trailer of cinder blocks get
squirrely when the trailer went kaflooey. All over three lanes of busy
traffic. I have to give the guy credit, he brought it in with no damage.
save a change of underwear. That was the wildest ride I have ever seen that
someone recovered from. Obviously from a light tongue weight. I once got
crazy towing a boat, but, it too was brought under control by deceleration
rather than braking.

Steve

Goota remember, particularly with boats, that the static tongue weight
and the running tongue weight are not always the same. A boat can lift
significantly at speed, particularly if the hitch is higher than it
should be.

On 2012-07-02, Steve B wrote:
Is there any formula regarding tongue weight? I am redoing my boat trailer,
and it seems a little heavy on the tongue. I can shift the axle, but just
wanted to know if there is any standard to apply as a rule of thumb.


Ten percent of gross trailer weight on tongue is the standard.

i

fired this volley in
news
A boat can lift
significantly at speed, particularly if the hitch is higher than it
should be.


So long as it is hitched level, it shouldn't lift if the bottom is curved,
and the top is (semi) flat. It should add tongue weight as speed
increases.

But level is the trick. If it's sloped uphill, all bets are off.

LLoyd

In article ,
wrote:

particularly if the hitch is higher than it should be.

....but a drop hitch adapter isn't expensive. So it's just stooopid to
run the tongue higher than it should be on anything you own. Crap you
just bought or are moving a short distance for a friend, OK, perhaps,
but any trailer/tow vehicle combination you actually own should have the
right drop adapter in the bag.... Heck, I even was able to find a USA
made one for a reasonable price (not at Walmart, of course.)

--
Cats, coffee, chocolate...vices to live by
Please don't feed the trolls. Killfile and ignore them so they will go away.

Ecnerwal fired this volley
in :

but a drop hitch adapter isn't expensive. So it's just stooopid to
run the tongue higher than it should be on anything you own

yup.
L

Ignoramus29868 used his keyboard to write :
On 2012-07-02, Steve B wrote:
Is there any formula regarding tongue weight? I am redoing my boat trailer,
and it seems a little heavy on the tongue. I can shift the axle, but just
wanted to know if there is any standard to apply as a rule of thumb.


Ten percent of gross trailer weight on tongue is the standard.

i

If you can JUST lift it on then it's about right is my simple rule.

--
John G

wrote in message
news
On Sun, 1 Jul 2012 17:55:28 -0700, "Steve B" wrote:


"Lloyd E. Sponenburgh" lloydspinsidemindspring.com wrote


Less than 10% can begin to induce "tail wagging", which can amplify
until
it sweeps the tow vehicle off the road (or at least out of its lane).

LLoyd

I saw a short wheelbased Bronco hauling a short trailer of cinder blocks
get
squirrely when the trailer went kaflooey. All over three lanes of busy
traffic. I have to give the guy credit, he brought it in with no damage.
save a change of underwear. That was the wildest ride I have ever seen
that
someone recovered from. Obviously from a light tongue weight. I once got
crazy towing a boat, but, it too was brought under control by deceleration
rather than braking.

Steve

Goota remember, particularly with boats, that the static tongue weight
and the running tongue weight are not always the same. A boat can lift
significantly at speed, particularly if the hitch is higher than it
should be.

My boat lives a sheltered life. The fartherest lake is about ten miles, top
speed 45 mph. Now, that's not to say that I will never take it on a trip on
the freeway @ 70 mph. I just think this is a Rufus McGee rig, and way out
of balance. I just put some new keel runners on there, and if it was up to
me, I'd put an extension on the frame, or just scrap it completely. The rig
is a Lund aluminum 16', with a 40 Merc, so nothing really heavy. Still,
tho, enough to get into a bind. The trailer barely comes to the end of the
transom, and the rear wheels are barely three feet in front of the end of
the trailer. Will measure tongue weight tomorrow, but I can barely lift it.
I read 9-15%, so will settle in the 12% range. Maybe time to set it off and
do some major trailer work.

Steve

"John G" wrote in message
. au...
Ignoramus29868 used his keyboard to write :
On 2012-07-02, Steve B wrote:
Is there any formula regarding tongue weight? I am redoing my boat
trailer, and it seems a little heavy on the tongue. I can shift the
axle, but just wanted to know if there is any standard to apply as a
rule of thumb.


Ten percent of gross trailer weight on tongue is the standard.
i

If you can JUST lift it on then it's about right is my simple rule.

--
John G

I broke my back, had three shoulder surgeries, knee surgery, and had my
sternum cut in half with a medical chain saw. The doctor told me not to
lift anything bigger than my Johnson, then he saw that, and said just don't
lift anything very heavy.

Steve ;-)

On 7/1/2012 7:21 PM, wrote:
On Sun, 1 Jul 2012 17:01:31 -0700, "Steve wrote:

Is there any formula regarding tongue weight? I am redoing my boat trailer,
and it seems a little heavy on the tongue. I can shift the axle, but just
wanted to know if there is any standard to apply as a rule of thumb.

Steve

10 to 15 % trailer weight on the tongue. On a 1500 lb class trailer,
150 lb on the hitch. MY rule of thumb is no less than 75 lb on the
tongue, regardless how light the trailer.



7500 pounds on my trailer. 750 to 1125 pounds tongue weight.

On Sun, 01 Jul 2012 20:53:03 -0500, "Lloyd E. Sponenburgh"
lloydspinsidemindspring.com wrote:

Ecnerwal fired this volley
in :

but a drop hitch adapter isn't expensive. So it's just stooopid to
run the tongue higher than it should be on anything you own

yup.
L

It better be level for a two axle trailer, like for my bay boat. Got
to replace all the tires 2/3 of the way through a 1500 mile tow
because of that. One of the nuts spun, too. That's fun on the road.
Nut was too soft for nut splitter, resorted to cold chisel and big
hammer. Replaced the studs. This was in Lake Charles, LA.

On the curve, the manufacturer warned me on a light canoe trailer to
always tow with the canoe upright if highway speeds. Otherwise, he
said you could be pulling a kite.

Luckily, I moved to Texas, so most tows under 50 miles, except for 200
for the little trailer with kayaks aboard, or occasionally the same
with the jon boat. I really like the wheel bearings running in oil on
that trailer. When I replace the axles on the big trailer, that's
what I'll be shopping for.

Pete Keillor