Minium tongue weight question

[AgnotGt]

Hello

I am going to be replacing my bunks this winter so the thought came up to adjust where the boat sits on the bunks to fine tune the tongue weight. Right now loaded I have 200lbs.

The boat is a 16ft I/O 2.5l weighing in at 2250lbs, at the scale, including gear and trailer. Unloaded with full fuel tank I have 180lbs of tongue weight. Max is 200lbs stamped into the ball mount.

I would like to drop that tongue weight but keep it within reason. I'm thinking somewhere above 100 but not more than 150 would work. Moving the position of the boat on the trailer back approx. 2 or 3 inches should accomplish this; but I haven't checked.

Currently I tow unloaded (in the boat) @ just over 2000lbs with 180lbs of tongue weight. Suggestions/thoughts or leave it alone....

GVWR: 4700lbs

P.S. No brakes or flanges for brakes on this trailer. yet...

Thanks Glenn

 

[Thalasso]

Re: Minium tongue weight question

Single axle trailer, 10% at least

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Minium tongue weight question

Your current tongue weight is actually too light.

Sounds like you need a new ball mount. What is it right now...bumper hitch?

 

[Illinoid]

Re: Minium tongue weight question

Too little tongue weight won,t bite you till you are going over 45mph especially down hill. If you don't have enough tongue weight you may not know it til the first time you try to slow down going down hill at 70 mph. The only correction is to accelerate...which only makes the problem worse when you lift off the accelerator. It causes severe fishtailing. This is not a problem to cheat on...It can cost you your life...Been there...Done that...Never want to go back!

 

[limitout]

Re: Minium tongue weight question

10% is the rule so you need 225 lbs tongue weight to be correct for your weight load and that means you current hitch isn't rated high enough to handle that so look into a better hitch.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Minium tongue weight question

I always thought that 5-10 was the guideline. I've never had 10% on the tounge, the boat is around 100 lbs and my car trailer loaded is under 300lbs. Never had any issues and that is the way they were both set up from the factory.

 

[airshot]

Re: Minium tongue weight question

The 10% guide is an excellent rule and you should probably keep that in mind but type of tow vehicle and % of rated capacity has an awfull lot to do with tongue weight. If you have a large tow vehicle and a small boat then tongue weight means less, if you have a large boat and a small tow vehicle then tongue weight can mean everything. Keep in mind in a panic stop the front end of your vehicle drops and the rear raises up, if to little tongue weight then the boat will push your tow vehicle with serious consequences, the extra tongue weight will help to keep the rear end down for safer handling. Having trailer brakes and a tow pkg on vehicle allows you to get away with a little less tongue weight but in your case I agree with the others, you need a better hitch to start. Keep in mind how your boat is loaded will have a big affect on your tongue weight as well. Just some things to ponder when considering tongue weight....hope it helps

Airshot

 

[AgnotGt]

Re: Minium tongue weight question

Fair enough! I'll leave it alone.... The factory hitch is at it's maximum (2000/200) but for the most part I will only be taking her to the water 6 or 7 times a year and only short trips of 35 miles round trip. Half of that downhill (slight grade) and back.

A trip to Tahoe is a one time deal and I might just make that with a borrowed van. Not as comfortable but plenty of room for gear and sleeping.

I did a panic stop from 55 to see how well the rig would stop and it was straight & true and remarkably short. However that was under the best conditions and I, of course, knew in advance....

Thanks everyone! Travel on.... Glenn

.

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: Minium tongue weight question

I think its past time to invest in a hitch that designed to handle the weight. A class ll is 200 / 2000 and your over that so its time for a class lll especially at 2250lbs towing weight.

 

[Thalasso]

Re: Minium tongue weight question

I always thought that 5-10 was the guideline. I've never had 10% on the tounge, the boat is around 100 lbs and my car trailer loaded is under 300lbs. Never had any issues and that is the way they were both set up from the factory.

5-10 is for tandem or triple axles because you need to keep the weight on the axles as even as you can

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Minium tongue weight question

5-10 is for tandem or triple axles because you need to keep the weight on the axles as even as you can

Well, I'm not going to worry about it. Have yet to own a single axle boat trailer with anything near 10% on the tongue and I've got thousands of towing miles.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Minium tongue weight question

Well, I'm not going to worry about it. Have yet to own a single axle boat trailer with anything near 10% on the tongue and I've got thousands of towing miles.

Same here.. (and thousands of towing miles per year!) There isn't a single trailer manufacturer that recommends a minimum of 10% for a single axle trailer! Most recommend 5 to 7% as a minimum. I personally don't have any trailer at 10%, and that includes some trailers that are far more likely to sway than a boat trailer. (try pulling a covered snowmobile trailer if you want a challenge! 2000#'s, very, very short, high, and impossible to get any decent tongue weight.)

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Minium tongue weight question

This is what GMC says:Tongue Weight and Its Role in Safe Trailering and Towing | GMC

If you don't have enough weight on the trailer tongue, less than 10 percent of the total loaded trailer weight, the trailer can end up swaying from side to side, making it difficult to control.

 

[lrak]

Re: Minium tongue weight question

Boat trailers are so long and have their wheels so far back, not nearly as much tongue weight is needed to prevent sway.

Find the trailer owners manual and read it. It will probably indicate a MAXIMUM of 10% for a boat trailer, not AT LEAST 10%. The owners manual of most BOAT trailers specify 5-9% as the ideal range. That probably puts the minimum at 113lbs.

The lower tongue weight for tandems is incorrect. Tandem axle cargo trailers probably need a minimum of 10%. Tandem axle 5th wheel trailers probably need a minimum of 15%. You should read their owners manuals as well!

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Minium tongue weight question

Boat trailers are so long and have their wheels so far back, not nearly as much tongue weight is needed to prevent sway.

It's a physics thing and has nothing to do with the overall length of the trailer. It's where the CG is placed that determines stability. A boat trailer has its wheels back further because more of the weight is in the back.

There isn't a single trailer manufacturer that recommends a minimum of 10% for a single axle trailer! Most recommend 5 to 7% as a minimum.

http://www.titantrailer.com/media/web_brochures/Trailer_Users_Guide.pdf

Here is what a trailer manufacturer says:

Weigh the trailer and then the tongue separately and the tongue should be 10% of total loaded trailer weight. 10% tongue weight is necessary for safe towing and handling of trailer.

 

[alldodge]

Re: Minium tongue weight question

I like tongue weight and so long as it does not exceed the hitch capacity (with margin) I'm good. Pulled a rental single axle trailer to pick up a Cushman trickster (1000) from Chicago. On the way back the trailer started swaying back-n-forth, had to pull over. Good thing I brought along some concrete blocks and put them in the very front of the trailer for added tongue weight, it smoothed right out.

 

[Thalasso]

Re: Minium tongue weight question

It's a physics thing and has nothing to do with the overall length of the trailer. It's where the CG is placed that determines stability. A boat trailer has its wheels back further because more of the weight is in the back.



http://www.titantrailer.com/media/web_brochures/Trailer_Users_Guide.pdf

Here is what a trailer manufacturer says:

:thumb::thumb::thumb:

 

[lrak]

Re: Minium tongue weight question

http://www.titantrailer.com/media/web_brochures/Trailer_Users_Guide.pdf

Here is what a trailer manufacturer says:

I see that company makes horse trailers, livestock trailers, dump trailers, flatbed trailers, utility trailers. They don't appear to make boat trailers (which have their axles much further back ;-)), which I thought this thread was about. Can you point out a single reference to or picture of a boat trailer in that guide?

That guide simply proved what I said above -

The lower tongue weight for tandems is incorrect. Tandem axle cargo trailers probably need a minimum of 10%. Tandem axle 5th wheel trailers probably need a minimum of 15%. You should read their owners manuals as well!

Try to find your brand boat trailer and see what they have to say. For example all of these suggest numbers below 10%...

http://www.loadrite.com/pdf/LoadRite-Owners-Manual/OwnerManual0110LR.pdf

http://www.ezloader.com/Manuals/ezloader/custom/Custom Owners Manual 2013.pdf

ShoreLand'r.com - Boat-To-Trailer Step #3

FAQ - Karavan Trailers

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Minium tongue weight question

Makes no difference what the trailer hauls or where the axle is under it.

The only reason ANY trailer would have the axle "further back" is because the weight was further back.

Physics doesn't change for boats or other cargo.

No trailer has ever become unstable from too much (at least under 50% anyhow) tongue weight but too little can and has put plenty of people in the ditch.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Minium tongue weight question

I see that company makes horse trailers, livestock trailers, dump trailers, flatbed trailers, utility trailers. They don't appear to make boat trailers (which have their axles much further back ;-)), which I thought this thread was about. Can you point out a single reference to or picture of a boat trailer in that guide?

That guide simply proved what I said above -

The CG needs to be in front of the axle which is a physics issue, not if there is a boat on it or not. Anyone that has taken physics 101 can tell you the same thing. When you calculate CG and CP(center of pressure--axle) you calculate using point loads to determine stability.