Tongue weight question for my setup

[lakelover]

I have a single axle boat trailer with a gross weight rating of 1000 lb. I figure the weight of my load to be around 700 lb. I've read that the tongue weight should be about 10-15% of the gross weight.

I wanted to get a ballpark idea about my setup, so I put the trailer jack down on a bathroom scale and it showed about 70 lb. The jack is about 2 feet back from the actual hitch, so would you say this is pretty close? I don't know how much difference it would make taking the reading 2 feet back from the hitch itself.

Thanks.

 

[90stingray]

Re: Tongue weight question for my setup

Sounds good to me. How does she pull?

 

[lakelover]

Re: Tongue weight question for my setup

Sounds good to me. How does she pull?

This will be the first time I've pulled it with a load, I bought it last year and just put the boat on it this summer. I'm just trying to make sure everything is all set to go for the maiden voyage of the boat in my signature. I'll be travelling about 25 miles to the lake.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Tongue weight question for my setup

It's likely pretty close..... it will be a little lower at the ball..... you can use a piece of 2x4 between the coupler and scale OR use blocks and such to raise the scale to the height of the coupler... Many truck stops can weigh your trailer for you for $8-10. Also grain co-ops dumps and scrap yards.

 

[lakelover]

Re: Tongue weight question for my setup

Thanks guys, at least I know it's in the ballpark and will be doing some tweaking in the spring. I didn't think of raising the scale to the tongue, duh, I might check that out before I go for a little more accuracy.

 

[lakelover]

Re: Tongue weight question for my setup

I just raised the scale and came up with 63 lb. When I do my adjusting to try to bring the boat forward a little, is there a way to tell about how much to move it, or is it just trial and error until it's close? Or is 63 "close enough"?

 

[roscoe]

Re: Tongue weight question for my setup

try it.If you make a little lane correction with the tow vehicle, and the trailer starts to sway, or doesn't correct itself after the initial move, then move weight forward.

Perhaps try perching the mother in law on the winch post.

 

[lakelover]

Re: Tongue weight question for my setup

Thanks, roscoe. When it comes to mother-in-law's, I must be the luckiest guy on the planet---we've been good friends since the beginning well over 30 years ago! A real sweetheart!

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Tongue weight question for my setup

it really doesn't make much difference if you weigh at the tongue or the jack... Yeah, you will get different results (slightly lighter at the ball) but there is no hard and fast rule about what % you should have to start with.

 

[lakelover]

Re: Tongue weight question for my setup

I'll just try it out and see how it does.

 

[roscoe]

Re: Tongue weight question for my setup

Thanks, roscoe. When it comes to mother-in-law's, I must be the luckiest guy on the planet---we've been good friends since the beginning well over 30 years ago! A real sweetheart!

I get it, wink wink, nudge nudge. She's a member here and may read your post, right?

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Tongue weight question for my setup

whether it's "good enough" depends greatly on how well you estimated the weight of your rig.... If you guessed a little heavy it could be great.... if you guessed quite a bit too light it could be pretty bad.... get the boat and trailer weighed.

Sadly the "try it and see" method could work really well or it could be catastrophic.... depends on what happens on the road and how 'ok" your set up is. Better to measure than guess.

 

[lakelover]

Re: Tongue weight question for my setup

i get it, wink wink, nudge nudge. She's a member here and may read your post, right? :d

Ha, you're devious!

 

[lakelover]

Re: Tongue weight question for my setup

whether it's "good enough" depends greatly on how well you estimated the weight of your rig.... If you guessed a little heavy it could be great.... if you guessed quite a bit too light it could be pretty bad....

I'm pretty confident I've estimated fairly close.

Hull=415 according to mfr.
Motor=200
6 gal. gas=40
oil=12
anchor=10
oars, ropes, tools etc.=30

Total=707

 

[hungupthespikes]

Re: Tongue weight question for my setup

Trailer??????

 

[lakelover]

Re: Tongue weight question for my setup

Trailer??????

No idea on the actual weight, guessing 250-300 lbs. Gross weight rating is 1000 lbs.

 

[hungupthespikes]

Re: Tongue weight question for my setup

No idea on the actual weight, guessing 250-300 lbs. Gross weight rating is 1000 lbs.

X10%=100 lbs. tongue, I'd like a little more, but it all depends on the car/truck.
huts

 

[lakelover]

Re: Tongue weight question for my setup

Thanks, I will be doing some tweaking.

 

[hungupthespikes]

Re: Tongue weight question for my setup

Yep, just a little, light trailer. Level or a little down at the ball 1-2" when you hook-up.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Tongue weight question for my setup

gonna carry a battery for lights? Yep gotta figure the trailer too....

BTW it can be a little intimidating but if you weigh it at a truckstop just liik for the cat scale..... just pull right on to it... there are separate scale pads on it.... Just make sure the truck tires are on one pad and the trailer tires are on another... push the button.... they'll ask "first weigh or re-weigh?" tell them first weigh... they'll ask for a truck number.... give them any number that you'll remember as you'll tell them that number to get your weight inside at the truck fuel counter. remember to add your current tongue weight to the trailer weight before you figure what your tongue weight should be.

BTW, if you plan to carry a battery in the boat, mounting it at the front will help your tongue weight and your holeshot on the water