Tongue weight

[Emerger]

How do you determine what the tongue weight of a loaded trailer should be? I think my boat sits too far forward on the trailer and would like to adjust the winch back but I'm not sure how far I should go with it. Thanks

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Tongue weight

Should be around 7% to 5% of the total weight.

You need to get it weighed and measure the existing toungue weight to get the toal weight. When you make your measurements, make sure you are full of fuel since fuel often sits behind the axle and greatly affects the tongue weight. Also, measuring the tongue weight with your tongue jack will give you a measurement that is too high if the trailer jack is set far back from the tongue.

If you are thinking about moving the bow stop rearwards, you are going to reduce tongue weight. What makes you think it is too heavy right now?

 

[Emerger]

Re: Tongue weight

Comparing the position of mine to the position of the same boat owned by others makes it seem that mine is too far forward on the trailer. Problem is that I don't know if mine is wrong or if the others are. Also it seems that I have too much weight on the tongue with it on my hitch. I was thinking of moving the winch back but I don't want to go too far with it. Thanks for your help

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Tongue weight

take a 5 gallon bucket, set the bath room scale on it. then set the tongue in the middle of the scale. close enought. you can either move the boat back or if you have a movable axle, move the axle forward, my trailers have holes predrilled inorder to adjust the axle. you can go to Nada boats, and look up boats dry weight, and if outboard, the motors weight, then add stuff in the boat, and trailer weight. i like 10% weight on the hitch point.

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Tongue weight

I like the extra little tongue weight as well (10%)

 

[Bondo]

Re: Tongue weight

I like the extra little tongue weight as well (10%)

Ayuh,.....I Agree......

A trailer that's alitttle Heavy on the tongue is way Better than alittle Light on the tongue.....
It'll handle Better.......

I usually shoot for 7% to 15% Tongue Load........