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Anyone who drives with a trailer has to deal with tongue weight. Yet it appears that many users do not know exactly what this entails or how to set it correctly. However, it is important to understand how it works, because the correct tongue weight on a centre-axle trailer largely determines how stable and safe the combination is to drive.
Whether it’s a small luggage trailer, a car transporter or a machine transporter: the balance between vehicle and trailer starts with the pressure resting on the tow bar. In this article, we explain exactly what tongue weight, nose weight or towball pressure is, how to determine the correct load distribution and why it plays such an important role in safe transport.
The term ‘tongue weight’ (i.e. nose weight or towball pressure) refers to the vertical load that a trailer exerts on the tow bar of the towing vehicle via the coupling. Put simply: the weight that presses down on the tow ball via the coupling.
Every car, every tow bar and every trailer has a maximum value for this load. This maximum towball pressure is usually stated on the tow bar’s type plate, in the vehicle’s instruction manual or on the registration certificate. For some trailers, this value is also stated on the trailer’s type plate.
According to Dutch regulations, the permissible tongue weight of the combination is always determined by the lowest value of the three components involved: the car, the tow bar and the trailer. If, for example, the car’s maximum tow bar load is 100 kilograms, the tongue weight must never exceed that value, even if the trailer can technically handle more.
For many passenger cars, the maximum towball pressure is somewhere between 50 and 100 kilograms. For heavier vehicles or commercial vehicles, this can rise to around 150 kilograms.
The position of the load determines the tongue weight. If the weight is too far back, the trailer may start to sway. If it is too far forward, the draw bar or towball will be overloaded. The best balance is achieved when the centre of gravity is just in front of the trailer’s axle.
Correct nose weight has a significant impact on the handling of the combination. When the pressure on the tow bar is correctly adjusted, the trailer remains stable behind the vehicle and the combination behaves predictably whilst driving.
Insufficient pressure can lead to instability. The trailer then tends to sway, particularly at higher speeds or in gusts of wind. This effect can quickly intensify and, in extreme cases, even lead to dangerous swaying of the entire combination.
However, too much towball pressure is also undesirable. If the pressure on the tow bar becomes too high, it places additional strain on the vehicle’s rear axle. This can negatively affect handling and also causes extra wear on the tow bar, suspension and chassis.
Generally speaking, the higher the towball pressure, the more stable the combination’s handling. In practice, this means that by distributing the load correctly, you can ensure you get as close as possible to the maximum towball pressure. The trailer will then drive most safely and stably.
The correct nose weight is achieved through proper distribution of the load on the trailer. The centre of gravity of the load plays a key role in this.
As a general guideline, it is often stated that the drawbar load should be approximately five to seven per cent of the total weight of the trailer, including the load. For a trailer with a total weight of 2,000 kilograms, for example, this means a drawbar load of approximately 100 to 140 kilograms.
Of course, the maximum permitted value of the tow bar always takes precedence. If this is, for example, 100 kilograms, the drawbar load must never exceed that.
In practice, it all comes down to the position of the load. If the weight is too far towards the rear, there is insufficient pressure on the tow bar. The centre of gravity is then behind the trailer’s axle, making the trailer unstable. If, on the other hand, the load is too far forward, the pressure on the tow bar increases too much.
When loading vehicles or machinery, small adjustments to the position are therefore often made. For example, moving a vehicle a few centimetres forwards or backwards can already significantly alter the ball pressure.
Checking the ball pressure is easier than many people think. In many cases, this can be done even before coupling the trailer.
The most accurate method is to use a ball pressure gauge. This is a special tool that is placed under the trailer’s coupling. As soon as the coupling rests on the gauge, the vertical load is immediately visible.
A practical and simple solution is to use a sturdy bathroom scales. By resting the coupling on a small block of wood on the scales, the drawbar load can also be read in this way.
For professionals who work with trailers on a daily basis, towball pressure is often checked during loading. Experience plays a role here: the way a trailer rests on the tow bar or how the suspension reacts often already indicates whether the balance is correct.
In professional transport, drawbar load is not a minor detail, but an essential aspect of safe operation. Particularly when transporting machinery, vehicles or heavy equipment, the weight distribution determines how stable the combination is on the road.
That is why, when developing professional trailers, a great deal of attention is paid to the balance of the chassis, the position of the axles and the construction of the drawbar. These factors ensure that a trailer remains stable, even under heavy loads.
This also plays a role in air-suspension trailers. Thanks to the construction and suspension, the trailer remains better balanced and the load can be transported in a controlled manner, without the pressure on the tow bar changing unexpectedly.
Getting the correct drawbar load on a trailer might seem like a minor detail, but in practice it has a major impact on safety and driving comfort. By paying attention to load distribution and the vehicle’s maximum towbar load, a great deal of instability can be prevented.
Whether you use a trailer occasionally or work with professional transport solutions on a daily basis: a correctly adjusted towball pressure ensures that the vehicle and trailer travel as a single, stable unit on the road.
And ultimately, that is exactly what safe transport is all about: the right balance between vehicle, trailer and load.