Tongue weight

[Dogbreath]

Has the recommended tongue weight changed over the years?? I always remember that it should be just over 10-12% of the load weight and recently have been reading (not sure where) that closer to 5% is now recommended.
Thinking about it, I feel that it would not affect handling and would give better traction to front wheel drive vehicles.
I am towing a Alumacraft 165CS on a single axle E-Z Loader behind a Venture van. I figure my load weight to be close to 2000 lbs. The van has a trailer package so it sits fine on the road.
Does this new recommendation come from vehicle manufacturers or trailer manufacturers??
Thanks Guys...

[REW]

As far as I know the trailers work very well with a 7-10% tongue weight that I have used for years and years.

Take care
REW

[Jerryv]

I have never seen less than 7% recommended, but there is some effect from the mass of the tow vehicle too. I have had a trailer go unstable from too little tongue weight and a light tow vehicle. I never want to be in that situation again.

Jerry

[4JawChuck]

The 5% your seeing from some trailer mfg reflect those trailers with very long tongues, the longer the tongue the less tongue weight you need.

Now if only mine was capable of being folded, I like the longer tongue to use less tongue weight but it will never fit in my garage! My trailer has cross bracing to the tongue so a folding tongue kit won't work.

Tows nice behind my minivan though, nice not to have a lot of weight on the hitch.

[Phil T]

Yes, it depends on the trailer design. I think Four Winns boat/trailer combos have been 5% for years. Every other combo I personally know of recommends around 10%.

[oldschooltiller]

Originally Posted by DOGBREATH

Has the recommended tongue weight changed over the years?? I always remember that it should be just over 10-12% of the load weight and recently have been reading (not sure where) that closer to 5% is now recommended.
Thinking about it, I feel that it would not affect handling and would give better traction to front wheel drive vehicles.
I am towing a Alumacraft 165CS on a single axle E-Z Loader behind a Venture van. I figure my load weight to be close to 2000 lbs. The van has a trailer package so it sits fine on the road.
Does this new recommendation come from vehicle manufacturers or trailer manufacturers??
Thanks Guys...

Sorry kind of off topic but how does the Venture do? We have one too, and I thought about using it to save fuel vs my truck.

[yarcraft91]

Originally Posted by DOGBREATH

Has the recommended tongue weight changed over the years?? I always remember that it should be just over 10-12% of the load weight and recently have been reading (not sure where) that closer to 5% is now recommended.
Thinking about it, I feel that it would not affect handling and would give better traction to front wheel drive vehicles.
I am towing a Alumacraft 165CS on a single axle E-Z Loader behind a Venture van. I figure my load weight to be close to 2000 lbs. The van has a trailer package so it sits fine on the road.
Does this new recommendation come from vehicle manufacturers or trailer manufacturers??
Thanks Guys...

I don't think the 5% recommendation is new. From my reading, I've learned that boat trailers have always had a recommended tongue weight of 5-7% of the trailer weight, while house trailer have a 10% tongue weight recommendation.

In both cases, the recommendation is intended to reduce the tendency to trail sway. The difference may be this. Comparing boat and house trailers, weight distribution, and therefore axle position, is very different. Boat trailers have the axle located aft of the physical center of the trailer, while house trailers have the axle more-or-less under the center of the trailer. So, the dynamics while towing are different, hence different tongue weight recommendations.

[4JawChuck]

Here is good explanation of the formula to decide on tongue weight from a post on a motorhome magazine website forum.

In short, the longer the tongue...the less the tongue weight.

http://forums.motorhomemagazine.com/...3.cfm#25170163

[Dogbreath]

Originally Posted by oldschooltiller

Sorry kind of off topic but how does the Venture do? We have one too, and I thought about using it to save fuel vs my truck.

Actually it is pretty good, Mine is 8 yrs old and on a recent trip to Florida, Doing the speed limits, I averaged 35 mpg (Canadian gallons ..(:-)..I think that would be around 29 US mpg) That is doing the math over 4 fillups.
I haven't checked it towing 2000 lbs, but I am pretty sure it would beat a truck towing the same weight just on the rear end axle ratio alone.
The reason I asked this question is that I recently had a bit of a problem getting out of a public ramp that had gravel on the concrete and was wondering if I could lower the tongue weight to put more on the drive wheels. Other than that one time, it has been great.

TO EVERYONE ELSE - TKS V M for the info, I think I will bring it down to closer to 110-120 lbs.

[fishing4eyes]

I often wondered what my boat weighed. 1999 Lund 2025 with a 200 Optimax Blue water series with a 9 hp Kicker. 3 batteries. 2 bubbles for counsoles, Where could I get an approximate. I have a Chevy 1500 silverado that pulls it fine. I would like to know what i am pulling behind my truck. Any place on the internet where you could feed this info and get guesses back