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What 10 to 15 percent actually comes to at each trailer weight, what it costs you in tow vehicle payload, which hitch class carries it and which spring bars match it.
Every page here is computed rather than written, so the figures match the calculator that produced them exactly. Published standards and rules of thumb are labelled separately on every table, because on this subject they are not equivalent. Every table is plain HTML you can quote.
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Rule of thumb Widely taught towing convention rather than a published specification. It is a good starting point and it is not a rating.
| Loaded trailer | 10% (floor) | 12% (target) | 15% (ceiling) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2,000 lb | 200 lb | 240 lb | 300 lb |
| 2,500 lb | 250 lb | 300 lb | 375 lb |
| 3,000 lb | 300 lb | 360 lb | 450 lb |
| 3,500 lb | 350 lb | 420 lb | 525 lb |
| 4,000 lb | 400 lb | 480 lb | 600 lb |
| 4,500 lb | 450 lb | 540 lb | 675 lb |
| 5,000 lb | 500 lb | 600 lb | 750 lb |
| 5,500 lb | 550 lb | 660 lb | 825 lb |
| 6,000 lb | 600 lb | 720 lb | 900 lb |
| 7,000 lb | 700 lb | 840 lb | 1,050 lb |
| 8,000 lb | 800 lb | 960 lb | 1,200 lb |
| 9,000 lb | 900 lb | 1,080 lb | 1,350 lb |
| 10,000 lb | 1,000 lb | 1,200 lb | 1,500 lb |
| 11,000 lb | 1,100 lb | 1,320 lb | 1,650 lb |
| 12,000 lb | 1,200 lb | 1,440 lb | 1,800 lb |
| 14,000 lb | 1,400 lb | 1,680 lb | 2,100 lb |
The 10 to 15 percent band is towing convention taught by trailer and hitch makers, not a published standard. Use your weighed loaded trailer weight, not the brochure dry weight.
Two gauges on one scale body, so a 400 lb tongue weight can be read on the 2,000 lb gauge where the resolution is useful rather than squinted at on the 5,000 lb one.
Best for: Somebody weighing both a light trailer and a heavy one.
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Reads in both pounds and kilograms on one gauge, at 5,000 lb capacity.
Best for: Pin weight, with a metric reading for anybody who wants it.
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Sherline is the scale the towing community actually uses, and a 1,000 lb capacity covers most travel trailers. Hydraulic, with no batteries to be dead when you need it.
Best for: A trailer whose tongue weight is under 1,000 lb.
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Double the capacity for the same money as the LM 1000, which makes it the sensible default unless you are certain your tongue weight is low.
Best for: Most travel trailers, with headroom for a heavier one later.
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