Well ... I'll probably get shot for this but ... my boat/trailer weighs in
at about 3000 lbs and I guess I have about 60 lbs tongue weight (because I
can lift it with a bit of effort ... hmmm ... maybe I'll go measure it later
when I'm out setting up the block heater plug in ... man it feels cold
today) which is nowhere near the recommended 10% min. Anyway, by moving the
trailer tower back by about 1/2 inch thereby reducing the tongue weight each
time the boat was in the drink, I arrived at the current setting which is
more stable at highway speeds than when I first started (up to 100 kmh is
very stable even in mild crosswinds, at 110 that uncomfortable feeling sets
in). My opinion the 14" radial (trailer) tires set at 45 lbs contributes a
lot to the stability. Another thing ... because I trailer everywhere, I
chose a trailer with rollers (makes launching in various conditions easier)
and by setting the rear rollers as far apart as possible but still
supporting thet I/O properly, I lowered the height (albeit only slightly)
which I think also contributes to the stability. Additional info ... I'm
trailering with a 3100 lb Cherokee (rated 750 lbs tongue weight).

So assuming your boat/trailer is about 4000 lbs, and assuming proper
wheels/tires for the job (I'd guess you have a tandem), maybe try the 200
lbs to start ...




"Gary Warner" wrote in message
...

We're building our trailer and are in the process of deciding
where to place the axels so that the tongue weight comes out
to 400 to 500 lbs. Our bathroom scale only goes to 200 lbs
or so. And we can't move the trailer & boat to go use the
truck scales at the local yards. Looking online, scales that
go to 500lbs are $600 or so.

So, any ideas on how we can do this measure and/or where to
find (buy or rent) scales without spending too much $$$?

Thanks,
Gary