Travel Trailer Tongue Weight Chart
Tongue weight is the downward force the trailer coupler puts on the hitch ball. Get it wrong in either direction and the trailer becomes unstable — too little causes sway, too much overloads the rear axle and lightens the steering.
Written by Imtinan Farooq, Editor, TowCapacityCalc · Updated
Quick answer
For a conventional bumper-pull travel trailer, target 10-15% of loaded trailer weight, with 12-13% a good working figure. The chart below converts loaded trailer weight into tongue weight at each percentage and shows the payload needed once two adults and gear are aboard.
Worked example: measuring tongue weight at a CAT scale
Weighing a loaded truck and travel trailer to get an exact tongue weight instead of a percentage estimate.
| Line item | Weight | Where the number comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Pass 1 — truck alone, loaded | 6,150 lb | People and gear aboard, trailer uncoupled |
| Pass 2 — truck with trailer coupled | 7,060 lb | Truck axles only; trailer wheels off the platform |
| Measured tongue weight | 910 lb | 7,060 − 6,150 |
| Loaded trailer weight | 7,050 lb | From the same scale ticket |
| Actual tongue weight percentage | 12.9% | 910 ÷ 7,050 — inside the 10-15% range |
| Estimate at 13% | 917 lb | Within 7 lb of measured |
The 13% estimate was close here, but it can be 200 lb off on a front-kitchen floor plan. A scale ticket turns a planning number into a fact, and it also gives you the axle weights to check against GAWR.
Where the 10-15% range comes from
Below roughly 10%, the trailer's centre of mass sits too far behind the axles and small disturbances — a passing truck, a crosswind, a lane change — start an oscillation the tow vehicle cannot damp. Above roughly 15%, so much weight transfers to the rear axle that the front axle unloads, steering goes light, and the rear tires and hitch approach their ratings.
Three ways to measure it
A dedicated tongue weight scale under the jack is the simplest. A bathroom scale with a lever setup works for lighter tongues. The most accurate method is a CAT scale: weigh the truck alone, then weigh the truck coupled with the trailer's wheels off the platform — the difference is the tongue weight.
Changing tongue weight without changing trailers
Move cargo relative to the trailer's axles. Weight ahead of the axles increases tongue weight; weight behind decreases it. Filling a rear-mounted fresh water tank lowers tongue weight; a front-mounted tank raises it. Move gear in deliberate steps and re-weigh rather than guessing.
What a weight-distribution hitch does and does not do
Spring bars lever some of the tongue load forward onto the tow vehicle's front axle and back onto the trailer's axles, restoring steering and braking balance. The total tongue weight is unchanged, and it still counts fully against payload. A WD hitch is a distribution tool, not a capacity increase.
Tongue weight by loaded trailer weight
| Loaded trailer | Tongue at 10% | Tongue at 13% | Tongue at 15% | Payload needed at 10% + 2 adults + gear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,000 lb | 200 lb | 260 lb | 300 lb | 690 lb |
| 3,000 lb | 300 lb | 390 lb | 450 lb | 790 lb |
| 4,000 lb | 400 lb | 520 lb | 600 lb | 890 lb |
| 5,000 lb | 500 lb | 650 lb | 750 lb | 990 lb |
| 6,000 lb | 600 lb | 780 lb | 900 lb | 1,090 lb |
| 7,000 lb | 700 lb | 910 lb | 1,050 lb | 1,190 lb |
| 8,000 lb | 800 lb | 1,040 lb | 1,200 lb | 1,290 lb |
| 9,000 lb | 900 lb | 1,170 lb | 1,350 lb | 1,390 lb |
| 10,000 lb | 1,000 lb | 1,300 lb | 1,500 lb | 1,490 lb |
| 12,000 lb | 1,200 lb | 1,560 lb | 1,800 lb | 1,690 lb |
The final column is a floor: it adds only 340 lb of passengers and 150 lb of gear to the lightest tongue weight in the range.
Frequently asked questions
What should trailer tongue weight be?
10-15% of loaded trailer weight for a conventional bumper-pull trailer, with 12-13% a sensible working target. Fifth wheels are different: 15-25% pin weight.
What happens if tongue weight is too low?
The trailer becomes prone to sway. Below about 10%, ordinary disturbances such as passing trucks or crosswinds can start an oscillation that is hard to stop.
What happens if tongue weight is too high?
Weight transfers off the front axle, steering and braking go light, and the rear axle, tires, and hitch can be pushed past their ratings.
How do I measure tongue weight at home?
A tongue weight scale under the jack is easiest. Otherwise, weigh the truck alone and then coupled with the trailer wheels off the scale platform; the difference is the tongue weight.
Before you trust any number here
Every figure on this page is a planning estimate. The binding limits are printed on your vehicle: the driver-door payload sticker, the certification label, the hitch label, the tire sidewalls, and the trailer data plate. Weigh the loaded rig before a long trip.
Read the full verification checklistExplore this topic cluster
Why payload runs out before tow rating on most family setups, and how to turn a trailer weight into the payload figure you need.