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Trailer Tongue-Weight from Trailer Weight (10-15% Rule) Calculator

Tongue weight = 10-15 % of loaded trailer weight.

Compute the recommended tongue weight (downward force on the hitch ball) for a conventional ball-coupler trailer: 10-15 % of the loaded trailer weight. Too-light = trailer sway; too-heavy = rear-axle overload and reduced steering. Reports the lower-bound, target, and upper-bound tongue weights in pounds.

Marcus Laurent By Marcus Laurent
Published Last reviewed 1 min read

Inputs

lb
%

Results

Enter values and click Calculate to see results.
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How to use this calculator

  1. Fill in the inputs above using the units you already have.
  2. Values update automatically as you type — no submit button needed.
  3. Hover any result row for the underlying formula and intermediate values.

Formula

tongue_lbs = trailer_lbs · target_pct / 100.

In depth

Compute the recommended tongue weight (downward force on the hitch ball) for a conventional ball-coupler trailer: 10-15 % of the loaded trailer weight. Too-light = trailer sway; too-heavy = rear-axle overload and reduced steering. Reports the lower-bound, target, and upper-bound tongue weights in pounds.