Reference chart

Travel Trailer Tongue Weight Chart

Tongue weight is the downward force the trailer coupler puts on the hitch ball. Vehicle manufacturers give a target range because both ends cause problems: too little makes a trailer prone to sway, too much overloads the rear axle and takes weight off the front wheels.

Written by Imtinan FarooqEditor, TowCapacityCalc

Updated August 20, 2026

A trailer tongue with its jack and coupler

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Quick answer

For a conventional bumper-pull travel trailer, plan on 10-15% of loaded trailer weight. That is the range Chevrolet gives; Ford's towing guide plans at 10% and Ram calculates its ratings at 10%. This site uses 13% as a middle planning figure until you have weighed your own. The chart converts loaded trailer weight into tongue weight at each percentage and shows the payload needed once two adults and gear are aboard.

Tongue weight by loaded trailer weight

Loaded trailer	Tongue at 10%	Tongue at 13%	Tongue at 15%	Payload floor: 10% + 2 adults + gear
2,000 lb	200 lb	260 lb	300 lb	720 lb
3,000 lb	300 lb	390 lb	450 lb	820 lb
4,000 lb	400 lb	520 lb	600 lb	920 lb
5,000 lb	500 lb	650 lb	750 lb	1,020 lb
6,000 lb	600 lb	780 lb	900 lb	1,120 lb
7,000 lb	700 lb	910 lb	1,050 lb	1,220 lb
8,000 lb	800 lb	1,040 lb	1,200 lb	1,320 lb
9,000 lb	900 lb	1,170 lb	1,350 lb	1,420 lb
10,000 lb	1,000 lb	1,300 lb	1,500 lb	1,520 lb
12,000 lb	1,200 lb	1,560 lb	1,800 lb	1,720 lb

Arithmetic, not data. The final column is a floor: it adds only 370 lb of passengers and 150 lb of gear to the lightest tongue weight in the range, and leaves out the hitch.

Where the 10-15% range comes from

It is manufacturer guidance, not a law. Chevrolet's trailering material says tongue weight should usually be 10-15% of the loaded trailer, and owner's manuals give similar figures. Below the range, the trailer's weight sits close to or behind its axles and it becomes more prone to sway. Above it, the rear axle carries more and the front axle less, which affects steering and braking, and the hitch and rear tires move closer to their ratings. Check the hitch receiver's own maximum too: Toyota rates the 2024 Tacoma at 640-650 lb, and Ram the 2024 Ram 1500's Class IV receiver at 1,100 lb.

Three ways to measure it

A tongue weight scale under the jack is the simplest. A bathroom scale with a lever setup works for lighter tongues. The most complete method is a truck scale: weigh the truck coupled to the trailer with any weight-distribution bars released, then weigh the truck alone. The difference in the truck's weight is the tongue weight. With the bars tensioned, part of the load moves onto the trailer axles and the difference reads low.

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. A full fresh-water tank behind the axles lowers tongue weight; one ahead of them raises it. Move gear in deliberate steps and weigh again 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 trailer's tongue weight is unchanged, and it still counts in full against payload. A weight-distribution hitch moves load around; it does not add capacity.

Worked example

Worked example (hypothetical): measuring tongue weight at a truck scale

Weighing a loaded truck and travel trailer to get a measured tongue weight instead of a percentage estimate. The weight-distribution bars are released for the coupled pass.

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 coupled, bars released	7,060 lb	Steer and drive axles added together
Measured tongue weight	910 lb	7,060 − 6,150
Trailer axles, pass 2	6,140 lb	Third platform on the same ticket
Loaded trailer weight	7,050 lb	6,140 + 910
Actual tongue weight percentage	12.9%	910 ÷ 7,050, inside the 10-15% range
Estimate at 13%	917 lb	7 lb from the measured figure

The 13% estimate happened to be close here. A percentage cannot see how your trailer is built or loaded, so it can be well off on another trailer. The scale ticket turns a planning number into a measurement and also gives you the axle weights to check against GAWR.

Frequently asked questions

What should trailer tongue weight be?

10-15% of loaded trailer weight for a conventional bumper-pull trailer, which is the range Chevrolet gives. Ford plans at 10%. Fifth wheels are different: Ford plans king-pin load at 15%, and published pin weights often run near 20%.

What happens if tongue weight is too low?

The trailer becomes more prone to sway, which is why manufacturers give 10% as the bottom of the range. Move cargo forward of the trailer axles and weigh again.

What happens if tongue weight is too high?

Weight transfers off the front axle, which affects steering and braking, 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. At a truck scale, weigh the truck alone and then coupled with any weight-distribution bars released; the difference in the truck's weight is the tongue weight.