What's wrong with too much tongue weight?
I understand that too little tongue weight will lead to sway and that the target is between 10-15%, but are there any consequences to having more than that? I don't have concerns with my payload or W...
Forum Discussion
both too heavy and too light can cause sway issues, depending on the length of the trailer, the weight, and the amount of overhang past the trailer axle, and the wheelbase and weight of the tow vehicle.
with an otherwise matched trailer and tow vehicle, normally, too little tongue weight will cause sway issues..
too much tongue weight can cause severe control issues when braking, because the amount of weight pushing down on the bumper behind the rear wheels, takes weight off of the steer axle.. this can cause the front wheels to lock up before enough braking force is applied to slow the vehicle down.. as well as steering issues when accelerating...
anyone who has used a trailer in their younger years to haul hay from the field to the barn has probably experienced where the heavy tongue load causes the front wheels to be so light, you cant even get the front of the pickup to turn very sharp, because they just slide. this may be in the extreme, but there is no real indicator that there is a dangerous amount of tongue load until you experience the effects, and traveling down the road at 50+ mph is NOT the time you want to experience them.
with an otherwise matched trailer and tow vehicle, normally, too little tongue weight will cause sway issues..
too much tongue weight can cause severe control issues when braking, because the amount of weight pushing down on the bumper behind the rear wheels, takes weight off of the steer axle.. this can cause the front wheels to lock up before enough braking force is applied to slow the vehicle down.. as well as steering issues when accelerating...
anyone who has used a trailer in their younger years to haul hay from the field to the barn has probably experienced where the heavy tongue load causes the front wheels to be so light, you cant even get the front of the pickup to turn very sharp, because they just slide. this may be in the extreme, but there is no real indicator that there is a dangerous amount of tongue load until you experience the effects, and traveling down the road at 50+ mph is NOT the time you want to experience them.
