Tongue Weight Calculator

US & Canada

Too light and the trailer sways. Too heavy and you are over payload. Here is the band to aim for, and where yours sits.

Your trailer

1. The trailer

lb

As towed, with water, gas and gear aboard.

2. What you measured, if you have

lb

From a tongue scale or a scale ticket. Leave 0 to just see the target.

lb

Stamped on the receiver. Leave 0 if unknown.

Moving a load forward of the axle raises tongue weight, moving it behind lowers it. Small shifts move it a surprising amount, which is why measuring beats estimating.

Result

0

Your tongue weight target

These percentages are manufacturer guidance, not law. No federal regulation in either country sets a tongue weight percentage. Your trailer's own manual wins over any rule of thumb.

What tongue weight is

The downward force the trailer coupler puts on the ball. It is not part of what the trailer axles carry, and it is not extra weight on the road: it is trailer weight transferred onto your vehicle. That is why it counts fully against payload but cancels out of the combined weight check.

The target band

Chevrolet, 2026 Trailering Guide, p. 8 publishes 10 to 15% of loaded trailer weight for a conventional ball hitch, and 15 to 25% for a gooseneck or fifth wheel.

These are manufacturer guidance, not law. No federal regulation in either country sets a tongue weight percentage. Where your trailer's manual gives a figure, use that instead.

Tongue weight by trailer weight

Calculated from the percentages above.

Target tongue weight by loaded trailer weight
Loaded trailer Ball hitch, 10 to 15% Fifth wheel, 15 to 25%
2,000 lb (907 kg) 200 to 300 lb 300 to 500 lb
3,000 lb (1,361 kg) 300 to 450 lb 450 to 750 lb
3,500 lb (1,588 kg) 350 to 525 lb 525 to 875 lb
4,000 lb (1,814 kg) 400 to 600 lb 600 to 1,000 lb
5,000 lb (2,268 kg) 500 to 750 lb 750 to 1,250 lb
6,000 lb (2,722 kg) 600 to 900 lb 900 to 1,500 lb
7,000 lb (3,175 kg) 700 to 1,050 lb 1,050 to 1,750 lb
8,000 lb (3,629 kg) 800 to 1,200 lb 1,200 to 2,000 lb
10,000 lb (4,536 kg) 1,000 to 1,500 lb 1,500 to 2,500 lb

How to move it

  • Too light? Move load forward of the trailer axle. A little moves it a lot.
  • Too heavy? Move load behind the axle, but do not overshoot: going under the minimum trades a payload problem for a sway problem, which is worse.
  • Still too heavy? The trailer may simply be wrong for the vehicle. Check payload before you buy, not after.

Measuring it properly

  1. Load the trailer exactly as you will tow it, water and gas included.
  2. Put a tongue weight scale under the coupler at towing height, or use a public weigh scale.
  3. On a weigh scale: weigh the vehicle alone, then hitched with the trailer wheels off the platform. The difference is tongue weight.
  4. Re-measure after any significant change to how the trailer is packed.

Sources

All tongue weight figures in the table are calculated from the percentages above.

Common questions

How much tongue weight should I have?
Chevrolet, 2026 Trailering Guide, p. 8 gives 10 to 15% of loaded trailer weight for a conventional ball hitch, and 15 to 25% for a gooseneck or fifth wheel. On a 5,000 lb (2,268 kg) trailer that is 500 lb (227 kg) to 750 lb (340 kg). This is manufacturer guidance, not a legal requirement.
Is tongue weight percentage a legal requirement?
No. There is no federal regulation in the United States or Canada that sets a tongue weight percentage. It is guidance from vehicle and hitch manufacturers, and it is good guidance, but anyone presenting it as law is wrong. Your trailer's own manual takes precedence over any general figure, including the one on this page.
What happens if tongue weight is too light?
The trailer sways. Too little weight on the ball lets the trailer's mass pivot around the hitch, and once a sway starts at speed it tends to build rather than settle. If you measure below 10%, move load forward of the trailer axle before you drive.
What happens if tongue weight is too heavy?
Two things, and the second is the one people miss. The vehicle's rear end squats, which lightens the steering axle. And all of that weight is payload, so a heavy tongue can put you over GVWR or over the rear GAWR while the trailer is still well inside your tow rating.
How do I measure tongue weight?
A tongue weight scale under the jack is the simple way. Otherwise use a public weigh scale: weigh the vehicle alone, then weigh it again hitched with the trailer's wheels off the scale. The difference is tongue weight. Both beat estimating, because where you put the load changes it more than people expect.
Why is the brochure tongue weight lower than mine?
Because the brochure figure is usually for an empty trailer. Propane tanks, batteries and a front storage locker all sit ahead of the axle, and anything ahead of the axle adds to the tongue. Loaded tongue weight is routinely much higher than the dry figure.
Does a weight distribution hitch reduce tongue weight?
It redistributes it rather than removing it. The bars transfer some of the load back onto the tow vehicle's front axle and the trailer's axles, which restores steering and levels the rig. The total weight on the ball is unchanged, so it still counts in full against payload.
Can I be within GVWR and still overloaded?
Yes, on the rear axle. 49 CFR 571.3, Definitions defines GAWR as "Gross axle weight rating or GAWR means the value specified by the vehicle manufacturer as the load-carrying capacity of a single axle system, as measured at the tire-ground interfaces." Tongue weight lands almost entirely on the rear axle, and often behind it, so the rear GAWR can be exceeded while total vehicle weight is still under GVWR.