Does a Trailer have to be towed Level or Can it be Off Up or Down
Updated 02/18/2026 | Published 03/13/2016
Question:
I cannot get my Trailer Tongue perfectly level when hooked up to my Class lll Ball Mount which has a 2inch Drop / 1inch Rise. It either angles up slightly or down slightly, just not quite perfect. Slightly = just a tad off dead center bubble using a 2 foot level. Which would be the best, slightly up or slightly down? The TW on my Class 3 hitch when perfectly level is 200#. My boat, motor, trailer, full tank of gas and all gear weighs 2200#. My tow vehicle is rated for 5000#. I could move my boat forward to increase TW if necessary. Your input would be greatly appreciated.
asked by: Mike
Expert Reply:
If the trailer is less than 1 inch off of being perfectly level either up or down then it will be perfectly fine. Having it slightly higher would be better because presumably the tongue weight of the trailer will pull it down a little. You could also look into different ball mounts with different rise or drop specs. I have included a link to our ball mount main page for you.
Tongue weight on a trailer is usually 10 to 15 percent of the gross trailer weight. But it can be less on a boat trailer because the motor at the back is so heavy. Moving the boat forward a little will add a little more tongue weight and help to get you to level. This will also help to prevent trailer sway.
Dark
2/18/2026
Michael I respectfully disagree with your comment. Having a trailer slightly tipped towards the tongue (hitch) is always better than the alternative. Trailer sway is dangerous. You are correct 10-15% of total weight should be on the tongue. A trailer leaning slightly backwards drastically changes that percent ratio. I would MUCH rather wear tires slightly quicker than destroy my trucks and trailers because of sway.
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