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Weight of the Trailer Tongue
The tongue load (A) of any trailer is an important weight
to measure because it affects the total gross weight of the
vehicle. The Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) includes the
curb weight of the vehicle, any cargo carried in it, and the
people who will be riding in the vehicle. If there are a lot of
options, equipment, passengers or cargo in the vehicle, it
will reduce the tongue weight the vehicle can carry, which
will also reduce the trailer weight the vehicle can tow.
If towing a trailer, the tongue load must be added to the
GVW because the vehicle will be carrying that weight,
too. See Loading the Vehicle on page 4-20 for more
information about the vehicle’s maximum load capacity.
If a weight-carrying hitch or a weight-distributing hitch
is being used, the trailer tongue (A) should weigh
10-15 percent of the total loaded trailer weight (B).
After loading the trailer, weigh the trailer and then the
tongue, separately, to see if the weights are proper.
If they are not, adjustments might be made by moving
some items around in the trailer.
Total Weight on the Vehicle’s Tires
Be sure the vehicle’s tires are inflated to the upper
limit for cold tires. These numbers can be found on
the Certification label or see Loading the Vehicle on
page 4-20 for more information. Make sure not to go
over the GVW limit for the vehicle, or the GAWR,
including the weight of the trailer tongue.
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