Tongue weight calculator
Enter what your trailer weighs loaded. You get the weight it puts on the hitch, and how much of your payload is left once people and cargo are counted.
Enter your trailer's loaded weight to see the weight it puts on the hitch.
Where the percentage comes from
Ford's towing guide says its maximum trailer weights assume a tongue load of 10% for a conventional trailer, or a king pin weight of 15% for a fifth-wheel (2025 Ford RV & Trailer Towing Guide, page 14). This calculator uses those two shares. Other manufacturers give their own range, so check the guide or manual for your vehicle.
Why it matters for payload
The weight on the hitch is carried by the vehicle, so it uses up payload the same way passengers and luggage do. The payload for your vehicle is on the yellow tyre and loading label on the driver's door jamb. Tongue weight explained and payload and towing capacity go further.
Measuring it for real
A calculated share is a starting point. A scale under the trailer's coupler gives the actual figure.
- Tongue weight scale. See on Amazon (paid link)
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Equipment does not raise a vehicle's rating.
Common questions
What share of the trailer's weight does this use?
10% for a conventional trailer and 15% for a fifth-wheel. Those are the shares Ford's towing guide says its maximum trailer weights assume. Your own manufacturer may give a range, so check its guide or manual.
Is the calculated tongue weight exact?
No. It is a share of the trailer's weight. The real figure changes with how the trailer is loaded, and a tongue weight scale or a public weighbridge is the only way to measure it.
Does tongue weight count against payload?
Yes. Ford's guide says the trailer's tongue load or king pin weight is part of the vehicle's cargo weight, along with everyone and everything on board.
Other calculators
- Towing calculator. Pick your vehicle and build, enter what your trailer weighs, and see it beside the published rating and your payload.
- Towing capacity by VIN. Enter a VIN to decode the year, model, engine and drive, then see the published ratings that fit.
- Trailer weight calculator. Add water, propane and gear to the empty weight to get the loaded weight a towing rating is measured against.