Planning new tires, so weighed my Springdale 266 today. Interesting...

[DennisT]

We got our Springdale 266RL last August. Today I finally took it into town to the grain elevator's scales and did all the checking I could think of. I've been planning new tires and I wanted to know weight totals, side-to-side distribution, and tongue weight on TV. I am pulling it with a 1997 Dodge Cummins 12V, 4WD, 2500, ext. cab, long box with canopy. Pickup alone usually weighs between 7,000 and 7,500 pounds alone.

Here's today's breakdown:

Truck and trailer combination: 14,440 pounds.
Truck only on scales with TT attached: 8,500 pounds.
Trailer only on scales attached to truck: 5,940 pounds.
Trailer only, left wheels on scales, right wheels off scales: 2,750 pounds.
Trailer only, right wheels on scales, left wheels off scales: 2,940 pounds.

Trailer has 95% full tank of fresh water. Personal items already in TT, except food, extra linens, clothes.

Axles are 3,500 pound rating; sticker on TT stamped: GVWR/PNBV 7,740 pounds. Next I need to weigh the truck alone just as it is loaded today. 1,000 to 1,500 pounds of tongue weight is too high. I'm thinking tongue weight should be around 600 to 700 pounds.

With the GVW being 7,500 pounds, max., and the weight noted today, I could add 1,800 pounds of belongings inside the TT. (Which, of course, we will never, never do) The important thing I think I learned today is, especially when we dump 60% of our fresh water before traveling, I have ample availability for a modest load and still have a safety margin for tires and axles. (Tires are the danged Carisle ST205/75R/15).

Odd thing today is that the slide-out side weight came in 190 pounds lighter than the other side. That surprised me and it is that kind of thing I wanted to know. I, "think," the fresh water tank runs full width of TT, and if so, that would not contribute to mis-matched weight. Appliances, however, are all on the, "heavy," side. What this tells me is where to put the most weight when we load.

My wheels are 15x5 inch, and although I'd love to go up one size for load carrying, safe-margin, capacity, I don't think the wheels will take any more and there is probably insufficient wheel well clearance. Tentatively, now, I expect to end up with the same size new tires, of either Maxxis M8008's or the Gladiators that the local Les Schwab wants to sell me. I can get the Gladiators in load range D, but I don't think the wheels will stand going up to 65 pounds pressure. And I also can't find much feedback on Gladiator tires - I do know they make a lot of heavier truck tires.

Am I close to figuring all this right?

Thanks for listening,
Dennis in E WA state