What if trailer is over 15% TW?

A slightly high TW will not cause sway but a severely high TW can. If you're thinking you're running high it would be worth a trip to the scales to find out. Don't want that a-frame separating either.
Happy travels!

It depends.

I like a heavy tongue weight. When towing my race car trailer I can put the TW anywhere I want. I've gone up to 20% and it tows great. But I also have a heavy diesel up front which can balance things out.

I like to get my TV weight 50/50 on the front to rear. This is the best it can get for handling.

dodge guy wrote:
Too much tongue weight will cause stability/sway issues just like low tongue weight will! Ask me how I know.

12% is the best number to be at for tongue weight.

Here is a video that demonstrates how too much TW effects stability. I've seen another video done with a demonstrator like this where they move the same weights to the back, then the middle and finally the front.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9P0ajgaZgDg&t=101s

Too much tongue weight will cause stability/sway issues just like low tongue weight will! Ask me how I know.

12% is the best number to be at for tongue weight.

From a performance standpoint, if you have a SW trailer, I have had some bounce more from speed bumps or equal when the HW is above 15%, ie closer to 20, which is common in open utility trailers Like I have used over the last 30+ years in my landscape maintenance biz. Mowers etc in front of the trailer, nothing in the rear.

Other than that, if the trailer is level, and a dual axel, not an issue either.

marty

As long as you don't go over the tow vehicle's payload rating/rear axle rating/tire rating, you should be good to go. The weight is wanted up front to prevent trailer sway. More weight up front, less tendency to sway. The 10% to 15% figure is meant to be minimums.

“exceed the hitches ability to distribute weight,”

And, Barney, in my case 1000 pounds tongue weight with WDH is the max.

brianosaur wrote:
Sounds good, thanks for all the replies :)

Wondering then why the 10%-15% ideal 'window' is recommended and not just a minimum?

Or is it so there is a cause to reposition loads evenly over trailer axels if TW is over 15%?

....thus a 'sweet spot'

I think that it is because that percentage usually will result in a good towing trailer that will not overload either the tow vehicles receiver or the A frame of the trailer, along with better handling and braking. However, I kind of doubt you would find a really heavy tongue weight on a travel or normal trailer with all the "givens" that you specified in your opening post. One or more of them would be altered unless you were towing with a class VI truck.

To answer your question, in most cases, 10% is a minimum and 15% is the ideal that you are shooting for. I think if I was carrying a car in a "hauler" depending on where the trailers axles are located, I would try to position the car to achieve that 15%. I certainly would not load it with the car all the way forward as that could overload the trucks receiver, exceed the hitches ability to distribute weight, overload the rear tires of the tow vehicle and the trailer A frame, unload the front axle of the tow vehicle too much, degrade the braking ability of both the trailer and tow vehicle, and degrade the steering of the tow vehicle.

There are probably more reasons but I think you get the point. :) So yes, I would say that "... there is a cause to reposition loads evenly over trailer axels if TW is over 15%?". I would say "more evenly" however. :W
Barney

Sounds good, thanks for all the replies :)

Wondering then why the 10%-15% ideal 'window' is recommended and not just a minimum?

Or is it so there is a cause to reposition loads evenly over trailer axels if TW is over 15%?

....thus a 'sweet spot'

rexlion wrote:
The world will end!! Not really. :).

The tongue (A frame) where it meets the trailer body should be looked at occasionally for possible stress cracks. That is about all I can think of.

Good point!