Any idea on tongue weight??

[Widgeonus]

Y'all gunna get tired of me asking stupid questions but here goes. Would yall have any idea the tongue weight would be hauling my L2800DT 4WD with FEL on a standard 16' double axil trailer would be??? Loaded question huh!!! Also, would my GMC Sierra extended cab 1/2 ton with a 4.8 litre V8 have any problems pulling it? Thanks again for your time dealing with a dumb newbie!!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Well it really depends on how you balance the tractor on the trailer, there is no true answer, but drive it forward too far and your tongue weight goes up, drive it back a foot and the tongue weight goes down. The L2800 could easily be pulled by your rig, even a smaller rig could pull that without much trouble.

What is usually a good test is to set the tractor on the trailer, have the M-I-L sit on the back end of the trailer. If the trailer is balanced light as feather at the tongue with her on the back, then when she gets off you can assume the tongue weight to be something in the neighborhood of 1000#, maybe a bit more. HOWEVER if she sits on the back of the trailer and the tractor flies off like it was catapulted then you can figure the tongue weight was probably just about perfect, unfortunately your tractor won't be on the trailer anymore.

 

[Bird]

When all else fails, hook up the trailer to the truck, stand a yardstick by the back bumper and measure the distance to the ground. Drive the tractor onto the trailer, and measure again. Move the tractor forward or backward on the trailer until the tongue weight pushes the back bumper of the truck down about 1.5" from where it was with just the empty trailer. Naturally it's a little faster and easier if you have a helper holding the yardstick and watching the measurements while you drive the tractor.

 

[GeneD14]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( What is usually a good test is to set the tractor on the trailer, have the M-I-L sit on the back end of the trailer. If the trailer is balanced light as feather at the tongue with her on the back, then when she gets off you can assume the tongue weight to be something in the neighborhood of 1000#, maybe a bit more. HOWEVER if she sits on the back of the trailer and the tractor flies off like it was catapulted then you can figure the tongue weight was probably just about perfect, unfortunately your tractor won't be on the trailer anymore.

)</font>

/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gifLOL /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif That was a good one!

 

[FL_Cracker]

Here is a simple way to check your tongue weight using normal household items....

You want the tractor is spot that give you 10-15% tongue weight. That would be 10-15% of the total trailer & tractor combo.....

Tongue Weight Test

Good luck... hope this helps.

 

[Pks]

I used a bathroom scale under the tongue jack in order to find where the tractor should be located.

Remember, everything changes with different implements or if you drive onto the trailer backward.