Trailer weight

[wiredgeorge]

Originally Posted by crowbar

Sometimes you can find a truck scale on a secondary highway in a rural area where the cops open up on a random basis to check commercial vehicles. But most of the time they are closed. The scales though, are still operative. Just pull in, back one trailer tire on the scale, weigh it, then back the other tire on the scale and subtract the difference. Now turn your rig around and do the same on the other side. Now you have a weight for each trailer tire. It wouldn't take long and usually nobody will bother you.

Wow. Have to ponder on that one...

[Kzneft]

My Cat scale weights. F350SD with 36' 5th wheeler toyhauler, loaded with rzr.

[Tireman9]

Originally Posted by JOglesby

I am looking for an accurate way to weigh my trailer without breaking the bank. I know CAT scales are abundant and affordable but really are limited for travel trailers and us overthinkers. What I would really like to know is how much each tire is actually carrying so I can size and inflate my tires correctly. Also what is the actual tongue weight is. I don't want to invest hundreds if not thousands of dollars to weigh my trailer like 1 or 2 times. Can you rent something like this> Is there a place I can take it?

You can assume one axle carries 51% of total and the heavy end of the heavy axle has 52%. Use load tables to learn the min infl. Then add 10% to that infl number and you will be good to go. Do the above with trailer hooked up and loaded to the heaviest you ever expect.
I am a tire design engineer.

[JOglesby]

Originally Posted by crowbar

Sometimes you can find a truck scale on a secondary highway in a rural area where the cops open up on a random basis to check commercial vehicles. But most of the time they are closed. The scales though, are still operative. Just pull in, back one trailer tire on the scale, weigh it, then back the other tire on the scale and subtract the difference. Now turn your rig around and do the same on the other side. Now you have a weight for each trailer tire. It wouldn't take long and usually nobody will bother you.

Well that sounds interesting, but I've never seen anything like that. I'll have to do some asking around for one of these.

[flybouy]

Every state is different. I can think of a few abandoned scale houses.The state police have them chained off. On the rare occasion that they are used the MSP use portable scales so I assume the built in scales are no longer operative or accurate. If you pull into an operating state highway scale in Maryland it won't be a pleasant experience and may end up with you getting a citation depending on their mood.

[Todd727]

Originally Posted by Camp CA

In that case, weigh it at a moving company scale. That is where I weighed mine.

You don't need to unhook on the scale. You don't need to weigh the trailer by itself. You can do simple math from the solo TV weight and the total combined weight to get the hitch or pin weight.

[wiredgeorge]

Originally Posted by flybouy

Every state is different. I can think of a few abandoned scale houses.The state police have them chained off. On the rare occasion that they are used the MSP use portable scales so I assume the built in scales are no longer operative or accurate. If you pull into an operating state highway scale in Maryland it won't be a pleasant experience and may end up with you getting a citation depending on their mood.

The Peoples Republic of Merryland is a unique experience in governing the masses!

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by wiredgeorge

The Peoples Republic of Merryland is a unique experience in governing the masses!

No argument here.

[Jmelvin]

If you are determined to weigh each tire separately you can call your state hightway patrol and ask them or the local police that do the DOT checks on trucks. They use portable scales that they put on a level piece of ground and you roll each axle over the two scales and it weighs each tire as it goes over. When you are finished they will print you out a slip showing each tire. Ask around they will do it for you. Or if you see them on the side of the road weighing trucks with those portable scales you can pull in and explain what you want and they will likely be happy to help you. You can also pull through a truck weigh station and go on the side that directs you to the parking lot. When you run over the scales coming in they will have each axle weight for you. The weigh station does not have each wheel like the portable scales but you can get the axle weight. If you ask nicely and explain that you want to load your trailer for max safety, they will probably be happy to help.
I have run my travel trailer through many weight stations in quite a few states and never had a angry officer (although I have never done so up north). Usually I just tell them I would like to check my loading to see if I am safe and they give me the weight.

[travelin texans]

Originally Posted by Jmelvin

If you are determined to weigh each tire separately you can call your state hightway patrol and ask them or the local police that do the DOT checks on trucks. They use portable scales that they put on a level piece of ground and you roll each axle over the two scales and it weighs each tire as it goes over. When you are finished they will print you out a slip showing each tire. Ask around they will do it for you. Or if you see them on the side of the road weighing trucks with those portable scales you can pull in and explain what you want and they will likely be happy to help you. You can also pull through a truck weigh station and go on the side that directs you to the parking lot. When you run over the scales coming in they will have each axle weight for you. The weigh station does not have each wheel like the portable scales but you can get the axle weight. If you ask nicely and explain that you want to load your trailer for max safety, they will probably be happy to help.
I have run my travel trailer through many weight stations in quite a few states and never had a angry officer (although I have never done so up north). Usually I just tell them I would like to check my loading to see if I am safe and they give me the weight.

Bit of advice!
If that highway truck scale has any trucks waiting in line DO NOT stop, that's for commercial vehicles & those manning the scales nor the truckers waiting will be very happy with you holding up the line.
Same goes for those along side the highway using portable scales, they have a job to do & aren't too concerned with your weights.

[JOglesby]

Originally Posted by travelin texans

Bit of advice!
If that highway truck scale has any trucks waiting in line DO NOT stop, that's for commercial vehicles & those manning the scales nor the truckers waiting will be very happy with you holding up the line.
Same goes for those along side the highway using portable scales, they have a job to do & aren't too concerned with your weights.

Agreed, don't want to get in the way of someone trying to make a living while trying to satisfy my curiosity.

[wrvond]

I've rolled across more than a few weigh stations pulling campers (commercially) and never noticed a weight readout. All I ever saw was a red light/green light and a speaker...

Maybe I'm just not very observant.

[outback quality]

how about just go to your state weigh scale on interstate,they weigh each axle at a time on semis,also some weigh scales for trucks on hwy you just drive over and it shows each axle weight as you go on reader board,there is no charge,maybe dont go when there is a line up of semis though,if your in rural area,grain elevators have scales......and i have done weight of certain loads on other trailers that way

[dhardest]

Are you saying that there are no truck stops near you that have CAT scales? Most truck stops have them, including Pilot and Flying J. You can download the "Weigh My Truck" app on your phone, logon to a PC and set up an account. Then link your app to your account. It costs $13 to get a weight on a CAT scale, where it weighs each axle separately, so you know what your steering axle weight is, the drive axle, and the axle pair on your trailer.

If you want, you can get the total weight then pull around and disconnect the trailer, then pull just the truck on to get the truck weight. Then, a bit of math and you know your tongue weight and how the tongue weight is distributed between your drive and steering axle. The second weight on the same day only costs you $3 extra.

I didn't read all of the prior posts so maybe someone already posted this. But hope this helps.

[rhagfo]

Originally Posted by crowbar

Sometimes you can find a truck scale on a secondary highway in a rural area where the cops open up on a random basis to check commercial vehicles. But most of the time they are closed. The scales though, are still operative. Just pull in, back one trailer tire on the scale, weigh it, then back the other tire on the scale and subtract the difference. Now turn your rig around and do the same on the other side. Now you have a weight for each trailer tire. It wouldn't take long and usually nobody will bother you.

In Oregon and I believe in Washington even when closed to trucks, the scale is still on and the display in Oregon is visible from the vehicle. Weighed many a time at DOT scales in different states.

[outback quality]

@ dhardest.......very few cat scales in certian areas....i think Montana has 2 ,one at each end of the state......canada......ontario has one i know of and probably several more in the Toronto area......heading west might be 1500 miles to next one

[outback quality]

@ rfagfo.......yes those reader board scales are great after hours also....see many guys scared of getting caught overweight checking loads after hours......sometimes i pull in for the fun of it to see weight........i went through one in winter all iced up and snow covered with RV heading south as I felt the truck heavy ......i was about 5000 lbs overweight LOL

[JRTJH]

Well, there may be a shortage of CAT scales in Montana, but Birmingham, AL has enough to call the area a "CAT scale saturated location"...

There are 10 between 8 miles to 38 miles from Alabaster, AL. So, if the OP is so inclined, here's the list of what's in his area.

[Badbart56]

Originally Posted by outback quality

@ rfagfo.......yes those reader board scales are great after hours also....see many guys scared of getting caught overweight checking loads after hours......sometimes i pull in for the fun of it to see weight........i went through one in winter all iced up and snow covered with RV heading south as I felt the truck heavy ......i was about 5000 lbs overweight LOL

You do realize that the scales use recorded video with tag readers don't you? And all commercial trucks have their DOT and motor carrier information on the sides of the trucks, yes? Most commercial trucks have a transponder that tells them whether or not they need to come into the scales. There are weigh in motion scales and cameras on the interstate that trips the transponder if the weight is questionable or if the truck hasn't been through a scale in a designated period of time. Those that don't have transponders are required to roll across the scales unless the closed sign is displayed. We (my wife and I) usually get pulled in about twice a week but we seldom have to roll on the scales because we're light 99% of the time. We usually get sent to the bypass lane. Trucks that make the decision to not follow protocol are subject to a citation, as two of our company drivers found out this year.

[outback quality]

very few in my area have cameras or even power,the reader board is solar and thats all thats on the location,they are in the middle of nowhere areas ,rural,and some have no powerlines nearby,about half the country in Canada has these type and a few northern states,you may be from a more populated state or near bigger center,the trans Canada hwy has barely more than one or two full service scales in each huge province........maybe equaling 6-8 in a 1500-2000 mile stretch ,the other hwys have mostly the reader board style,during the day a DOT may or may not sit at one these sights and put up a sign and or put flashing light on ahead saying all trucks or all vehicles over certain size must stop