what is the tongue of a trailer

Just remember that the trailer acts like a lever, and the axle of the trailer is the fulcrum-- or pivot point -- for the lever.If the tongue is too light, you need to move some of the cargo forward of trailer's axle. It is a bit old fashioned but still has its uses particularly on dinghy and agricultural trailers. Figure 1. The blue frame trailer is 4’6″ Width, 12′ Length, 4000# Capacity. Perfectly balanced on the axle. Making the trailer tongue length 12′ (as mentioned in the reader question above) does indeed decrease the tongue load (to 7.5%). Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. (As described in the article “Where Does The Axle Go?“) Now, if we extend the tongue to 12′, the trailer would look ridiculous, but the tongue load would go down to 7.5% — half. A short trailer tongue will have a faster turning action while backing the trailer up. Tongue weight is simply the downward force that the trailer coupler places on the hitch ball and has to be between ten and fifteen percent of the gross trailer weight. What’s next? Storage issue is no problem on 3 acres. (That’s true up and down as well as side to side.). If a full width toolbox or similarly wide items (bicycles, lawnmower deck, stone guard, etc) are to be mounted on the tongue, the tongue needs to be measured forward of these items to ensure sufficient turning clearance. A 3 inch square tube and I raise the coupler 3 inches. Having the axle set just slightly back from the center allows the trailer load to be more efficiently balanced without adding too much additional weight to the tongue. There are 3 main factors with how much you can tow. 5) Tongue weight is always 10 percent of the weight I am towing. Tongue length is the distance measured from the center of the trailer front cross member to the center of the tow ball and can be determined from a number of considerations. I can increase my truck’s towing capacity by upgrading my trailer hitch. Remember that weight will be a lot heavier once your trailer is fully loaded. Tongue length is the distance measured from the center of the trailer front cross member to the center of the tow ball and can be determined from a number of considerations. I would avoid moving the axle, but load the trailer more to the front. Now, let’s have you drive down the road. If the tongue weight is too light, swaying can occur. Good luck. Again, think about the trailer setup with perfect balance over the axle, and the tongue has Zero load. 2:09 PM. I bought a used 6.5’x11′ utility trailer, however the tongue length on it is only 26″, which I feel is not safe and its hard to back it up without hitting the towing vehicle. GTW isn't so much a rating as it is a measurement. What are the measurements (length and width) of the blue frame flatbed trailer shown at the top of the article? The distance from the very front of the trailer, the coupler, to the center of the trailer axle measures 96 inches. It will also be more responsive and forgiving when reversing. Unless, you do something crazy like make the tongue fold (or shorten with a hinge like this) so the storage space required is drastically reduced. Tim Glovatsky December 7, 2020 @ With the trailer properly loaded (tongue load around 12%), a longer tongue acts like a damper to the other dynamics at the trailer. Check the information supplied by the trailer manufacturer to see if there is a specific percentage for your particular model. It's the downward force that the tongue of the­ trailer applies to the hitch of the tow vehicle. Sherline Trailer Tongue Weight Scale. Now, to build one with an Aluminum frame for the GoldWing…, William Taylor February 12, 2020 @ The trailer is very sturdy however. This is probably first choice for … I feel like a smarter person now. My guess is most of you know the answer by gut feel, but might not know how to explain it. According to the RVIA, the advertised length should be the usable “floor plan” length. It helps contents stay safe and protected with a locking stainless steel paddle latch and weather … Now for the Disadvantages. There’s much more to it. suerly the hinge method weakens the load strenth? A short trailer tongue will have a faster turning action while backing the trailer up. A narrow trailer can have a shorter tongue while a squared off nose of a trailer 102" wide needs a five foot tongue if possible. Fixed length tongues are the most common and account for probably 95% of all trailers built. This trailer has a tongue weight that is 21.4 percent of the total trailer weight. That was really a big help. Too much tongue weight forces the rear end of the tow vehicle downward into a V and this can compromise steering whereas too little tongue … The center of mass with respect to the axle is the same, so would the second case also tow stable? That trailer was built with a few experiments in mind, so some of the things on it are not really standard — like the long tongue, the walking beam suspension and the folding tongue. In general, you want the tongue weight to be about 10-15% of the gross trailer weight. Standard tongue lengths range between 4' to 6' depending on the tow vehicle, what is going to be mounted on the tongue (toolboxes, spare wheel, bicycle rack, etc..), length of the load when carting over length goods (timber, pipes, kayaks/canoes and similarly long items) and the position of the axles in regard to the chassis. one important concern is the connection of the tongue connection to the trailer. Most cars and SUVs’ range between 5' to 6 1/2' so the minimum length of tongue needs to be half of this plus a little bit more (say 8-12") to gain a margin of clearance when turning and to add stability to the trailer. That means fuel mileage goes down with a longer tongue. is this safe, Brill idea for storage but not sure how to go about it? This stiffens the chassis considerably and will lengthen the life of both the trailer and tongue. I use a fold up jack because I want to open a tailgate with out having a jack to be in the way. Short tongue trailers are prone to rapid and sometimes unexpected turning, slight movements of the towing vehicle can put the trailer into a jackknife in a moment of inattention. Trailer tongue length is not the only effect in play. Trailer tongues need to be at least as long as half the tow vehicles width. 5:11 PM. Boat trailers commonly use a compound tongue using the angle sections as part of the chassis frame. Thank you so much! You will find a lot of single tongue trailers retro fitted with the composite angle frame to stabilize and control the trailer better, as well as adding strength. The tongue should be long enough that the trailer clears the tow vehicle in tightest turns. Towing capacity, on the other hand, is the maximum allowable weight a vehicle can tow as determined by the manufacturer. Longer is better for stability, but a pain when it comes to stepping around it and storing it. chas Nicholson February 24, 2020 @ The maximum is up to you. Pay attention to how the trailer hitch is attached to your vehicle, and take steps to prevent side-to-side movement with a … Jack, Wow, just the info I was looking for. Of course the trailer does not flip back, because you tightened the hitch properly. Because straight tongue are centrally mounted, they do tend to come under a lot of vertical stress particularly where the tongue and chassis meet. A 4′ tongue is long for an 8′ trailer, and a 12′ tongue is ridiculous. Many designers make tongues at 30″ to 36″. (As described in the article “Where Does The Axle Go?“)  Now, if we extend the tongue to 12′, the trailer would look ridiculous, but the tongue load would go down to 7.5% — half.

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