10
Dec
Too little weight on the tongue of the boat trailer can cause the boat trailer to fishtail or even cause the rear tires of the towing vehicle to lift off the ground. Tongue weight expressed in pounds is the downward force a trailers tongue places on the hitch ball and therefore on the rear of the tow vehicle.
So if the weight of your boat and trailer is more than that I would recommend you get a WD system.
Why is tongue weight important when towing a boat. Having too little or too much weight on the tongue of a boat trailer can cause problems for the boat trailer or the towing vehicle. Weight must be distributed evenly for optimal towing performance. Too little weight on the tongue of the boat trailer can cause the boat trailer to fishtail or even cause the rear tires of the towing vehicle to lift off the ground.
In turn youll need to load whatever cargo youre bringing in the bow of the boat to help increase the tongue weight. Coolers towels snacks and water toys should be loaded accordingly based off of what your tongue weight is and where youre needing it to be. Another important aspect to keep in mind with boats is that they hold water.
How To DIY Series. If youre looking at towing a trailered boat this summer you are going to need to learn a little bit about your tongue weight because towing a trailer with improper tongue weight could land you in a world of trouble on the roads. Tongue weight is the downwards force from the tongue of the trailer to your hitch.
When the tongue weight of a boat trailer is too heavy it tends to cause the towing vehicle to sag down which can be followed by uncontrolled pushing of the tow vehicle. Too much tongue weight can also lead to problems with braking distances driver visibility overall handling as well as a strain on the transmission and an increase in fuel cost. Why is Tongue Weight Important When.
The position of the boat on the trailer affects tongue weight TW. Tongue weight is defined as the weight of the trailer on the hitchball. So even a slight change in the position of the boat on the trailer can affect the balance and tongue weight.
In most trailering scenarios a tongue weight of 10 to 15 percent of the total load is ideal. So for my 5000 pound boat a tongue. You have little to no control of your vehicle let alone the trailer you are towing.
It also puts everyone around you at risk which is why knowing your tongue weight and making sure it is within 10-15 of your gross trailer weight GTW is so important. Proper Tongue Weight Explained. If you have less than 10 of your GTW on the tongue of your trailer you have too little tongue weight which means most of your load is on the back end of your trailer.
The tongue weight was at 240 lbs. I adjusted the axles back to the next hole and that put my tongue weight at near 500 lbs. I can tow at 70 mph and it is rock solid.
No sway when passing or being passed by big trucks at all now. Guessing my boat is about 4000 lbs loaded with trailer so i am well over the 10. How Tongue Weight Affects Your Vehicle.
The tongue weight is the static force the trailer tongue exerts on the hitch ball. Proper trailer tongue weight can make the difference between a safe trailer towing experience and a dangerous journey. If you dont have enough weight on the trailer tongue the trailer may be prone to swaying from side to side making it difficult to control.
Your tongue weight is the maximum downward forceweight that can be put on the actual trailer hitch of your vehicle. For the RDX this value is only 150 lbs so youll need to verify the specs of your trailer before going down this route Id think. It is essential to staying safe while towing.
Also the tongue weight is the downward pressure from the trailer tongue to the trailers hook. The industry standard for trailer tongue weight percentageis 9 to 14 of the total trailer weight GTW. The tongues weight allows you to control the trailer when towed thereby making driving safer.
Tongue weight expressed in pounds is the downward force a trailers tongue places on the hitch ball and therefore on the rear of the tow vehicle. The proper towing setup requires 10-15 of the trailers weight be on the hitch. The greater the tongue-weight the more the rear of the vehicle drops and the front rises.
Boat Trailer Package Tongue Weight The tongue weight down force is the weight that is transferred on to the car tow ball from the trailer. Most people will be familiar with the towing capacity of the car or tow bar itself. But not so familiar with the Tongue Weight Rating.
It is however a key factor in how your trailer tows and your. What is the tongue weight and why is it important. The downward force that the tongue on the trailer applies to the hitch of the tow vehicle.
If its too heavy it is difficult to turn and if its to light it results in the boat fishtailing. Having hauled lots of very heavy things for years most non-boat trailering advice Ive heard suggests 10-20 tongue weight. I cant see why boats should be any different.
Being ever so detail minded when it comes to my boat I calculated the tongue weight as follows. Weigh tow vehicle alone 2. Proper Weight Distribution is required for towing stability and will assure that the trailer is not rear front or side heavy.
A light tongue weight or heavy weights placed at the rear end of the trailer can cause sway. On the other hand too much weight on the tongue can overload the tow vehicle and cause poor tow vehicle braking poor cornering and can damage the trailer frame. Instructions for towing are found in the owners manual and must be followed to prevent the trailer from losing its balance.
Typically the weight of a boat on a trailer is concentrated at its rear making the tongue weight rating different from traditional trailers. Hitch Your Trailer Correctly. This is usually between 10-15 percent of the total weight of the loaded trailer but some boat trailers may fall outside of this range.
Correct tongue load is critical in avoiding trailer sway. The tongue weight is also greatly affected by where cargo is positioned in a trailer and is important for maintaining good control of the vehicle. Because we dont know the weight of the trailer or its balance point the length of the tongue to axle the weight of the boat and its weight distribution and all kinds of other stuff I dont want to think about.
2 examples my 18 aluminum runabout with 115 hp outboard had to move the axle 14 to go from 50 tongue weight to 160 tongue weight. So if the weight of your boat and trailer is more than that I would recommend you get a WD system. The most important factor when picking out a WD system is the loaded tongue weight of your setup.
This includes the weight of any cargo behind the rear axle of your Yukon. Tongue weight is important for towing because improper tongue weight can cause driving hazards. If the tongue weight is too little – less than 10 of the total trailer weight – the trailer may tend to sway back and forth.