Hi Gary,

We weighed RVs and presented tire & weight safety seminars for RVSEF for three and a half years (until late last year).  It's a great program, and the current weighing teams are teams we recruited.  Highly recommend getting weighed by RVSEF - the one weighing service I absolutely know does it right every time.

Thanks all for the replies.  Those scrap yard scales can be confusing.  We'll just take it slow until we can get a good weigh.

Gary

MarkS wrote:

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Most Cat scales have wide enough aprons that you could get side to side wheel weights.

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Mark:

I agree you can get side to side but only the total of the axles, not each wheel – at least not each wheel accurately.  I’ve tried on CAT scales using that technique. But on relatively light trailers (relatively light compared to a semi-van trailer) the results have not been very accurate when compared to wheel-by-wheel DOT calibrated scales of the same trailer.  Just my experience, FWIW.

Bill

MarkS wrote:

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Bill,
You have to make sure the wheel(s) you want to weigh are on independent platforms to get individual weights. As to accuracy, cat scales are the most accurate public scales available. Now days any well maintained scale can be really accurate. For example, if I step on a cat scale platform it will indicate my correct weight. The key to accurate weight is to ensure the vehicle is level. If it is leaning to one side or the other the weight will be off.

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Mark:

I completely agree CAT scales are very accurate. Amazingly so.  What I think we’re both saying is that you have to get the wheels positioned “just right” and sometimes that’s hard to do and not get a bad reading and perhaps false security. Your comment about “level” is but one of the issues. No argument about using CAT scales.  But if you can get the RVSEF people to do it you’ll get a report and a professional interpretation based specifically on your vehicle and tire capacities and it will be from a level rig along with the other important setup procedures.

Bill

MarkS wrote:

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A report and an interpretation? You didn't say anything about being able to understand the information! Now that's a horse of a different color!

I sometimes forget that most people don't deal with this everyday. For example, we have a driver who is kind of new. He couldn't get his truck to weigh consistently. He called me one day to help with adjusting his weight. He read axle weights to me and his steer axle was off the charts. I told him that it was impossible to get those weights no matter how the truck was loaded. Then it dawned on me. He was setting his brakes on the scale. He released his brakes and never had a problem again.

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Mark:

Oh, that brake thing!  Ya think?  When we first did our trailer weight certification - totally dry rig weight at the factory - the truck weight (solo) was way off. Had to be based on previous wheel by wheel weighings I had done.  I knew it was because the scale “automatics” took the weight as I was stopping and didn’t let the truck “settle” with the brakes released. Took it around for another go and got the correct numbers as the first ones were over 1,000lbs off.  If the truck number was wrong the “legal” cargo carrying capacity (CCC) of the trailer would forever be wrong on the factory sticker as you know.

Indeed, part of the advantage of the RVSEF, and other qualified weighing groups, is to help interpret the numbers and in the case of RVSEF they provide manufacture’s tire charts, for your specific tires, as to recommended inflation.  They also know how to "do it right."

Bill

Learning something every day.  First I'd heard about the settling of the scale before reading it.  Can't say for sure that it was stabilized before the weight was read.  Another reason to have it done professionally.  I really question the validity of the manufactures out the door weight. I know I added 600# for fiberglass roof and eliminated couch, chairs and king mattress at the build and the posted weight just happened to be the same weight as advertised. Hmmmm  That's why I had it weighed when we got it home and the weight was 2800 # less than they told me it was. I questioned it and they told me that they weigh out the door and it should be as stated. Another Hmmmmm I think.

Thanks for the additional info everyone.

Gary

Gary,

It is important to know the weights at each tire, thus your idea of getting it weighed is important.  However, keep one other thing in mind that gives you some leeway with regards to GVWR on the trailer.  Both the Elite Suites and Mobile Suites are built on the same frame, suspension, axles, etc.  However, the Elite Suites models are generally heavier on their rated GVWR than the Mobile Suites, so if you are a bit over GVWR on the Mobile Suites, I wouldn't worry about it.

Terry