How to determine optimal tongue weight

[TNhobbyfarmer]

I recently bought a trailer to tow my Kubota 3430. Weight of the tractor with FEL and loaded rear tires is in the 4600-4800 lbs. I tow it with a F150 truck. How do I best determine an optimal tongue weight for towing this rig? Moving the tractor just a few inches forward or backward on the trailer can affect the tongue weight quite a bit. How do you guys determine your optimal tongue weight?

 

[Diamondpilot]

What I do is weigh the truck first. At my local scale(truck stop) it has 3 pads. I put the front axle on one and the rear axle on another. Next go back with your trailer loaded as you think it needs to be. Pull on the scales again with the front axle on one pad, the rear axle on another, and finally the trailer on the last one.

What this will tell you is:

A: How much your truck weighs first time you weigh it.

B: How much your truck and trailer weigh together when you go the second time.

C: How much weight your truck gains via tongue weight during the second weighing.

Ideally you want 10 to 15% of the trailer total weight as tongue weight.

So as a example lets say you have a 1/2 ton 4x4 and you weigh it with 3/4 tank of fuel and you in it. Lets say it weighs 5,800# total with 3,000# on the front axle and 2,800# on the rear.

Now you go back again with the same fuel and driver and its now a total weight of 10,800#. We already know the truck is 5,800# so the trailer is 5,000# for argument sake. Now look at your pad weights. Lets say the front axle is now at 2,900# due to the unloading from the trailer, the rear axle is now at 3,500# due to the tongue weight. This now makes your truck 6,400# so you have 600# of tongue weight or 12% of the trailers total weight. Now look at the trailers pad and the weight should be the trailers weight minus the tongue weight, or 4,400#. 5000#-600# of tongue weight.

Once you get it all where you want it mark your trailer where you need your tractor to go. With my rig I back my tractor on if not hauling a 3 point implement and pull it on forward if I have something on the 3 point.

Chris

 

[buck12]

I tow a tractor of similar weight with a F150. Chris has given excellent advice. I didn't go to the trouble of scales. Instead I experimented. It easy to tell when the weight is too far back as the trailer has a tendency to fish tail. Too far forward and the truck has to work too hard. Once I found the sweet spot she tows perfect. I didn't do a good job of marking the sweet spot and this past spring I had to experiment again. With my setup a few inches makes all the difference in a whether its a pleasurable towing experience.

 

[NEKVT]

I towed a similar weight Ford 2000 w/ Loader. I had one person inch the tractor back and forth until the back of the truck had a reasonable, but not too much, sag.
Truck was a 6 cyl Tacoma, and I towed 350 miles, over the Berkshires. It didn't fishtail until over 55 mph.
Watch that you block up the back of the trailer when you first load. I didn't, and the trailer tongue tried to lift the truck off the ground when the tractor weight first hit the back end of the trailer. I had to back off and then block up the end of the trailer.

 

[streamin]

I like to stay a bit under the max weight rating on the tow hitch. I bought a small tongue scale that you can check the weight with, very handy for a small price.#800-#1000 lbs works good for my F250.

 

[TNhobbyfarmer]

I like to stay a bit under the max weight rating on the tow hitch. I bought a small tongue scale that you can check the weight with, very handy for a small price.#800-#1000 lbs works good for my F250.

Where can you find a tongue scale?

 

[Bob77064]

etrailer.com - Products tongue weight scale

 

[teampryor]

Anyone even consider a weight distributing hitch? Most reciever hitches are only rated for 500 lbs of tongue weight and 5000lbs trailer weight, but with weight distribution a 1000 tongue and 10000 trailer. You also need to add the weight of the trailer itself.
Look at your hitch it will state its capacities. I see folks on the highway all the time with improper rigging. Is it worth risking your investment on improper rigging. Insurance companies will and can deny your claim if you haul with an unsafe or overloaded setup.

 

[muddstopper]

Most factory trailers have the axles mounted to give the correct 60/40 weight distribution for the correct tounge weight. Its a matter of centering the weight being towed evenly above the axles. Sadly most homebuilt trailers dont have the axles centered properly and means you will have to experiment to find the proper weight distribution. Hitch height will effect how well the trailer tows, Hitch to high and you put to much weight on the rear axle. Hitch to low and the trailer will fishtail at highway speeds.

 

[streamin]

etrailer.com - Products tongue weight scale

That's the one, works great!