How Important Is Tongue Weight?
Sherline trailer tongue weight scale assists in keeping your trailer weight at an acceptable level. Proper tongue weight is important to improve the towing experience of any trailer or vehicle through perfection in performance. If the tongue weight is not enough on the tow or hitch ball, it can cause the trailer to sway from side to side, thus making it difficult to control. On the contrary, too much tongue weight can overload the back tires of the towing vehicle, which can lead to mishandling of the vehicle.
Without a proper tongue weight, the performance is compromised, as your trailer might not be able to reach around the corners and curves effectively. Your vehicle may also not stop quickly when you push the pedal brakes.
The 3 Best Trailer Tongue Weight Scales 2022
Sherline LM 1000 – Trailer Tongue Weight Scale – 1000LB
The Sherline LM 1000 trailer tongue weight scale is designed and manufactured so that users can easily obtain a proper tongue weight on their trailers. With Sherline LM 1000, you can be sure that your trailer is ready to tow safely before heading out to the highway.
Let us discuss some of the main features and properties of this product:
- This weight scale features a gauge that places the final measurements approximately in the middle to provide maximum accuracy.
- The Sherline LM 1000 gauge can read up to 1000 pounds per 460kg weight capacity.
It can read measurements every 100 pounds and has a mark every 20 pounds. The user can also use the scale to read measurements in kilograms within the inner gauge ring. - The Sherline LM 1000 uses a hydraulic principle to change pressure readings into pound readings.
- The construction includes aluminum and solid billet steel.
- There are no delicate electronics or batteries but only a single moving part.
- The scale has a 3.2-inch body diameter that is around 4.5 inch high, minus the included screw-on hitch extension.
- The actual weight of the scale is 4.4 pounds, and the gauge diameter is 2.7 inches, so very lightweight and compact.
- It is available with gauge readings to 1000 pounds, 2000 pounds, and 5000 pounds, particularly for 5th wheel trailers that carry a massive percentage of the weight on the gooseneck.
CURT 51701 BetterWeigh Mobile Towing Scale with TowSense Technology (OBD2) Apple, Android Smartphones, Tongue Weight, GCW, Weight Distribution, BLACK PLASTIC
BetterWeigh is a mobile-friendly vehicle and trailer scale that installs in seconds and wirelessly connects to your smartphone to display real-time vehicle and trailer weights, including gross weight, cargo, payload, tongue weight, pin weight, and weight distribution.
This compact, Bluetooth-enabled device plugs into your vehicle’s diagnostic port (OBD-II) under the steering wheel, requiring no wiring, splicing, or installation modifications. Just plug it in, wirelessly connect to your phone and start getting active readouts of your towing and hauling weights.
It’s perfect for towing a bumper pull trailer, 5th wheel trailer, gooseneck trailer, or accurately measuring the weight of your cargo. BetterWeigh also makes the brake controller and weight distribution hitch setup a breeze. Unlike other tongue-weight scale products, BetterWeigh is smartphone-ready. The app is available for download on Apple or Android devices.
- SMARTPHONE-READY. BetterWeigh uses Bluetooth to connect to your smartphone and show the actual weight of your vehicle and trailer. It is compatible with Apple or Android phones.
- REAL-TIME WEIGHING. For safer, easier towing and hauling, the measurements provided by BetterWeigh are real-time. No need to get out of the vehicle to check a physical meter
- ZERO INSTALLATION. The BetterWeigh hitch and tongue scale install in seconds. The compact, plug-and-play design fits any vehicle diagnostic port (OBD-II) under your steering wheel. Note: Functionality on manual transmission vehicles is limited to the payload, tongue weight, pin weight, and weight distribution
- INSIGHTFUL MEASUREMENTS. BetterWeigh weighs the vehicle and trailer, cargo, payload, tongue weight, pin weight, and weight distribution. It also makes brake controller setup easy by providing the trailer brake gain needed.
- ENHANCED SAFETY. Whether you’re loading cargo or hitching up your trailer, having an active readout of your vehicle and trailer’s weight allows you to stay within safe operating limits (accurate within + / – 5%; not intended for weight certification)
Sherline 5th Wheel Trailer Hitch Scale
Sherline trailer tongue weight scale was launched for all their users with fifth-wheel trailers. This scale is an advanced and modified style of the company’s original trailer tongue weight scale.
But why is it one of the best tongue-weight scales out there?
- The Sherline trailer tongue weight scale is specially designed for a convenient attachment to all the 5th wheel trailers worldwide.
- It consists of an updated piston to fit the average 2-3/16-inches diameter kingpin and the locating pin for the hitches that accept this standard.
- Sherline trailer hitch weight scale works on a simple hydraulic principle to change pressure into the readings in kilograms and pounds over the gauge.
- There are no delicate batteries or other types of electronics involved.
- It features a 5000 pounds gauge because 5th wheel trailers usually carry more percentage of the weight on the hitch.
- Constructive of strong and durable aluminum and billet steel: the body diameter and piston measure 3.25 inches.
- The aluminum base is 6 inch square by the 1-inch thick and 6-inch height.
- The trailer hitch weight scale gauge diameter is around 2.7 inches, and the overall weight of the scale is 11 pounds.
- Every gauge in the scale features a dual scale gauge that can read the measurements in pounds (on the outside of the ring) and kilograms (corresponding to the inside).
How Do I Know The Tongue Weight Of My Trailer?
You can use several ways to know the tongue weight of your trailer. You can use the following:
Sherline trailer tongue weight scale– They are the easiest way to measure the tongue weight of any vehicle. Many weight scales are available in the market that you can easily use to measure tongue weight along with gross combined weight, pin weight, and even payload.
Bathroom scale– For small trailer owners, using a bathroom scale to measure tongue weight is a good option. They must put the trailer’s coupler over the scale at an average towing height and determine the readings.
Commercial-scale– You can also take your trailer and tow vehicle to a truck shop scale or material supply center.
Can You Exceed Tongue Weight?
Most trailer manufacturers suggest 10-15 percent of total tongue weight, but it is ok to have a little more tongue weight than not having enough. However, when you exceed the tongue weight, you can transfer the weight to the tow vehicle, which may overload the rear axle and lead to a light steering condition.
Therefore, it is better to set this up beforehand within your hitch arrangement and increase the weight distribution bars to adjust the weight in the front vehicles.
What Happens If Tongue Weight Is Too Heavy?
If the tongue weight is too heavy, it can affect the tow vehicle’s steering. If you accidentally increase the tongue weight of the trailer, it may go over to the rear axle GAWR (gross axle weight rating) and the total payload. This can raise serious safety concerns. If it happens, the axle spring may compress fully, and the truck may start swaying side-to-side.
Also, the extra sag may point to the front of your truck in the air, compromising the trailer’s braking and steering ability. Your ride will become extremely uncomfortable, and you might not be able to handle the situation sensibly.
How Do I Reduce The Tongue Weight Of My Trailer?
You can adjust or reduce the tongue weight of a loaded trailer by modifying the position of the riding mower and other articles over it. If your trailer is long, you can keep the mower away from the trailer tongue and reduce tongue weight to some degree.
You can also use weight distribution systems to shift some of the tongue weight on the tow vehicle’s front axle. It will help you keep the vehicle and trailer at a level and decrease the sag in the rear end of your tow vehicle.
Do Weight Distribution Hitch Reduce Tongue Weight?
Weight distribution hitch only works to distribute the trailer’s tongue weight to the front axle of your tow vehicle so that it can sit more level and better.
The system, under no circumstance, can reduce the tongue weight or allow you to tow the vehicle beyond the abilities of the vehicle. The tension or force on the spring bars fundamentally increases on the tongue while holding/keeping a certain amount of tongue weight. It may cause a sudden shift in the distribution of the load off the back axle of the vehicle within the entire arrangement.
However, the hitch has a subsequent high capacity if the weight distribution system is utilized. You must research to find out that capacity and ensure that the loaded tongue weight cannot surpass the limits if you install a weight-distribution hitch.
How do you figure out the towing capacity?
How to Pick the Best 5th Wheel Hitch in 5 Easy Steps
Reese Weight Distribution Hitches
10 Picks for Trailer Tongue Toolbox