Finding Hitch or Tongue weight
There are some easy ways to get the weight of your trailer and the tongue weight.
If you have a small trailer, it may only be the tongue weight you are concerned
with so as to determine which class hitch you need. A quick way is to set up two
block stacks, one with a bathroom scale on top. Make sure that they are level and
steady. Place a strong board across them and zero out the scale. Place the tongue
of the loaded trailer on top of the board and read the scale. You now have the
tongue weight.
Have a trailer too large and heavy for this method? Look in your phone book in the
yellow pages. Search listings for scales-public or weighers-public.
To get an accurate and easy reading, drive your trailer just across the scales so
the end or coupler is over the edge of the scales but the jack post is still on
the scale. Chock your trailer wheels and unhitch your trailer. Have it weighed.
This first measurement is your gross weight.
Then place a jackstand or block the tongue level under the coupler supporting
the tongue. This setup has to be off the scale. Weigh it again. Subtract the second
weight from the first and you have your tongue or hitch weight.
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