Free tool
Trailer tongue weight calculator
Get the right hitch weight for your trailer and check your measured tongue weight against the safe range — too little causes sway, too much overloads the truck.
In the safe range — well balanced for stable towing.
Enter your measured tongue weight above to check it against the safe band.
Adjust it with cargo placement
Tongue weight is a lever about the trailer axle. Loading cargo ahead of the axle adds tongue weight; behind it takes weight off. See how much a given load shifts it.
+50 lb
added to the tongue by this load placement.
Rule of thumb: a load placed a few feet ahead of the axle changes tongue weight by a large fraction of its own weight — small moves make a real difference. Negative distance means behind the axle (removes tongue weight).
Make sure your truck can take it
Tongue weight sits in the truck — confirm it fits your payload and that the trailer is within your tow rating.
Tongue weight — frequently asked
What is the correct tongue weight for a trailer?
For a conventional bumper-pull or travel trailer, the tongue weight should be 10–15% of the fully loaded trailer weight, with about 12–13% being the sweet spot. For a fifth-wheel or gooseneck, the pin weight should be higher — 15–25% of the loaded weight, usually around 20%. Too little weight on the hitch invites sway; too much overloads the truck's rear axle.
How do I measure tongue weight at home?
The bathroom-scale method works for lighter trailers: rest the coupler on a scale at its normal towing height (use a sturdy box and a length of pipe as a lever to stay within the scale's range, then multiply by the lever ratio). For heavier trailers, a dedicated tongue-weight scale or a CAT scale (weigh the rig, then unhitch and weigh the truck alone — the difference is roughly the tongue weight) is more accurate.
What happens if the tongue weight is too low?
Too little tongue weight makes the trailer prone to sway — the tail wags the truck, especially at highway speed, in crosswinds or when passed by a semi. Sway can build until you lose control. If your tongue weight is under about 10% of trailer weight, move cargo forward, ahead of the trailer axle, to load the hitch more.
What happens if the tongue weight is too high?
Too much tongue weight pushes down the truck's rear, lifts the front, and lightens the steering and braking on the front axle — and it eats into your payload. It can also overload the hitch's rated tongue weight. If you're over about 15% (bumper-pull), shift some load rearward, behind the trailer axle. Also check that the tongue weight is within your hitch and truck payload limits.
Does tongue weight count against my truck's payload?
Yes. The tongue or pin weight sits in the truck — on the hitch or in the bed — so it counts against the truck's payload right alongside passengers, cargo and a tonneau cover. A heavy fifth-wheel pin weight can use a big chunk of a half-ton's payload. Run the numbers through the Payload Calculator to make sure you have room.
