Salt Life

That was a great site there I hope people see it .. Thanks

Harry Brosofsky

15% is actually too much for a boat trailer because of the surge mechanism...too much weight and it binds. Most experts (I'm not one, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express a few days ago) will quote 8-10% for a boat trailer with surge brakes.

As for determining tongue weight, you can use beams and a bathroom scale, or you can just buy a tongue weight scale, or you can come over to my house and borrow mine.



Harry

Salt Life

There is always a tool for everything ! :doh

AUradar

don't forget, to much is when it exceeds the truck's specifications.

Do you have a dump close by? They have scales and maybe willing to help you out. Weigh the whole truck and trailer at once. Then move the truck off the scales and leave the boat there (still hooked up). Disconnect the trailer and then weigh the truck.

Now, boat gross weight is (truck+trailer) - (truck)

Tongue weight will be (truck+trailer) - (boat) - (truck)

This should work, if the scales are accurate enough.

You could disconnect the trailer and put the tongue only on the scale but the scale may not be able to measure accurately at that small of a weight.

bigfish

Take your rig to a truck stop with a scale. The weight is actually determined by 2 scales: the tongue on one and the tires on another (you'll have to disconnect from the tow vehicle). So, you'll get total weight and tongue weight. Cost was about $15 2 years ago. I'm at 10% on a 4000 lb total weight (that 400 on the tongue).

AUradar

Bigfish, are those scales accurate at that low of a weight? Thats why I said the crazy thing I said, wasn't sure a big truck scale could wiegh 100-400 pounds.

fishnfool

the truck stop/gas station at I10 and 9 Mile Rd has a scale. I just had to weight my car trailer to get it registered and it cost a whopping 8 bucks to do it. The can weigh it by axle and tongue if you set it on the scale that way.