Boat Trailer Sizing Calculator

Trailer capacity and type from boat weight and length.

Boat length / LOA (ft)

Boat dry weight (lbs)

Engine weight (lbs)

Gear, fuel, & extras (lbs)

Trailer weight (lbs)

Tab to move between fields

Gross trailer weight (lbs)

5,050

Total boat weight (lbs)4,250

Ideal tongue weight (lbs)354

Min trailer GVWR (lbs)5,808

Recommended axles2

Min tire load rating (lbs)631

Min tow vehicle capacity (lbs)5,555

Trailer brakes required (0/1)1

Tongue Weight Max505

Min Trailer Length24

Hitch ClassClass III

How to Use This Calculator

Enter Boat length / LOA (ft), Boat dry weight (lbs), and Engine weight (lbs).
Set Gear, fuel, & extras (lbs) and Trailer weight (lbs).
Review the Gross trailer weight (lbs) result.
Use Total boat weight (lbs) and Ideal tongue weight (lbs) to inform your decision.

How the result changes with Boat dry weight (lbs)

Boat length / LOA (ft): Overall length of the boat (trailerable boats are generally under 35 ft).
Boat dry weight (lbs): Hull weight without engine, fuel, or gear.
Engine weight (lbs): Weight of outboard or stern-drive. Check manufacturer specs.
Gear, fuel, & extras (lbs): Weight of fuel (6.1 lbs/gal gas), tackle, coolers, and equipment.
Trailer weight (lbs): Weight of the empty trailer itself.

Gross trailer weight (lbs): Total weight of loaded trailer + boat + gear.
Total boat weight (lbs): Boat + engine + gear/fuel weight.
Ideal tongue weight (lbs): Target tongue weight at 7% of gross weight. Should be 5-10% for safe towing.
Min trailer GVWR (lbs): Minimum trailer gross vehicle weight rating with 15% safety margin.
Recommended axles: Single axle up to 5,000 lbs; tandem for 5,000-10,000 lbs; triple above.
Min tire load rating (lbs): Minimum load rating per tire to safely support the gross weight.
Min tow vehicle capacity (lbs): Minimum towing capacity your vehicle needs (gross + 10% margin).
Trailer brakes required (0/1): Most states require trailer brakes when gross weight exceeds 1,500 lbs.

Identify Input Parameters
4 parameters
Boat length / LOA (ft) = 22, Boat dry weight (lbs) = 3500, Engine weight (lbs) = 350, Gear, fuel, & extras (lbs) = 400 = 5 input(s) provided
Calculate Gross trailer weight
Gross trailer weight = totalBoatWeight + trailerWeight
5050 = 5050
Calculate Total boat weight
Total boat weight = boatWeight + engineWeight + gearFuelWeight
4250 = 4250
Calculate Ideal tongue weight
Ideal tongue weight = grossTrailerWeight * 0.07
354 = 354