Weighing the trailer question

[Knepp1bj]

I don't want to beat to death an old subject and all the searches are old posts, so I am either that guy for bumping an old post or that guy for starting a new one

Next weakened we will be weighing ours for the first time...I am a little nervous on the process....my understanding is from googling is we pull up and weight all three like the picture below, but then I unhook my trailer and pull my truck off the scale and then I hook up and pull the trailer off and then un hook and put my truck back on alone? I just want to make sure I do it correctly.

There is a Bridgestone PDF out there but I don't want to weight my individual tires, I just want the weight of my truck, trailer and tongue weight.

Truck & Trailer
When weighing your truck and trailer it must be completely on the scale and it is best if you position the steer axle (front wheels) of the truck on platform 1, and the drive axle or rear axle of the truck on platform 2. The trailer will normally show up on platform 3.

[ependydad]

The CAT scale places that I've weighed had rules against unhitching on the scale. Instead, you would unhitch and park the camper in a truck spot and then go back and weigh again without it.

Here are the steps that I've gleaned for weighing:
Learn To RV: How to Weigh a Travel Trailer
You need three sets of weights:
1. Truck + camper hooked up (WDH engaged)
2. Truck + camper hooked up (WDH off)
3. Truck only

Then you can use a tool like this to make sense of the weights:
Actual Weights - Travel Trailer/Bumper Pull Weights from CAT Scales - Towing Planner

[Herk7769]

Ditto; NEVER disconnect on the scale. If your hitch malfunctions or you have issues reconnecting, you can shut the scale down.

Always pull off to a safe area; drop the camper and pull around to re weigh just the truck.

[Knepp1bj]

so to do step #2 and take off the weight bars, do I pull off and then back on? or just do it right there?

[prof_fate]

you don't need to undo the bars.

pull on and get complete weight. pull off.
park, unhitch and go get a 'reweigh' (cheaper) and do just the truck.

Example: you get 12,600 for the first weight, probably like 3100, 3000, 6500 (first axle, second, trailer axles).
Second time you get 5500, like 2900,2600.

So the empty truck (well, people, loaded to camp) is 5500lbs. Trailer is 12,600-5500, 7100 lbs.
Since the hitched TT weights 6500 you have 600lbs of tongue weight.
You can see you're transfering 200lbs to the front axle with the W/D bars and 400 is on the rear axle of the truck.

How To Weigh | CAT Scale

[vinmaker]

If you have a standard public scale locally (non CAT).

What many people do is to weight just the truck. Then drive back to the scale with your trailer and drive just your truck onto the scale with the trailer tires not on the scale. This is going to tell you the tongue weight of the trailer (Truck will be heavier now. difference is tongue weight.) then pull everything onto the scale. This will give you a combined weight rating. (subtract truck to get trailer weight) This will take care of 90% of the issues. It is only when you are very close to maxing out the axles of the truck or camper that you need more accurate readings of the weight on each individual axle.

Vin.

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by Knepp1bj

so to do step #2 and take off the weight bars, do I pull off and then back on? or just do it right there?

I would pull off, take them off and drive back on.

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by ependydad

I would pull off, take them off and drive back on.

This is the correct answer, however, if no one was behind me I just swung the bars away and pressed the call button again.

With a WD hitch, this step is needed to determine your "real" tongue weight.

With the bars connected, a portion of the tongue weight is distributed to the front and camper axles. Your hitch and receiver STILL sees the entire tongue weight, but you will not know what that number is with the WD bars on.

5th wheel - 2 weigh tickets
Travel trailer with WD hitch - 3 weigh tickets

[Knepp1bj]

here are my stats.

1) truck/trailer together
2) truck/Trailer minus WD hitch
3) just truck.

all of this was our normal gear minus 2 dogs, 60 lbs and 80lbs....everything else is exactly what I carry.