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RV-Dreams.com Home -> RV-Dreams Community Forum -> RV Maintenance and Technical Tips -> Weighing a trailer?
Post Info TOPIC: Weighing a trailer?
Sonia


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Weighing a trailer?
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Where does one go about getting a trailer weighed?  I have weighed my trailer while it was attached to my truck, but I did not unhitch since it didn't seem appropriate to tie up the weighing platform at the truck stop while I made a fool of myself taking forever to hitch up again.  But I don't have any idea how to weigh each axle is it? or each side, or whatever I'm supposed to do.  How do I do this, and what kind of place do I go to for this?


 


 


 



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Tmcblane


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If you live in a rural area, grain depots area good place to get them weighed. Other than that the only other place I can think of are weigh stations on the highway.

-- Edited by Tmcblane at 07:03, 2006-11-28

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jomago


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I generally go to a moving co that is close by. If you want a certified wt ,you have to pay, but if I just want to weight (9 point wt on a motor home) as I do,  just pull front wheels on, all 4 wheels on and then back wheels on. Do the same for each side.


The employee just stamps a sheet of paper with each stop.  Its not certified but provides the data I want.  I just pull into yard, get out and socialize a little and then ask to wt. Have never been refused.  The only problem is the location I generally go to has moved to accross town so if and when I'll have find the new address.


Group members I know with trailers generally pull trailer wheels on (truck off)  and then place tongue on and disconnect for tongue only wt. Although I think they should consider each side wt they never do.    


 


Just remember a little honey goes a long way.



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Sonia


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Oh my! this is going to be a production.  Thank you for the comments.  It sounds like I not only have to find a weigh station that has no business so I can spend a lot of time there, but take a helper with me so I can know when I have the various parts on the platform.  I'm afraid all this is going to give me more excuses for not getting this job done and I do know I'm playing a dangerous game, especially not knowing my weight side to side. 


I wish I had a motorhome...I think things are a lot easier with MHs.


 



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Tmcblane


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Sonia, to ease the effort a little you can take just your truck over and weigh the front axle and then the whole truck. The total weight minus the front axle gives you the rear axle weight Try to have it loaded as you would when hauling, ex. full tank of fuel and 2 people. Next take the trailer back and at a minimum have the truck weighed without the trailer being on the scale if possible. Then pull up and weigh just the axles of the trailer.
By this you can determine what your total weight is and by taking the new truck weight and subtract the original truck weight that will basically give you the tongue weight of the trailer. The tongue weight added to the trailer weight gives you your total trailer weight. By doing it this way you don't have to unhitch and hitch up at the scale if you are concerned about holding up the scales.

Ex.

Truck front axle 3500#
Truck whole wt 6700#
.................................
rear axle weight 3200#

Take trailer back:
Truck total weight with trailer attached 8700#
Trailer axle weight 6000#
......................................................................
Total truck and trailer weight = 14700#
Original truck weight - 6700#
Trailer axle weight - 6000#
.......................................................................
Tongue weight 2000#

Obviously these are just sample weights for clarity

Depending on how critical you want to be you can weigh each wheel by itself.

If you have the original truck weights for each axle and find a certified Cat scale on the highway at a truck stop you could then get each axle weight at one time as the scales are divided up to individually weigh each axle.

-- Edited by Tmcblane at 15:14, 2006-11-28

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Sonia


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TM, thank you for your detailed information. It was good of you to take the time to write that out

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Tmcblane


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No problem, didn't really want it to look like you didn't have a clue about it but it is easier for you to ignore what you may know and run with the rest.

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Howard


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You can weigh the truck and trailer together without unhitching at any CAT scale for $8.  It's a little intimidating at first, but once you do it a couple of times it's easy.  Keep in mind that only tells you weights on each axle and you can make sure you are okay on your combined weight.


To really do a proper weighing, everyone should do wheel-by-wheel weighing to make sure side-to-side weights are okay on wheels/tires as well as axles.  It is tough to find a place to get that done, but the RV Safety Education Foundation does it for $50 - $60 at several rallies and RV shows throughout the year.


Here is the link to their website: RVSEF  They have not yet posted their 2007 schedule, but looking at the 2006 schedule, they had almost 50 weight seminars across the country where they were doing weighing.


Hope that helps! 



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