Today we’re going to talk about Too Much Tongue Weight. And it’s not something that causes a speech impediment, it’s about loading your trailer properly and what happens when you don’t.
Tires and brakes are an integral part of controlling your rig as they restrain the combined weight of your tow vehicle, trailer, and load. Both perform in demanding conditions, including inclement weather, and up and down steep grades for long periods. While both are designed to do exactly this, they can’t do their job when you tow with too much tongue weight.
Tongue weight is the downward force that is applied to the hitch of your tow vehicle. If your rig has more than 15 percent of the gross trailer weight on the tongue of your trailer it’s likely that too much of your load will be ahead of the trailer’s axle. You can often see this by stepping back and looking at your trailer and tow vehicle. If they form a shallow V at the hitch, there’s too much weight on the tongue.
Even if the weight of your total load is within your tires’ load rating but you store gear or supplies too far forward, it results in too much weight on the rear of your tow vehicle, meaning the back tires of your truck could be shouldering more weight than they are designed to handle. Too much tongue weight while driving can cause tire overload. Here are some of the signs to look for: