Hitting the road or trail with an improperly loaded trailer can be a risky business as it can not only stress your tow vehicle leading to structural or mechanical issues but also can create an unstable tow load putting others at risk. Therefore, you must ensure that the trailer is loaded correctly and ready to be towed before starting your trip. Packing your trailer properly will not only keeps things under your control but also helps you to keep your life and the lives of others out of danger. There’re many things You should consider while loading your Off Grid Trailer and hitting the road; the most significant of them is Tongue Weight. This often-overlooked detail will allow you to tow your Off Grid Trailer without noticing it’s there.
Let’s look at how tongue weight affects your towing experience.
What Is Tongue Weight, and How Does It Affect Your Towing Vehicle?
The amount of static force the trailer tongue exerts on the hitch ball or max coupler is called Tongue Weight. In simple words, the tongue weight is the trailer’s weight transferred to the towing vehicle through the trailer’s tongue. A proper trailer tongue weight not only helps you pack the trailer properly but also prevents your towing vehicle from stressing out. The tongue weight should be according to the parameters of the trailers; otherwise, it will negatively affect your towing experience.
The trailer’s tongue weight should be optimum, neither too much lower nor too high. If the weight on your trailer’s tongue isn’t enough, the trailer may be vulnerable to side-to-side wobbling, which can make it difficult for you to keep things under control. On the other hand, if your trailer’s tongue has too much weight, it can overload and stress out the rear tires of the tow vehicle and could lead to pushing the rear end of the vehicle around.
Too much higher or too much lower tongue weight can have a negative impact on handling and make it difficult for you to go around corners and curves properly. Improper tongue weight can also reduce a tow vehicle’s response, due to which you may find it difficult to stop the vehicle quickly enough by pressing the brake pedal.
What is the Optimum Tongue Weight of a Trailer?
According to logistics experts, the optimum tongue weight is roughly around 10-15% of the total loaded trailer weight. For example, the MAX GVW (Maximum Gross Weight) of Expedition 2.0 is 3500 pounds with a Dry Weight of 1700 pounds, and its tongue weight is 290 pounds, nearly 10% of the maximum gross weight. So, if you want to pack your Off Grid Trailer properly, you need to put 290 pounds of weight on its tongue to avoid any wobbling or loss of control situation.
How To load Your Trailer Properly?
To Load Your Expedition 2.0 Off Grid Trailer properly to achieve proper tongue weight and to enjoy a safe trailering experience, follow these helpful tips:
Load 60% of the freight over the middle/rear of your Off Grid Trailer evenly. For example, the Expedition 2.0 Off Grid Trailer can occupy 1800 additional pounds. 60% of this weight, roughly1000 pounds should be distributed towards where the axel-less suspension sits to not overload your tongue weight.
Load the remaining freight over the front of the trailer evenly. Remember that the accessories that come with an Off Grid Trailer such as the spare tire and deep cycle batteries already create a subvention amount of weight on the tongue. In addition, your water tanks when full will contribute to your GVW.
How to Balance Your Trailer before towing?
Following these helpful tips to accurately balance the trailer before towing:
Hitch your Off Grid Trailer to your vehicle before you load. As you pack you will notice your vehicle’s suspension will begin to sag. Be mindful of how much weight you are loading onto your suspension as you pack your trailer.
Now, drive the tow vehicle onto a truck scale platform in a way that its wheels are on the scale entirely, but don’t pull the trailer tires onto the scale. Take the “combined” weight of the tow vehicle and trailer.
Now, take the solo weight of the tow vehicle after disconnecting the trailer.
Subtract the solo weight from the combined weight, and if it is equal to the optimum tongue weight of the trailer, your trailer is balanced, and you’re ready to hit the road.
Hitting the road with an improperly loaded trailer can be a risky business as it can not only stress your tow vehicle leading to structural or mechanical issues but also can create an unstable tow load putting others on the road at risk. Therefore, you must ensure that the trailer is loaded correctly and ready to be towed before starting your trip.
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