Free tool
Trailer tongue weight calculator
Tongue weight should be 10 to 15 per cent of the loaded trailer weight on a ball hitch, and pin weight 15 to 25 per cent on a fifth wheel. Enter the trailer weight to see the range, add a measured tongue weight to see its percentage, and enter your vehicle's ratings to check each one.
Your vehicle and hitch ratings
From the owner's manual, the door label and the hitch label. Leave out any you do not have.
Your tongue weight
Enter the loaded trailer weight to see the recommended tongue weight.
The vehicle's owner's manual, its door label and the hitch label are the authority. When they give a lower limit than this calculator, follow them.
Sources: Manitoba Public Insurance, Trailer Safety, page 15 (ball and other hitches 10 to 15 per cent of gross trailer weight): mpi.mb.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/TrailerSafety.pdf. ICBC, Towing a Recreational Trailer, chapter 2 (fifth wheel pin weight 15 to 25 per cent of loaded trailer weight): icbc.com. Checked November 5, 2026.
Why tongue weight matters
Tongue weight is the part of the trailer's weight that presses down on the hitch. Too little lets the trailer sway. Too much can take weight off the tow vehicle's front axle, which hurts steering. The tongue weight also counts against the vehicle's payload and gross vehicle weight rating, so a trailer that is under the towing capacity can still overload the truck that pulls it.
Watch how trailers are towed
High Point GPS fleet tracking records every trip, distance, speed and harsh braking for each vehicle, and can track trailers and equipment on their own. Maintenance reminders by distance or engine hours keep hitches, brakes and tires on schedule, and FleetZap turns them into work orders for your shop.
Get a quoteTips for a safe tongue weight
Weigh the trailer loaded the way it will travel. A public weigh scale gives the trailer and tongue weights, and the gross weight of the vehicle.
If the tongue weight is too high, move cargo toward the back of the trailer. If it is too low, move cargo toward the front, then weigh again.
Keep heavy items low and balanced from side to side, and secure everything so it cannot shift while you drive.
Check every rating, not only towing capacity: payload, gross vehicle weight, gross combination weight and the hitch rating all have limits.
Tongue weight questions
- How much tongue weight should a trailer have?
- For a ball hitch and other conventional hitches, Manitoba Public Insurance says tongue weight should be 10 to 15 per cent of the gross trailer weight. A 5,000 pound trailer should put 500 to 750 pounds on the hitch. Your vehicle's owner's manual may give a narrower range or a maximum, and that figure is the one to follow.
- What is the pin weight for a fifth wheel trailer?
- ICBC's towing guide says the pin weight of a fifth wheel trailer should be 15 to 25 per cent of its actual loaded weight. A 10,000 pound fifth wheel trailer should put 1,500 to 2,500 pounds on the hitch in the pickup box. That weight counts against the truck's payload and its gross vehicle weight rating.
- How do I measure tongue weight?
- The surest way is a public weigh scale. Weigh the tow vehicle alone, then with the trailer hitched and only the vehicle's wheels on the scale. The difference is the tongue weight. Weigh the whole trailer as well, and divide the tongue weight by the trailer weight to get the percentage this calculator shows.
- Is towing capacity the only limit that matters?
- No. A trailer under the towing capacity can still overload the vehicle. The tongue weight adds to the vehicle's own load, so it counts against payload and the gross vehicle weight rating, and the vehicle plus trailer must stay under the gross combination weight rating. The hitch has its own trailer and tongue weight ratings too.
- Where do I find my vehicle's ratings?
- The gross vehicle weight rating and axle ratings are on the compliance label, usually on the driver's door or door pillar. Towing capacity, gross combination weight rating and tongue weight limits are in the owner's manual or the manufacturer's towing guide. The hitch rating is on the hitch label. Those documents are the authority for your vehicle.