When it comes to trailers there are many different weight components to keep in mind. Keeping within the range of manufacturer weight specifications is necessary to make sure you have a safe and easy towing experience.

One of the most important factors of your overall trailer load is the tongue weight. The tongue weight is the amount of weight that is directly applied to the trailer hitch or fifth wheel coupling.


A proper tongue weight insures that the weight of the trailer load is spread evenly on the axles of the towing vehicle and allows you to tow safely.

Most experts agree that a proper tongue weight is within eight to 15 percent of the gross trailer weight, depending on the type of hitch. So how do you determine your tongue weight? In this article, we will review some of the more common methods on measuring tongue weight. 

Use a Tongue Weight Scale 

If you are frequently traveling and checking your tongue weight each time, you can make it easier on yourself by purchasing a tongue weight scale. Tongue weight scales are compact specialized devices that take the guesswork out of measuring.

Park your vehicle and trailer on a hard level surface. Slide the scale underneath where your trailer tongue jack touches the ground. Crank down the trailer jack until it is firmly pressed onto the scale. Detach the trailer from the hitch and take your reading.

Most tongue weight scales can handle up to 2,000 pounds, or roughly a 20,000-pound trailer.

Make sure you read the capacity of the scale before purchasing.

Use a Bathroom Scale 

If your gross trailer weight is smaller, such as 3,000 pounds or lighter, you may be able to use a bathroom scale to measure your tongue weight. This method is a bit more complex than a tongue weight scale but is easy once you get the hang of it.

Make sure your bathroom scale is up to the challenge of supporting the weight or else you’ll have a broken scale and no reading.

You will need a bathroom scale, a brick, two pieces of pipes, and a 2’ x 4’ piece of lumber four to five feet long.

Here are the steps to follow to use a bathroom scale to measure tongue weight:

• Lay the brick and scale three feet apart from each other and make sure they are the same height.
• Lay a pipe across long ways across both the brick and the scale.
• Set your 2’ x 4’ on top of the pipes.
• Place the ball socket of your tongue on top of the 2’ x 4’ precisely two feet from the scale and one foot from the brick.
• This will distribute the weight at a 3:1 ratio on the scale.
• Make sure the socket is at the same height as your ball hitch. (You may need to use an additional piece of wood on top of the 2’ x 4’ for this.) 
• Now simply get the reading on your bathroom scale and multiply by three since the weight on the scale is at a 3:1 ratio and you have your tongue weight.

Use a Commercial Weight Scale 

This one involves a few steps but it is simpler than using a bathroom scale. Drive your trailer to a commercial scale at a truck stop or material supply center. 

Drive only your vehicle onto the scale with the fully loaded trailer attached; make sure all four of your tires are on the scale. Take the weight measurement, and this is measurement X. 

Fully detach the trailer from your vehicle while your vehicle remains on the scale. Take the measurement, and this is measurement Y. 

Now simply subtract Y from X, this is your approximate tongue weight.

Play around with these different methods to find out which one suits you the best. It takes some practice with each method to get it down right. Once you find the right method, measuring your tongue weight and towing a trailer will be easier for you. Before you know it, you’ll be a tongue weight measuring machine.