How to Measure Tongue Weight | Weigh & Adjust
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ส.ค. 2024
- Tongue weight is an often overlooked aspect of trailer safety. What is you camper tongue weight? What should it be? How do I adjust tongue weight?
This video goes over the topic from beginner to advanced for lightweight trailers, teardrops, and pop-ups!
Amazon Associate Links
Analog Bathroom Scale - amzn.to/36BpEnG
VERY Cheap Version (No promises!) - amzn.to/3B5sq2v
___________________________________________________________________
If I helped you out today, please consider buying me a coffee to help grow the channel!
buymeacoffee.c...
-Thank you!
___________________________________________________________________
![ถามตรงๆ กับ อาจตุพร ทำไม ประเทศไทย ใครเป็นนายก ก็โดนด่า พอออกเเล้วคนคิดถึง!!?? l [Nickynachat]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/3YFLMXxBGAs/mqdefault.jpg)
Licensed mechanic for over 25 years and never used a sway control bar to pull a trailer and I just learned a hell of alot in less than 10 minutes from this video. Good job buddy. Thanks. I've forwarded this to a few people.
Thank you so much, appreciate the comment.
wow dude, actually the best description of tongue weight on all of youtube...very well explained.
Thank you, that means a lot! Hope you’ll check out our other videos too.
This is almost ver batum the lesson my boss gave us back in the early 80’s, when we were hauling all sorts of trailer combinations.
“A nose heavy trailer will break your equipment, but a tail heavy trailer will kill you.”
Excellent video.
Thank you for tuning in! Im glad that you get it.
So important, especially at high speeds. Great explanation with a simple solution.
Thank you, I appreciate you tuning into the video!
Finally, someone who can present, naturally, without all of the umms and aahhs, and repetition. And yet, without sounding like you're reading a script. Great delivery. You need to rent out your services hosting other people's videos.
Haha...Thank you. They could get me cheap if they asked! Thanks for watching.
This is a great explainer for those of us who have little to no background in towing things behind us. I know it's not great "clickbait" that is going to blow up the TH-cam algos, but its a valuable service and why I subscribe to your channel. Thank you.
Thank you, that means a lot. You are hilariously accurate about how the most important videos are destined to do poorly. For a channel like this to get popular, I probably have to set my camper on fire and make a video about it.
You sir, are a gentleman and a scholar! Best explanation video on the internet!!!!
Haha Thank you, I appreciate you watching!
You explain things very well, makes complete sense now. And I'm so excited because after a 6 month wait, I get to pick up my teardrop next week!! I can put all of your advice into use.
I appreciate you watching and commenting! Glad to help. I'm really happy you're getting your rig for the summer, you're going to love it! 😀
I have pulled a camper for 20 years and have never done this. I'm buying an analog scale! Thanks very much.
That’s great! Good luck and safe travels 😀
Excellent video saved to my "reference" playlist
Thank you, I appreciate you watching the channel!
Good stuff! I just bought a tow bar kit for my small van. It's got what they call "D" value and "S" value stamped onto it. It's the law here.
It's basically doing all the work for me.....tells me nose weight and pulling weight.
However, I will definitely be using this method if I ever get myself a caravan/camper.....💪💪👍
I love that, that really could simplify and make things more safe!
future trailer owner, this was an incredibly helpful video. Clear explanation at a good pace. It's helping me feel more comfortable/confident moving forward with my project
Thank you, I appreciate the comment. Good luck with the new trailer!
This is a great explanation of the reason so many trailers start to fishtail. Great tip with the bathroom scale too. Growing up with horse trailers it just becomes intuitive that you want more weight forward than aft but definitely the wheels should carry the weight. If you get too much forward your mileage goes down on the tow vehicle and the brakes on the trailer are less effective.
By the way, if you have a brake controller in your tow vehicle, I recommend that you do even with one of these, and you start to fish tale you can squeeze the brake controller to activate the trailer brakes alone as you take your foot off the gas and you will find that your trailer will stop the fish tailing for a moment but that's when you need to adjust the load for a better solution to the ride.
Anyway, that's my 2 cents... Great videos as always and thanks for sharing,
Pat
Great tip with the manual braking! I’m glad you’re tuning into the videos .
The best video I’ve seen yet on this topic. Well spoken, clear and concise information. Anyone who tows a trailer should watch this.
Thank you, I really appreciate you watching!
Very good instructions relative to a overlooked topic that most campers don't involve themselves in. Good job!
Thank you, I appreciate you tuning in!
This is EXTREMELY helpful. This winter I bought a used NuCamp T@B 320 and also a 2022 Subaru Outback Wilderness for its 3500 lb towing capacity without having a good understanding of tongue weight or the rest of it. After reading comments from a few people saying it was a big mistake to assume the Outback would be suitable I was so discouraged by the whole plan, but now I have some actual helpful plans to weight and measure and find out in my own thinking how this is going to work. Thanks so much for making this video!
That makes my day. I try to put this stuff together to help people. Sometimes you wonder if it ever makes it’s way in front of the people looking for it. Great to know it helped.
I have a Timberleaf Teardrop Trailer that weighs about 2000lbs with cargo and I tow it with a 2016 Subaru Outback (smaller liter engine with 2700lbs towing capacity) and it does just fine. I have never had any issue with fishtailing or bouncing but my tongue weight is probably close to 200 but I haven't don't any actual measuring yet. I have a feeling that you will be fine as long as you balance it out a bit.
Today I had almost an accident with my bike towing a trailer and it started waving 😅 now I do understand why THANK YOU SIR ❤
Thank you for watching, Im so glad you made out okay, that can be scary!
As a newbie to travel trailer camping. Your common sense explanation and math is very much appreciated. I too will be buying an analog bathroom scale.
Thank you so much for watching, I hope you subscribe and check out our other videos!
Although the analog bathroom scale can be crude, it's really all you need for small travel trailers to get a good idea of the way you're pressing down on the tongue. Good luck and safe travels!
More people need to watch this. The number of fishtailing rental trailers on the freeway is terrifying
It’s crazy, we’ve gone cross country a few times and have seen some horrifying things…
Nothing about this video put me to sleep! I’m so thankful you took the time to explain this subject in the detail you did - this newbie wanted to know what he didn’t know lol!
Thank you, I appreciate that. Happy camping!
Simple, and most excellent video! No nonsense, no distraction(s), and most of all no unnecessary material not related to the topic! A lot of people like to hear themselves talk and or don't really know what they are talking about, so they fill their tutorials with junk. Most people want to get to the solution of a problem and not be taken on a useless excursion. Again, most excellent video.
Haha… thank you very much. I appreciate you swinging by.
As someone who has never owned or driven a teardrop trailer but is interested in one, this topic seems quite important. You had a very good way of explaining TW in a digestible manner. Keep up the great work. Thanks for this explainer.
Thanks you for watching and commenting.
RV newbie here. Drew from Playing with Sticks recommended this video. It was very helpful, thank you! I actually understand this now!
Thank you for swinging by! I appreciate you coming over from Drew and May.
Thank you! Everyone talks about row weight and total and dry weight on campers but NOT younger weight! And I understood what you said!
Great to hear, thanks for tuning in!
Best video on TW on TH-cam.
Thanks Jon, lots of other videos on the channel for DIY camper folks, hope you enjoy!
SUBSCRIBE: th-cam.com/users/DIYOutdoorLife
super important. Thanks for the videos!!
Thank you, I appreciate you watching!
Great video! Don't underestimate the importance. I've seen sooooo man fish-tailing trailers and I just shake my head and hit the gas to pass them. Level with the tow vehicle and correct tongue weight; the top two towing principles. Good work brother.
I appreciate you watching, we’ve definitely seen some scary set ups on the road. There appears to of been a lot more in the last two years too…lol
Did you get your batteries? How are they making out?
Best video about tongue weight on TH-cam!...thanks Brian!
Thanks Brent, glad it helped!
Very good information. I will have to buy a scale now.
glad it helped! Analog works better than digital!
This was very informative! A lot better than the RV dealer told me. Thanks!
Thank you, I'm glad you found the video helpful.
Even better, only add enough weight in the trailer slightly forward of the trailer axle to achieve the 10 - 15% tow ball weight. Put the rest in to the tow vehicle while remaining as far as possible below tow vehicle maximum load. The maximum load of tow vehicle includes everything in the vehicle including passengers, fuel and the down weight on the tow ball. As a rule, the more the tow vehicle weight exceeds the trailer weight the better.
Yes, that's the ideal situation. A lot of times when loading up your camper that's not always possible, but staying between 10 to 15% on the tongue and well within the range of your tow vehicle is key.
Thanks so much.. getting the bathroom scale today!!
Nice, happy camping!
Well done explanation!!! Thank you!!!
Thank you for watching!
Man you are number 1. Thank you. Great infos
I really appreciate you tuning into the channel, thank you!
We love this. This is so important. Ensuring you have enough tongue is so important that you don't become a highway yard sale.
I’ve seen a few of those yard sales, pretty scary.
Awesome clip on an important subject. Your process and explanation is simple clear and accurate. Thanks! I once used a utility trailer to move about 10 miles. I knew about tongue weight, but after shoving those last things in the back like grill, garden tools, etc., the trailer was now back heavy. The trailer started to sway back and forth on I95 and I actually saw the wheels lift off the highway one at a time as it swayed like crazy. I was able to brake with timing as a wheel would come down. Very luckily I regained control and went very slow to my exit. This is serious stuff and you just may save someone’s camper and possibly their life or someone else’s life in what could be a very nasty accident this tongue weight issue could cause. Well done and thanks again for great and important info!!!!
Thank you so much for this comment, it is a serious topic. Really happy that you swung by!
Thank you for such an informative video.
Thank you for tuning in and watching the video!
Dude, great video. I'm taking a popup for a 10hr each way trip, with a Kia Sorento. It has a max towing capacity of 3500, and the trailer dry is 2500. Your explanation was awesome and easy to follow. Especially the tongue weight explanation. Thank you!!!
Happy it helped! Have a blast on your trip.
Wish this logic applied in the UK are vehicles max tounge/ball weights are so low from the factory that there is very little weight allowed on the tounge. Generally 100kg or 220 pound is the max tongue weight we are legally allowed. if caught over loading the tounge weight you can end up with points and fines and even the trailer be taking if we can shift the load to reduce the weight
Yikes, stay safe!
I have a Timberleaf Teardrop Trailer (Classic - off-road) and I really appreciated the information in this video. Thanks.
That’s a really nice rig!
Another great video! I’ve learned so much already just by watching the series you have put up. Many thanks!
Thank you, I appreciate you watching!
This is a great video and has provided me with a brand new and more educated perspective. I was hoping to get a 4Runner to tow my bbq smoker, but now realize I need something more heavy duty. Thank goodness I didn’t buy a 4 runner without having this knowledge. Thanks so much!
Thats great to hear, this comment made me hungry…lol
Well explained and i truely appreciate you explaining this , i want to be confident im towing safe and this was very helpful, thank you ....
That's great to hear, thank you for watching!
Excellent video. Thank you.
Thank you for watching!
My uncle told me about the bathroom scale method decades ago, but I only used it this morning (and saw this video this evening). Can I mount bikes on the back of my Scamp? No, not safe, as it reduces the tongue weight to around 175 lbs, with 2600+ lbs of trailer+cargo. I even had 80lbs of softener salt in the front closet to offset the bikes, but nope. Thank you for clearly explaining the numbers for us. Well done.
Great job, I can't tell you how many people figure that out the hard way. Thanks for swinging by and commenting!
Excellent.....Thank you
Thank you for watching!
hey Brian another great video good to see these kinds of things a lot of people even the more experienced RVs or tear droppers may not truly understand well done looking forward to the next one have a great day
Thanks for watching! Sometimes the boring ones are the most important!
soooooooo helpful. I know nothing and this is so easy to understand. Thank you so much!
That's really great to hear, thank you for watching!
Great video brother, you broke it down where a newbie like me was able to understand the mathematics of weight distribution. I just subscribed to your channel, thanks you!
I’m glad it was helpful, thank you for commenting and subbing. Happy camping!
Very eloquent and comprehensive explanation, thank you!
Thank you for watching and commenting!
Thank you!!! Awesome video!!
Thank you, I appreciate you watching!
Thanks for explaining it to where it's easy to understand!
Thank you for watching!
Solid job man. 👍🏻
Thanks for watching!
Thanks, well explained!! A must know for anyone who trailers.
Thank you, I appreciate you watching!
Great video. I've been struggling with getting mine right and taking all of your advice.
I hope it helps, circle back to let us know how you make out 😀
Great video on understanding tongue weight. I was also using a bathroom scale and wife thought I was nuts - going to have her watch this now.
Haha… don’t get me in trouble 😂
Very good topic Brian ,so many inexperienced people run into the problem as you mentioned of not having enough tounge weight which can result in a terrible accident.
There's some pretty scary videos online showing the consequences! I'm sure you have some stories of what you've seen with the long haul trucking! Thanks for watching!
Great job. Anyone who has ever experienced trailer sway knows how important this is. It can kill you and people in other people in vehicles around you.
I've seen some real horrors on the road...
Such good delivery... I'm thinking you might be able to help me finally understand quantum physics too... :) Well done on conveying important material in a super easy to consume fashion. Thanks gain.
Thank you for that. Next week‘s video will be explaining superposition entanglement as “spooky action at a distance” lol 😂
Great video! And tongue condition thank you highlighting this! Liability!!
I usually learn something after I do it wrong!...hahaha
Thank you so much for your info. I'm a new trailer owner and this was very helpful.
That’s great, thank you for swinging by!
Fantastic explanation in layman's terms, thank you!!
Thank you for watching, hope it helped.
I , like someone else mentioned below, am also getting my new teardrop trailer (a ‘RainDrop’ from CampInn) in about a month or so. This info you presented will prove to be quite valuable as I hitch it up to my Subaru Outback. Thank you for your clear and precise presentation.
Thanks Alan, the CampInn may very well be my favorite TD trailer. How long have you been waiting? Thanks for watching!
You forgot to mention that you need to zero out the scale once the board is on it before you place the weight of the trailer jack onto the scale to get the proper tongue weight. It will be off by a few pounds with the added weight of the board.
Thank you, that is correct. we are looking for a fast and easy way to get a good ballpark.
If your tow vehicle can handle 200 pounds on the tongue, and your trailer weighs 1000 pounds, we are looking to get people between 100 and 150lb. Although every little bit counts, total precision here isn't critical. Good looking out, always best to aim for accuracy!
Highly illustrative video about a really important topic. Thanks a lot for your detailed and interesting explanation 👍🏻👏🏻. Glad to join your community 🙂✌🏼, peace out you’all
Thank you for watching the video and joining the community, welcome aboard!
Very important and usefull information. Thanks for explaing the topic so comprehensively.
Well done Brian! Thanks!
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for this video! Very informative and helpful.
Thank you, I appreciate you watching!
What a great video! Thank you for putting this together!
Thank you for tuning in!
Thank you. You could easily open up for classes!!!
Thank you, I appreciate you tuning in!
Thanks for posting. Great job of explaining. Very helpful!
Thanks for watching, glad it was helpful!
Very helpful.
Im glad it helped, thank you for watching!
Thank you
Thanks for watching!
Thanks Brian... very informative certainly kept my attention.
Thanks for watching! I figured this video would struggle, important info though.
Thanks bro. I just bought a 10hd so that info was definitely helpful!
Nice, glad it was helpful. Thanks for watching!
Thank you for explaining it so simply. We were just talking about this last night. Trying to figure out if we can safely take our bike with us.
Great timing! Happy it helped!
Excellent. Best explanation I have come across and it is very clear to me now. The only problem is using the bathroom scale directly for heavier trailers. I don’t think they go that high for 500 lb tongue weights
There is a simple trick, although it might be harder to convey in text than video. Look up “2x4 bathroom scale trailer tongue weight” in google.
You will be following the same procedures as this video, but your place the tongue on a 2”x4” that leans on the scale. The marks you make on the 2 x 4 will allow you to prorate the weight. In other words, it’ll say 100 pounds on the scale when the hitch weight is 400. Or 200 on the scale when the hitch weight is 800. Simple trick that should help you out.
If you’re not able to find this, reach out again and I will send links.
Thanks for watching!
They do make "high-weight" bathroom scales, quite pricey though! They also make/sell tongue weight scales. 0 -200, and higher. One can also buy hitches with the scale manufactured into them.
Having been a semi truck driver (over 20 years), I've seen a multitude of accidents as well as potential accidents waiting to happen due to people improperly towing and or loading trailers and vehicles; mostly camping and utility trailers.
I recently purchased a Sherline tongue scale. It measures weight in both pounds and kilos. It cost just under $150.00.
When you haul lawn equipment north of $12k, not including the trailer and tow vehicle, what's a $150.00 for piece of mind?
Thank you so much. This is exactly what I was looking for
Great to hear, thank you for watching!
Best tongue weight vidéo Thanks....
Thank you! Glad it helped.
Great video, subscribed.
Thank you for watching and subscribing. 😀
Great Easy to understand process---from a newbie....THANK!
Thank you! Hope you'll subscribe!
SUBSCRIBE: th-cam.com/users/DIYOutdoorLife
Very good video
Thank you, I appreciate you watching!
The bathroom scale method isn't exactly measuring tongue weight. It is measuring the weight at the tongue jack location. The actual tongue weight will be less by some amount. Let's say the distance on your little trailer from axle to ball is 10 feet and the distance from axle to hitch jack is 9 feet. If the bathroom scale measures 260 lb in your example, the actual tongue weight is 9/10ths of that value = 234 lb. With larger trailers the ratio of those distances gets smaller. At least it is always a conservative number...
Exactly, like I mentioned, taking the actual measurement from weighing the whole trailer when coupled and uncoupled is the way to go for precision.
With teardrops and tiny campers like this, were talking about a difference of 10 pounds, the bathroom scale on the jack is close enough to give you the numbers you need to stay safe. Great points, thanks for swinging by and watching.
Thanks!
Thank you for watching and supporting the channel!
Clear and simple. Thanks
Glad you liked it, hope you’ll subscribe for more content on campers 😀
SUBSCRIBE: th-cam.com/users/diyoutdoorlife
great video I subscribed!
Thank you and thank you!
Brian, I appreciate this video very much...thank you!
Really glad it helped! Thanks for watching!
Super informative, thank you!
Thanks for watching!
Great video
Thank you, I appreciate you watching!
Don't forget the propane tank. It weighs 37 pound full, but can be transported upright in the back of the tow vehicle.
Great tip 👍
When weighing on the scale you would want to adjust the trailer to be level correct for the tongue weight to be correct? Thank you for a very detailed and easy to understand video much appreciated
Yes, level for accuracy. Thanks for watching the channel.
Thanks for the info, good to know
Thanks for watching, glad it helped.
As someone who has never actually towed something, but has nervously sped around that person on the highway with their trailer swaying side-to-side, I will now be able to simultaneously tell the wife what the person messed up while increasing speed. Also, oddly enough as the same person who has never towed something I have wondered how to easily determine tongue weight. Apparently I have dreams of owning something to tow!
Oh yeah... blue! Wait, wrong video.
Haha… I laughed pretty hard at this 😂 thanks for watching!
Great video, good information!
Thanks, figured you’d like the jeep 😀
good stuff
Thank you for tuning in!
So helpful!!!
Thank you!
Great video and description. Just one potential fly in the ointment. You’re measuring from the front jack point, not at the actual tongue. How much difference does the 10”-12” of extra arm make (at the ball vs at the front foot) on the weight? It will be less, I just don’t know by how much. Thanks for considering this :)
It comes down to the length of the frame in front of your axle, you are exactly right. For my trailer, and a lot of shorter teardrop/square drop, the difference is only a couple pounds. Since it's negligible, this is the way to go at home.
The way that I mentioned doing it on a larger cat scale or transfer station will give exact numbers.
Thanks for watching!
Great info !!! thanks
👍
Do you not need to account for the 8"-10" of distance from the jack point to the ball coupler? The weight will not be the same as what's measured at the jack point.
Because of how the leverage works here, the number is VERY close. Remember, a few points wont make or break you here. Knowing whether it's 150 lbs or 300 is very important. Hope this helps.
The scale should be at the ball location.
@@tcap7917 it’s a 4lb difference on this trailer..lol
This is an AMAZINGly presented and informative tutorial! Great job!
Can I just ask you to back up one step for me to make sure I start with the correct info. I have my 2000 Explorer's Bumper Weight Capacity (350lbs). But we added a hitch b/c we weren't confident with just using the bumper ball to tow our small camping gear utility trailer. So what I'm trying to find out is what my vehicle's current Tongue Weight Capacity would be and if it's any different b/c of adding a hitch (or would this totally be a mfr. question?).
Nothing official online that I can find for TWC and we just want to be as safe as possible. Hence, gleaning your expertise on tongue weight.
Thx!
Hey Mikel, thanks for watching, glad it was helpful.
When you added the hitch, what class hitch did you get? 1, II, III?
@@DIYOutdoorLife 3
@@mikel8779 you have probably made a veryyy small impact on hitch weight, my guess is it’s negligible
First
you're on a roll!