Coupling To The Tow Vehicle NOTICE Do not use high speed to lift the trailer, the drop leg jack mechanism can be damaged. High speed is used only to rapidly move the drop leg base into contact with the ground. �� Continue to extend the jack(s), making sure that the ground is providing stable 77 and level support for the trailer. �� After the jack(s) are extended and the gooseneck ball receiver is well clear of the gooseneck ball, to permit driving the tow vehicle away, disengage the handle from its shaft and return to its holder. 4.5 TONGUE WEIGHT It is critical to have a portion of the trailer load carried by the tow vehicle. That is, the trailer tongue must exert a downward force on the hitch. This is necessary for two reasons. First, the proper amount of tongue weight is necessary for the tow vehicle to be able to maintain control of the tow vehicle/trailer system. If, for example, the tongue exerts an upward pull on the hitch, instead of pushing down on it (because the trailer is overloaded behind its axle(s)), the rear wheel of the tow vehicle can lose traction or grip and cause loss of control. Also, even if there is some weight on the tongue, but not enough weight on the tongue, the trailer can become unstable at high speeds. Remember, the faster you go the more likely the trailer is to sway. If, on the other hand, there is too much tongue weight, the tow vehicle is prone to jack-knife. Furthermore, the front wheels of the tow vehicle can be too lightly loaded and cause loss of steering control and traction, if the front wheels are driving. In addition to tow vehicle control, tongue weight is necessary to insure that the trailer axle(s) do not exceed their Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR). In the following table, the second column notes the rule of thumb percentage of total weight of the trailer plus its cargo (Gross Vehicle Weight, or “GVW”) that should appear on the tongue of the trailer. For example, a trailer with a gooseneck hitch, with a loaded weight of 12,000 pounds, should have 20-25% of 12,000 pounds on the tongue. That is, the example trailer would have 2,400 to 3,000 pounds on its tongue.
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