TOPIC: tongue weight percentage?

What is the correct percentage of tongue weight to total trailer weight? I have read on here 7-10% but my cars owners manual and Dexter axle say 10-15%.
My trailer tows fine but I have 143lbs tongue weight. I do not know the total trailer weight BUT I doubt if it is much over 1200 lbs with a small 15 foot runabout and 1961 Merc 400 motor.

My MFG setup is just about at 50 or a little less. It is easy to lift and put on. My Winner set up Is almost a perfect balance with a 25 hp Johnson on it without nothing else in the boat. Look at your tow vehicle and see what the the towing hitch tongue weight says and stay under that. Not the towing capacity but tongue weight. Too much weight pushing down on the back will change the handling. I've used my old Taurus to tow with and you would not even know it was back there.

Hi 59,

I just checked my 2008 1/2 ton 2WD Chevy truck manual. It also says 10-15% for a tongue trailer, not to exceed 600 lbs. The 3/4 and 1 ton still said 10-15% but allowed more total tongue weight.

I have the opposite problem, my tongue is light... at about 5%... though my total boat package is pretty light (about 800-850 lbs).

Dean

My Town and Country says 3699 lbs not to exceed I think it was 500lbs tongue weight and recomends an equalizer hitch over 1000 lbs. wrong picture but look at the long ramp.

Over many, many years of towing all sorts of stuff, I tend to go with the upper percentage limit, just because it helps the trailer track better at speed. Nothing is scarier to me than trailer sway!

Frank

Go with the upper limit. Check what your tongue weight should be for the hitch you have. If the tongue weight is too light you get trailer sway (yawing side to side) and the hitch can actually come off the ball. ( I was behind a truck that had that happen and it is scary enough to mentally scar you for life). But you don't want it too heavy. You don't want the rear of your tow vehicle dragging.