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Old 01-23-2016, 05:13 PM   #1
1l243
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What is the tongue weight of your light weight trailer?

I just measured my tongue weight doing the bathroom scale method and it was 792 lbs. The last time I weighed the trailer at the scales it was 5240 lbs gross....

I was wondering where I am at compared to others...
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Old 01-23-2016, 05:23 PM   #2
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How did you do it with a bathroom scale method? My old 238ML measured 700lbs when measured with my weight distribution hitch set up. I made some changes and ended up at about 600lbs. I haven't figured out the tongue weight on my 2810 yet.
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Old 01-23-2016, 08:57 PM   #3
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How did you do it with a bathroom scale method? My old 238ML measured 700lbs when measured with my weight distribution hitch set up. I made some changes and ended up at about 600lbs. I haven't figured out the tongue weight on my 2810 yet.
I've wanted to try this for years but never got around to doing it. Seems easy enough. http://hildstrom.com/projects/tonguescale/
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Old 01-24-2016, 02:55 AM   #4
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I've wanted to try this for years but never got around to doing it. Seems easy enough. http://hildstrom.com/projects/tonguescale/
Clever. Thanks for posting that
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Old 01-24-2016, 06:12 AM   #5
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Great link. Thanks.
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Old 01-24-2016, 07:58 AM   #6
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I'd suggest not using your DW's "good bathroom scale" to do this weight measurement. Placing a 1" steel pipe on the center of the footpad will likely cause the pad to bend, making the bathroom scale "not pretty enough" to put back in the bathroom. Don't ask me how I know this, but a replacement scale was "top priority" on my very next "immediate and unscheduled" trip to WalMart !!!!!
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Old 01-24-2016, 09:05 AM   #7
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John, should have left the landing pad on the pipe...

I have actually never weighed and part of the trailer. Also just felt things were good as it rides down the road so well. In my previous trailer if I had too much sway I would stop and move a few things closer to the front and things would be good. Always figured it to be about 1000 pounds or so.
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Old 01-24-2016, 09:54 AM   #8
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On our Jayco, I never weighed the rig. We had a 3/4 ton Dodge and it was a 20' 2200 pound trailer, so there was never any question of being "close" to payload or towing restrictions.

On the Holiday Rambler, now that was another story entirely. 35' of travel trailer with a 10K GVW and a 7K empty weight leaves a lot of "interpretation" on where to place cargo and opened a lot of potential to "misload" the trailer. So, my first stop on the first trip was at a CAT scale. I weighed the entire rig, then uncoupled the WD bars and reweighed (without moving the truck/trailer). Next I pulled off the scales, unhitched the truck and weighed it without the trailer. Those figures gave me the total truck, total trailer, hitch weight and "redistributed" hitch weight. With that, I knew what I needed to "shift" to get the correct hitch weight.

Occasionally, if we "shifted a bunch of stuff" around, I'd stop by and reweigh the rig. Sometimes, there's never an issue, other times, as you do, shifting a few things around will be the solution. Even with a "great towing rig", for me, it was (is) always comforting to know "exactly" where I am on all my weights. It's just the way I like to roll down the highway...... No surprises is my "comfort zone".....
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Old 01-24-2016, 10:46 PM   #9
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The link provided by lawdog is exactly the way I did it. You can go different distances between the scale and tongue stand you have to X the the distance between the scale and block of wood, ie if you use 3' it would be X 4 if you use 2' it would be X 3. Of course the lesser amount would put more weight on your scale... The one foot measurement between the tongue stand and block of wood should stay at one foot

I stopped by the local good will store and picked up a bathroom scale for $5

At 198 lbs the pipe did not do any damage to the scale. 198 x 4 = 792 lbs TW

With my trailer weighing in at 5242 lbs I am in the 10 to 15% recommended TW
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Old 01-27-2016, 10:53 AM   #10
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Last time I checked, mine was around 680 lbs. I think it's closer to 700 now. I tested with the bathroom scale method. Trailer axle weight at the CAT scale was 4900 lbs. They wouldn't let me drop the trailer on the scale, so I didn't get a CAT scale weight.
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Old 01-27-2016, 11:21 AM   #11
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Originally Posted by mfifield01 View Post
Last time I checked, mine was around 680 lbs. I think it's closer to 700 now. I tested with the bathroom scale method. Trailer axle weight at the CAT scale was 4900 lbs. They wouldn't let me drop the trailer on the scale, so I didn't get a CAT scale weight.
Most scales won't let you "drop the trailer" on the scale. There is, however, a means to get the trailer weight. The way you do it is to weigh the entire rig, then drive off the scale, unhitch and then weigh just the truck. Subtract the truck weight from the total weight and you have the trailer weight.

Actually, what I recommend is this process: Drive onto the scale so the TV front axle is on one pad, the TV rear axle is on the 2nd pad and the trailer axles are on the 3rd pad. While sitting in the driver's seat, weigh the rig, then get out of the TV, uncouple the weight distribution bars (leave them attached to the hitch), return to the driver's seat and reweigh the entire rig. Then drive off the scale to a remote location, unhitch the trailer, then return to the scale, park with the TV front axle on one pad, rear axle on the 2nd pad, keep the weight distribution bars attached to the hitch and you in the driver's seat. Weigh the tow vehicle, drive off the scale and go in to get your 3 weight results.

The first will give you the total rig weight and the "redistributed weight" created by the WD hitch bars. The second will give you the total "undistributed weight". You can see how much weight is transferred forward to the front TV axle, how much weight is transferred back to the trailer axles and how much is carried by the TV rear axle when the hitch is "working". By uncoupling the bars (leave them attached to the hitch) you can see how much weight is on the rear axle of the TV and how much is on the trailer axles.

Then, by weighing the tow vehicle separately (with the hitch bars in place) you can see how much the truck weighs. Subtract that from the total weight and you'll know exactly how much the trailer weighs. Subtract the "WD uncoupled rear axle weight" from the "truck only rear axle weight" and you'll know exactly how much your trailer tongue weighs.

You can "play with the numbers to get virtually any specific weight (except individual trailer wheel position weight).

Total cost at any CAT scale is the initial $10 and two "same day" reweighs which cost $2 each, so the entire process will cost you $14.

If you have any questions, send me a PM and I'll try to answer them for you.
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Old 01-27-2016, 11:42 AM   #12
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Originally Posted by JRTJH View Post
Most scales won't let you "drop the trailer" on the scale. There is, however, a means to get the trailer weight. The way you do it is to weigh the entire rig, then drive off the scale, unhitch and then weigh just the truck. Subtract the truck weight from the total weight and you have the trailer weight.

Actually, what I recommend is this process: Drive onto the scale so the TV front axle is on one pad, the TV rear axle is on the 2nd pad and the trailer axles are on the 3rd pad. While sitting in the driver's seat, weigh the rig, then get out of the TV, uncouple the weight distribution bars (leave them attached to the hitch), return to the driver's seat and reweigh the entire rig. Then drive off the scale to a remote location, unhitch the trailer, then return to the scale, park with the TV front axle on one pad, rear axle on the 2nd pad, keep the weight distribution bars attached to the hitch and you in the driver's seat. Weigh the tow vehicle, drive off the scale and go in to get your 3 weight results.

The first will give you the total rig weight and the "redistributed weight" created by the WD hitch bars. The second will give you the total "undistributed weight". You can see how much weight is transferred forward to the front TV axle, how much weight is transferred back to the trailer axles and how much is carried by the TV rear axle when the hitch is "working". By uncoupling the bars (leave them attached to the hitch) you can see how much weight is on the rear axle of the TV and how much is on the trailer axles.

Then, by weighing the tow vehicle separately (with the hitch bars in place) you can see how much the truck weighs. Subtract that from the total weight and you'll know exactly how much the trailer weighs. Subtract the "WD uncoupled rear axle weight" from the "truck only rear axle weight" and you'll know exactly how much your trailer tongue weighs.

You can "play with the numbers to get virtually any specific weight (except individual trailer wheel position weight).

Total cost at any CAT scale is the initial $10 and two "same day" reweighs which cost $2 each, so the entire process will cost you $14.

If you have any questions, send me a PM and I'll try to answer them for you.
Right when I purchased it I got all of the weights. It ended up being around $40 (4 runs on the scale). It was basically dry weights, since I didn't have anything loaded in it yet. The second time, I was just concerned with totals for the truck and trailer (and time limited).
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Old 01-27-2016, 12:00 PM   #13
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Right when I purchased it I got all of the weights. It ended up being around $40 (4 runs on the scale). It was basically dry weights, since I didn't have anything loaded in it yet. The second time, I was just concerned with totals for the truck and trailer (and time limited).
Are you sure you went to a "CAT Scale"? Possibly you were at a "salvage yard scale or a "dump scale" ???

Here's their website: http://catscale.com/

The "reweigh policy/charges" are for their "company scales" in all locations, nationwide... If you paid $40, either you didn't follow their reweigh guidelines or you were "taken advantage of" .... Here is the direct quote from their FAQ page:
What is CAT Scale’s reweigh policy?
A reweigh for $2.00 may be charged, after the first weigh, if all of the following are true:
1.Same vehicle (tractor and trailer),
2.Full price ticket is presented by the customer and its number is recorded on the reweigh ticket,
3.Reweigh must be from the same scale as the full priced ticket,
4.Reweigh must be within 24 hours of the full priced ticket.

As you can see, the two "reweighs" should cost you no more than $4, and in some locations, they won't even charge you for a reweigh. In some "high priced" locations, I've seen them charge $12.50 for the initial weigh, but overall, usually the first weigh costs $10.
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Old 01-27-2016, 12:14 PM   #14
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Originally Posted by JRTJH View Post
Are you sure you went to a "CAT Scale"? Possibly you were at a "salvage yard scale or a "dump scale" ???

Here's their website: http://catscale.com/

The "reweigh policy/charges" are for their "company scales" in all locations, nationwide... If you paid $40, either you didn't follow their reweigh guidelines or you were "taken advantage of" .... Here is the direct quote from their FAQ page:
What is CAT Scale’s reweigh policy?
A reweigh for $2.00 may be charged, after the first weigh, if all of the following are true:
1.Same vehicle (tractor and trailer),
2.Full price ticket is presented by the customer and its number is recorded on the reweigh ticket,
3.Reweigh must be from the same scale as the full priced ticket,
4.Reweigh must be within 24 hours of the full priced ticket.

As you can see, the two "reweighs" should cost you no more than $4, and in some locations, they won't even charge you for a reweigh. In some "high priced" locations, I've seen them charge $12.50 for the initial weigh, but overall, usually the first weigh costs $10.
It was at a Love's near San Antonio. I was surprised too. They could have taken advantage of me, since I wasn't aware of the policy above.
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Old 01-28-2016, 07:33 AM   #15
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This thread reminds me that I want to try and get another tongue weight reading this year. I bought a tongue weight scale specifically for this purpose, but I loaned it out last year and need to get it back...wasn't all that cheap lol.

I can't recall exactly what it said. I want to say loaded it was reading in the 5-600 range, but I could be wrong. My plan is to get a good reading on close to level ground when spring gets here. Since the trailer is empty I will be able to get before and after loading readings.

Last time (well the first time) I used it, conditions were not right. I was in the driveway, rushing to do other stuff and it was beginning to rain. Never did get a chance to do it out on the street where I can be assured I was doing it correctly. I doubt the value would change much though.

And I know this isn't a substitute for the cat scale method, but for specifically just tongue weight, the scale I bought should be better than the bathroom scale method of measuring. Personally I wanted to be able to see how loading affected the way the trailer towed, and how much actual weight I was adding to the tongue via the front storage area.
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Old 03-12-2016, 06:35 PM   #16
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Our 3220BH is 7K lbs loaded with some fresh water, and 710lbs on the tongue.
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Old 03-12-2016, 07:10 PM   #17
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My 2810bh with a full tank of water is about 840 lbs. Without water, it was about 700 lbs.
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