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After you’ve loaded your trailer, weigh the trailer
and then the tongue, separately, to see if the
weights are proper. If they aren’t, you may be able
to get them right simply by moving some items
around in the trailer.
Trailering may be limited by the vehicle’s ability
to carry tongue weight. Tongue weight cannot
cause the vehicle to exceed the GVWR (Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating) or the RGAWR (Rear
Gross Axle Weight Rating). The effect of additional
weight may reduce your trailering capacity more
than the total of the additional weight.
Consider the following example:
A vehicle model base weight is 5,500 lbs
(2 495 kg); 2,800 lbs (1 270 kg) at the front axle
and 2,700 lbs (1 225 kg) at the rear axle. It
has a GVWR of 7,200 lbs (3 266 kg), a RGAWR
of 4,000 lbs (1 814 kg) and a GCWR (Gross
Combination Weight Rating) of 14,000 lbs
(6 350 kg). The trailer rating should be:
You can expect tongue weight to be at least
10 percent of trailer weight (850 lbs (386 kg)) and
because the weight is applied well behind the
rear axle, the effect on the rear axle will be greater
than just the weight itself, as much as 1.5 times
as much. The weight at the rear axle could
be 850 lbs (386 kg) X 1.5 = 1,275 lbs (578 kg).
Since the rear axle already weighs 2,700 lbs
(1 225 kg), adding 1,275 lbs (578 kg) brings the
total to 3,975 lbs (1 803 kg). This is very close to,
but within the limit for RGAWR as well. The
vehicle is set to trailer up to 8,500 lbs (3 856 kg).
But let’s say your specific vehicle is equipped
with some of the latest options and you have a
front seat passenger and two rear seat passengers
with some luggage and gear in the vehicle as
well. You may add 300 lbs (136 kg) to the
front axle weight and 400 lbs (181 kg) to the rear
axle weight.
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