Different Tongue weights for boats and travel trailers?
08-03-2015, 05:58 PM
#1
Different Tongue weights for boats and travel trailers?
I am a boater and have never towed a travel trailer or trailer with a flat front. I can't remember the last time I saw a boat being trailered in Florida with a weight distributing hitch and some of these boats and trailer rigs come in at 10 – 12,000 pounds. Reading this board has been educational, as I was unaware that it is common practice to use 10% of the trailer's weight for tongue weight for travel trailers. It is my impression that in the boating world, tongue weight is typically set at about 5% of the boat and trailer weight.
I will soon take delivery on 2015 super cab lariat with a heavy duty tow package and eco-boost 3.5 turbo engine. I have been towing my 7700 pound boat and trailer with a 5.3 L Chevy Tahoe with about 370 pounds of tongue weight and I have no sway problems. I got the weights for the trailer and tongue weight by stopping on a DOT weigh station with and without the boat.
It seems that the vast majority of F150 owners towing something in this discussion group, tow travel trailers with very few boaters. For those of you that tow travel trailers and boats, do you use a different percentage of the load for tongue weight?
I will soon take delivery on 2015 super cab lariat with a heavy duty tow package and eco-boost 3.5 turbo engine. I have been towing my 7700 pound boat and trailer with a 5.3 L Chevy Tahoe with about 370 pounds of tongue weight and I have no sway problems. I got the weights for the trailer and tongue weight by stopping on a DOT weigh station with and without the boat.
It seems that the vast majority of F150 owners towing something in this discussion group, tow travel trailers with very few boaters. For those of you that tow travel trailers and boats, do you use a different percentage of the load for tongue weight?
08-03-2015, 11:10 PM
#2
I would say you are close to right on the weight for boats. My 4k boat as its got about 200 to 250 lbs on the tounge. I have towed boats for 20 plus years and have never seen one much over 5 to 7%. Boats usually sit down in the trailer frame and are better balanced, being less sway prone.
08-06-2015, 10:14 AM
#3
Senior Member
Boats and travel trailers are balanced different. Most boats have the engine either hanging off the stern, or near the stern (i/o) and still have an outdrive hanging off the stern, they have the wheels near the back, and a longer tongue. Plus surge brakes won't work with a WD setup, so they're set up different.
08-06-2015, 01:02 PM
#4
Grumpy Old Man
Baloney. Surge brakes won't work witha cheap WDH, but they work fine with an Equal-I-Zer WDH. Or at least that's what Equal-I-Zer says. If your wet and loaded boat trailer grosses more than 5,000 pounds, or has tongue weight more than 500 pounds, then don't leave home without a WDH.
Originally Posted by Equal-I-zer FAQ
Can the Equal-i-zer be used on a boat trailer?
Yes, the Equal-i-zer hitch works well with many boat trailers. In many cases the Equal-i-zer hitch can be installed just as it would be on any other trailer by following the Equal-i-zer hitch owner's manual, or with some minor adjustments shown in the Pole Tongue Installation Guide. Some trailers require the use of a Pole Tongue Adaptor if there is an obstacle like the tongue jack that might interfere with the spring arms.
If you have looked through these Installation Guides and are still unsure about using the Equal-i-zer hitch with your boat trailer, contact us and our customer service staff will help you get the information you need to decide if an Equal-i-zer hitch is right for towing your boat. We will respond to your email by the end of the next business day.
http://www.equalizerhitch.com/About%...i-zer/faqs.php then scroll down to the above question.
Last edited by smokeywren; 08-06-2015 at 01:07 PM.
08-09-2015, 09:57 AM
#5
Senior Member
I would say you are close to right on the weight for boats. My 4k boat as its got about 200 to 250 lbs on the tounge. I have towed boats for 20 plus years and have never seen one much over 5 to 7%. Boats usually sit down in the trailer frame and are better balanced, being less sway prone.
I've always heard 10% minimum tongue weight, no matter what you're towing. Pretty sure that's what's in Ford's towing guide.
08-09-2015, 04:04 PM
#6
I know whats in the guide, but in towing boats for a long time, they usually seem lighter than 10%. Like I said mine is close to 4k on the trailer and is 250 max as I can pick the tounge up to get it on a higher hitch if I have to fairly easy. It's heavy to lift but I have deadlifted 400 lbs and it's nowhere near 400lbs.
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08-13-2015, 12:26 AM
#8
Baloney. Surge brakes won't work witha cheap WDH, but they work fine with an Equal-I-Zer WDH. Or at least that's what Equal-I-Zer says. If your wet and loaded boat trailer grosses more than 5,000 pounds, or has tongue weight more than 500 pounds, then don't leave home without a WDH.
http://www.equalizerhitch.com/About%...i-zer/faqs.php then scroll down to the above question.
http://www.equalizerhitch.com/About%...i-zer/faqs.php then scroll down to the above question.
I have never seen a boat towed with a WDH in Florida and none of my friends use WDH on boats up to 10K. I think the pointy front end of boats makes them less susceptible to sway compared to boxy TT.
08-13-2015, 01:01 AM
#9
Senior Member
I guess I'm different than most towing people on here. I don't tow travel trailers, but everything else I've ever towed (bumper pull) has been a lot lighter than what's recommended. I've always balanced my trailer so that I always have 2-400 lbs of hitch weight. Didn't matter if I was towing 3000 lbs or 13000 lbs. I do have 1/2" chain for my safety chain.
As far as boats, It's always been about the same weight as my other trailers. I've towed a few cabin cruisers and a couple ski boats. The cabin cruisers had the most tongue weight, but they were still light respectively.
As far as boats, It's always been about the same weight as my other trailers. I've towed a few cabin cruisers and a couple ski boats. The cabin cruisers had the most tongue weight, but they were still light respectively.
08-13-2015, 07:29 PM
#10
This is right on target as I look for a new truck. Once a year (maybe twice) I tow a boat/trailer that's about 4000lbs. I don't know the tongue weight. Maybe 250 like the example above. I tow it about 10 miles to the ramp and sometimes I have to launch and pull it out.
My feeling is that I don't need an actual tow package to accomplish this. My current truck has a tow package so it's never come up. But there are two trucks in my area that are great fits but there aren't towing packages.
Am I right that I don't need a tow package to pull a 4000lb boat trailer? The standard Class IV hitch should be fine, right?
Thanks!
My feeling is that I don't need an actual tow package to accomplish this. My current truck has a tow package so it's never come up. But there are two trucks in my area that are great fits but there aren't towing packages.
Am I right that I don't need a tow package to pull a 4000lb boat trailer? The standard Class IV hitch should be fine, right?
Thanks!