{
  "slug": "trailer-weight",
  "title": "Trailer Tongue Weight Calculator",
  "heading": "Trailer Tongue Weight Calculator",
  "category": "other",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/trailer-weight",
  "summary": "Check tongue weight percentage and towing safety.",
  "description": "Tongue weight should be 10–15% of loaded trailer weight. Too little causes sway; too much overloads the rear axle.",
  "formula": null,
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=trailer-weight",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "trailer",
      "label": "Loaded trailer weight",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 5200,
      "unit": "lb",
      "min": null,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "tongue",
      "label": "Measured tongue weight",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 520,
      "unit": "lb",
      "min": null,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "capacity",
      "label": "Vehicle tow capacity",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 7500,
      "unit": "lb",
      "min": null,
      "max": null
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "pct",
      "label": "Tongue weight %",
      "format": "percent",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "status",
      "label": "Assessment",
      "format": "raw",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "target",
      "label": "Ideal tongue weight (lb)",
      "format": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "margin",
      "label": "Capacity margin (lb)",
      "format": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Loaded trailer weight: 5200 lb",
      "Measured tongue weight: 520 lb",
      "Vehicle tow capacity: 7500 lb"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Tongue weight %: 10.0%",
      "Assessment: In safe range",
      "Ideal tongue weight (lb): 650",
      "Capacity margin (lb): 2,300"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter loaded trailer weight (lb).",
      "Enter measured tongue weight (lb).",
      "Enter vehicle tow capacity (lb).",
      "Read your tongue weight % on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "trailer": 3100,
        "tongue": 310,
        "capacity": 4500
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "trailer": 5200,
        "tongue": 520,
        "capacity": 7500
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "trailer": 8300,
        "tongue": 830,
        "capacity": 12000
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Estimates assume standard, average conditions — local rules, pricing, and materials vary.",
    "Results are rounded for readability; add a buffer before ordering, booking, or committing.",
    "Double-check anything with a real cost attached against a local quote."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "How does the trailer tongue weight calculator work?",
      "a": "Tongue weight should be 10–15% of loaded trailer weight. Too little causes sway; too much overloads the rear axle."
    },
    {
      "q": "What do I need to enter?",
      "a": "3 values: loaded trailer weight, measured tongue weight, and vehicle tow capacity. Each field starts with a sensible default, so you can change one number at a time and watch the result move."
    },
    {
      "q": "What does the tongue weight % result mean?",
      "a": "It is returned as a percentage and updates live as you edit the inputs, so you can compare two or three versions of a scenario in a few seconds."
    },
    {
      "q": "Is this calculator free, and do I need an account?",
      "a": "Yes, it's free, and no account is required. Nothing you type is stored on our servers — the maths runs entirely in your browser."
    },
    {
      "q": "How accurate is the result?",
      "a": "It applies the standard formula exactly, so the arithmetic is precise. Estimates assume standard, average conditions — local rules, pricing, and materials vary."
    },
    {
      "q": "Who is this tool for?",
      "a": "It's built for anyone doing everyday planning maths — a quick estimate that would otherwise need four browser tabs and a calculator app."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/boat-ownership-cost"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Trailer Tongue Weight Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/trailer-weight)"
}