How to properly weight our 5th Wheel/truck

msubobcats · 03-15-2016, 09:40 AM

After waiting to get our 5th Wheel back from having a couple of very minor issues repaired I will be picking it up on Thursday. I would like to take the setup to our local refuse site to get some fairly close weights. It is not a certified CAT scale but they weigh their equipment so it should be very close.
What is the proper routine to get frt axle, rear axle, hitch weight and all the necessary 5th Wheel weights. The lady at the refuse site said she was not sure how to get all the separate weights.
Thanks...

cw3jason · 03-15-2016, 09:42 AM

The proper way would be to use individual wheel scales and weigh everything loaded like you camp. Weigh the truck separate first, then weigh the truck and trailer. It will require 8 scales. 1 for each wheel. this will give you all the numbers you need.

msubobcats · 03-15-2016, 10:19 AM

They have a long scale, guessing 80ish feet. So theirs may not work very easily...

jsmith948 · 03-15-2016, 12:16 PM

Place your steering axle on the scale. After she writes down that weight, drive forward until your steering and drive axles are on the scale. After she records that weight,drive forward until your entire rig is on the scale. Now you simply do the math.
Before there were CAT scales, that was how we obtained the axle weights on our 18 wheelers. As long as the approach to the scale platform is level, this will be accurate.

gearhead · 03-15-2016, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jsmith948

Place your steering axle on the scale. After she writes down that weight, drive forward until your steering and drive axles are on the scale. After she records that weight,drive forward until your entire rig is on the scale. Now you simply do the math.
Before there were CAT scales, that was how we obtained the axle weights on our 18 wheelers. As long as the approach to the scale platform is level, this will be accurate.

Then go back without the trailer and weigh your truck.

Ken / Claudia · 03-15-2016, 04:36 PM

Very easy do as post 4 and 5 said. I bet they have the scale inspected maybe not as much as a DOT or CAT type scale. After all the weight is how they make money if, never checked they would be loosing or over charging, both could be bad.

Pmedic4 · 03-15-2016, 05:29 PM

Guess I have it easy here, there are grain elevators, which actually show the weight on a digital readout as you pull on to the scale, and they generally leave the scale on all the time, even over the weekends. You can just pull on, see your front axle, truck, total, unhook and see RV weight, and if you want to back on, you can get your truck rear axle only, or RV axle weight.

Plus, my friends run the grain elevator, so just as long as I don't tie up the scales during busy season they don't care.

Should say, the scales are very accurate, no farmer is going to be cheated out of their share of a load.

msubobcats · 03-16-2016, 06:05 PM

Excellent.
Thanks to all...

roadglide · 03-17-2016, 06:28 PM

What is wrong with driving your rig on a trucker certified cat scale and going inside pay for the yellow tag . It explains weight gvwf , gvwr and trailer axles then it will give the gvw total. That is all I need to know to be in specs.

jsmith948 · 03-17-2016, 06:48 PM

It was my impression the OP did not have access to a CAT scale. He asked how he could weigh on an 80 ft scale.

notanlines · 03-18-2016, 03:29 AM

Jack, you and Gearhead had it on the money in #4 and #5. The secret, as described, is the levelness of the scale area. Even if it isn't it won't be too far off probably. Most of us don't need weights to the nearest 2 pound increment. And Bobcat.....be nice and drop off a small gift to the lady at the scales. The ladies at our landfill scale do a fine job under pretty rough conditions.

roadglide · 03-18-2016, 06:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jsmith948

It was my impression the OP did not have access to a CAT scale. He asked how he could weigh on an 80 ft scale.

Yup sorry I didn't read it close enough and being asleep commenting . Thats is a lot of work and there is normally a cat scale near bye . Way to much work its just easier to stop and pay the 10.50 along the way during some road trip. I like flying j and pilot because of the RV fuel station and Good Sam friendly.

CWtheMan · 03-18-2016, 10:06 PM

Here is an excellent tire PDF by the RMA. Go to the RV section in chapter 4 for using weight scales, starting on page 53.

http://www.mcgeecompany.com/wp-conte...ete-manual.pdf

rhagfo · 03-25-2016, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jsmith948

Place your steering axle on the scale. After she writes down that weight, drive forward until your steering and drive axles are on the scale. After she records that weight,drive forward until your entire rig is on the scale. Now you simply do the math.
Before there were CAT scales, that was how we obtained the axle weights on our 18 wheelers. As long as the approach to the scale platform is level, this will be accurate.

Quote:

Originally Posted by roadglide

Yup sorry I didn't read it close enough and being asleep commenting . Thats is a lot of work and there is normally a cat scale near bye . Way to much work its just easier to stop and pay the 10.50 along the way during some road trip. I like flying j and pilot because of the RV fuel station and Good Sam friendly.

Really a lot of work!!

well by the sounds of it the scale is close to his house, he gets five weights and does some simple math! To me way easier than driving 20+ miles out of my way to a CAT scale!
I am not worried to the nearest 5#, all of my scaling is done on ODOT scales to the nearest 50#. if that isn't close enough for you then you must have some big weight issues.

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