About this tool

Tongue Weight Calculator is a free, independent web tool that helps you get your trailer's tongue weight right — the downward force the trailer's coupler puts on the hitch ball. Too little tongue weight and the trailer can sway dangerously; too much overloads the tow vehicle's rear axle and lightens the steering. Getting it into the correct range is one of the most important — and most overlooked — parts of towing safely.

What it does

• Calculates the recommended tongue weight range for your loaded trailer (based on the standard percentage of gross trailer weight for your trailer type).
• Grades a measured tongue weight as too light, in range, or too heavy.
• Flags when a weight distribution hitch is generally recommended.
• Sizes a ball mount drop or rise so the trailer tows level.

Where the numbers come from

The reference values are drawn from published, public sources — SAE recommended practices for trailer hitches and tow ratings, NHTSA and other U.S. safety guidance, and the capacity charts and setup instructions published by major hitch manufacturers. Each guide cites its sources so you can verify them. We deliberately do not reproduce any copyrighted rating tables verbatim; we summarize widely published engineering guidance and link to the originals.

Important limitations

This is a reference and educational tool, not professional advice. Every rig is different. The only way to know your true tongue weight is to weigh your fully loaded trailer, and the authoritative limits for your setup are the ones printed in your vehicle owner's manual, trailer documentation, and hitch instructions. Always confirm those before towing.

Who builds this

This site is built and maintained by Hemant Rawat, an independent software engineer who builds free, browser-based reference tools. Hemant Rawat compiles the datasets here from public manufacturer specifications and U.S. towing-safety references and cites every value — see the methodology for exactly how. To be clear: he isnot a licensed towing or trailer professional, and this site is a reference, not professional advice.

Feedback & corrections

If you spot an error or want a trailer type or feature added, please emailcontact@tongueweightcalculator.com. Corrections backed by a manufacturer or standards reference are especially appreciated and will be credited here.