How to determine tongue weight

[Mike K]

I will be buying my first 'real' truck next week, along with a car trailer and using both to take my 97 Saleen from DE to MO. I have never towed anything before and have been doing some reading. I know what tongue weight is and that you can’t have too much or too little, I just don’t know how to calculate it.

The car should weigh about 3,500 lbs, lets say the trailer weighs about 1,000-1,500 (so 4,000-4,500 total weight) and about 10% of that means I should have around 400 lbs for the tongue weight right? Ok, so how do I know I have that, is there a scale that I can use? Or should I just not be overly concerned with it. I will be towing with a 2003 F350 Dually (6.0L). It’s a long trip especially for being a beginner. Any help would be appreciated.

-Mike

 

[powerboatr]

i would geuss your trailer wt will be a little higher, tandem axles?? brakes??
either way the 350 will do, 5500 lbs probalby wont make a difference, but to be safe go do a break in run of 500 miles and then pull.
i geuss closer to 5k -5500 lbs total
500-800 tongue is ok
good tires and greased bearings, WORKING lights.
brake controller,
ball rated 6k or better 10k preferred (little more up front cost)
drawbar 6k or better, i would get a draw bar rated at 10-12k just to save money later when you get a bigger trailer,
to much tongue and the trailer will sway at the rear, to light and it will push and pull the hitch around,
load it up and set the draw bar and tongue to be level at the loaded and road ready state
i geuss this means your leaving the wonderful sand box

 

[Mike K]

Yeah, i did some looking again and i think my 1K weight guess was a little off. I am looking at getting a trailer that can haul 10,000 lbs so it will have tandem axles and brakes.

I am a mechanic by trade (heavy equipment mechanic) so i will make sure everything is working, greased, and ready to roll.

The truck already has a hitch on it (is that what you are calling a draw bar?), but i dont know what it is rated at. I plan to go with a 10K ball and 'draw bar'. Thanks for the tips. Hopefully the place i buy my trailer from will have accessories (balls, chains for strapping the car down), it will be nice if it is a one stop shop.

I will be comming home only for vacation. Last vacation i bought the Cobra (see sig), this vacation i will be buying the truck and selling my 97 Saleen Mustang. Then i will be back here. I am a government contractor so i am over here by choice... 15 months so far

-Mike

 

[powerboatr]

yep being a contractor is neat huh.
we have changed companies three times so far in the last 12 months


yep draw bar is the hitch thing.
as for buying it all at one place..... may cost you a few $$ more, but again they might have everything you need

10k trailer will be pretty close to 2500 lbs empty
my 7k weighs 1800 empty

 

[DaveBen]

I always eyeballed my Jeep and trailer. I loaded the trailer on the truck and then loaded the Jeep onto the trailer. I kept moving forward until I saw the tongue drop about 1½ to 2 inches with the load on it. By experence I knew it was properly loaded and it never caused me any problems.

Dave

 

[Mike K]

Which company do you work for? (if you dont mind me asking)

We were Vinnell, a subsidary(sp) of Northrop Grumman, but i guess we are doing good enough now that they have actually got rid of the name Vinnell and now we are part of NG... doesnt matter to me as long as i keep getting a paycheck

*EDIT* sorry, hit the send button to early.

The trailer weight is good info. I really bought the 1 ton dually for when i move to TX, the truck will probably be loaded up pretty good and the trailer will probably have my car and tool box on it along with stuff in the bed.

-Mike

 

[Mike K]

Dave, great info, that was exactly what i was looking for. I didnt think there was a science to it.

 

[powerboatr]

you got mail

there is some science but daves eyeballing works very well for the ball park.

i have seen folks use a bathroom scale and a bar to get tongue wt. but to me a stop at teh CAT scales is so much easier.

 

[hheynow]

How to measure tongue weight by using a bathroom scale.

 

[powerboatr]

that link should be a sticky in teh trailer forum.
good concise info