Weighed my Rockwood 2306 on a CAT scale

[pg_rider]

On the way home from our http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...-co-21222.html I stopped at a CAT scale and got a full set of measurements:

Truck and trailer, WDH bars attached:
Front axle: 2840
Rear axle: 2760
Trailer axle: 3780
Total: 9380

Truck and trailer, WDH bars NOT attached:
Front axle: 2640
Rear axle: 3020
Trailer axle: 3700
Total: 9360

Truck alone:
Front axle: 2860
Rear axle: 2320
Total: 5180


From this, I calculated:
Trailer weight: 4200 lbs (9380-5180)
Tongue weight: 480 lbs (2640+3020-5180)

[pg_rider]

So what does it all mean? lol

1) My trailer and tongue weights are below my Honda Ridgeline max (5000lbs and 500lbs respectively)

2) My combined weight is below the Ridgeline GCWR of 10,085 lbs

3) My 2306 delivered "sticker" weight is 3780 and loaded I'm at 4200, so figure I packed 400+ lbs of camping stuff

4) My tongue weight is ~11% of my trailer weight

5) The Equal-i-zer WDH does a great job of distributing the weight to the front truck axle and the trailer axle (measurement #1 vs measurement #2)

6) My truck curb weight is 4537 lbs, and loaded with family, bicycles, etc I'm at 5180 lbs, meaning I added 643 lbs of payload

7) 643 lbs of payload, plus 480 lbs of tongue weight, equals 1123 lbs total payload. The Ridgeline max is 1554 lbs... PHEW!

[Steeljag]

Need to do the same with my combo !

[pg_rider]

Here are my slips. The process was fairly easy -- luckily there were no trucks waiting. Took me a minute to get the scale operator's attention, but once she came on the mic she was really cool. The first weight was $9.50, and the next two were a whopping $1 each.

Measurement 1:



Measurement 2:



Measurement 3:

[pg_rider]

The only discrepancy is the difference in total weight between #1 and #2. The only difference is that I unhooked my bars, which shouldn't have changed the total weight.

The one other thing that hurt my head was what to do with my Equal-i-zer hitch head and bars. I removed them for the truck-only weight (#3), but wasn't sure if I should have left them attached to the truck.

[rschoono289]

Great to see you went to the CAT scales. Not to difficult LOL. Interesting just how effective the WDH can be.
From this, I calculated:
Trailer weight: 4200 lbs (9380-5180)
Tongue weight: 480 lbs (2640+3020-5180)

Where did you place the WDH bars on the #2 weighing?
Shouldnt trailer weight = 9360 - 5180 = 4180
tongue weight = 3700(no wdh TT axle) - 4180 = 480

WDH weight distribution of 480:
TV FA = 200
TV RA = 260
TT axle = 80 (confused why isnt this 20.Did you put the bars in the TT?)

Great to have all this info -- now figuring what it all means LOL

[punkaccountant]

Thank you for posting this! It's very helpful. A couple questions...did you have any water in your tanks and how much would you guess? Also, was the bed up or down? I would think the bed being up would add to your tongue weight a little.

[pg_rider]

Originally Posted by rschoono289

Where did you place the WDH bars on the #2 weighing?
Shouldnt trailer weight = 9360 - 5180 = 4180
tongue weight = 3700(no wdh TT axle) - 4180 = 480

WDH weight distribution of 480:
TV FA = 200
TV RA = 260
TT axle = 80 (confused why isnt this 20.Did you put the bars in the TT?

For my second weighing I left everything in place as with the first, EXCEPT I released the bars from the trailer's A-frame brackets. So, the weights for #2 include the weight of the bars themselves (since they're still attached to the shank), but there's no weight distributing effect.

[pg_rider]

Originally Posted by punkaccountant

Thank you for posting this! It's very helpful. A couple questions...did you have any water in your tanks and how much would you guess? Also, was the bed up or down? I would think the bed being up would add to your tongue weight a little.

No water at all, fresh or not-fresh.

Bed was up. We also had a fair amount of stuff (suitcase, RVQ grill, miscellaneous items) loaded just in front of the sofa so they were definitely contributing to the tongue weight.

[rschoono289]

Not sure which equalizer you have. Mine is the E2 which has head = 44 and bars(2)= 31 for total of 75. This is directly on the receiver so really isnt part of the trailer weight. In my view. If you left the head on and placed the bars in bed of truck on the #3 weigh in you should get the true tongue weight. Guess this is interpretation of tongue vs hitch weight lol

[Dave_Monica]

Originally Posted by rschoono289

Not sure which equalizer you have. Mine is the E2 which has head = 44 and bars(2)= 31 for total of 75. This is directly on the receiver so really isnt part of the trailer weight. In my view. If you left the head on and placed the bars in bed of truck on the #3 weigh in you should get the true tongue weight. Guess this is interpretation of tongue vs hitch weight lol

Sorry, but I don't agree. He measured the full weight effect that the camper, including the hitch, has on the truck. The hitch ratings for the truck doesn't care what is hitch weight and what is tongue weight.

Dave

[Herk7769]

Tongue weight does not change and the TV's limits are based on that.

It can be determined by using math and the two scale weights (weigh without WD bars and truck unhitched weight) OR disconnect and put front camper wheel on its own platform.

The WD weigh is just to make sure the WD is doing its job of transferring weight from the rear axle to the camper's wheels and the front axle.

The third weigh WITH bars installed is required with a WD hitch because if adjusted improperly you can overload the trucks' front axle and the camper's axles and tires.

My understanding is the hitch (and frame receiver) ITSELF (everything FORWARD of the ball) is considered truck weight. Everything AFT of the ball is considered Tongue Load.

[RonLynnJr]

Wow, that was pretty cheap to get all that info! That's awesome that you thought about disconnecting the WDH to see the effect. I have always been a little leery about them and wondered if they really do what they claim to do. My work has a portable set of weight scales that I can use. Once my foot heals all the way I plan on doing the same.

[MtnGuy]

Originally Posted by pg_rider

The only discrepancy is the difference in total weight between #1 and #2. The only difference is that I unhooked my bars, which shouldn't have changed the total weight.

Since the CAT scales weigh in 20 increments, a 20 lb. difference is nothing to worry with. Depends on how the axles weights were "rounded" up or down.

Originally Posted by pg_rider

The one other thing that hurt my head was what to do with my Equal-i-zer hitch head and bars. I removed them for the truck-only weight (#3), but wasn't sure if I should have left them attached to the truck.

To get a true tongue weight, the head assembly and bars should have stayed in place. If you removed them entirely from the truck, then that weight needs to be figured back into the equation to get your actual tongue weight. To do that, weight the head assembly and bars on your bathroom scale, and add that back to the empty solo weight.

If you threw the Equal-i-zer parts into the truck bed, then no worries.

Looks like you have the weights distributed great. Double check your axle gross weights to make sure they are all within range.

[Herk7769]

Remember the WD hitch is like a giant crow bar acting on the BALL.

It uses the hitch head as a fulcrum and levers the weight of the tongue onto the truck and camper frames. The tongue WEIGHT stays on the hitch so the trucks LIMITS do not change with a WD hitch. It just gets "distributed" more evenly for a level ride.

And ditto on "20 pounds don't mean squat"

[pg_rider]

Here were my three weight configurations -- not sure if that helps. Also not sure if for weight #3 I should have left the hitch head and bars attached to my truck.

[MtnGuy]

Originally Posted by pg_rider

Here were my three weight configurations -- not sure if that helps. Also not sure if for weight #3 I should have left the hitch head and bars attached to my truck.

Where was the the WDH and bars during weigh-in #3 ??

[punkaccountant]

Originally Posted by mtnguy

Where was the the WDH and bars during weigh-in #3 ??

He said he took them off so I assume he meant they were off the scale. So from everything I have read, it sounds like he should have kept them on the truck for weight #3. Is that understanding correct? This stuff hurts my head too!

[MtnGuy]

Originally Posted by punkaccountant

He said he took them off so I assume he meant they were off the scale. So from everything I have read, it sounds like he should have kept them on the truck for weight #3. Is that understanding correct? This stuff hurts my head too!

Yes, by leaving the bars on the TV during the solo weigh-in, the TV is setup exactly like it was during the truck and trailer weigh-in without the spring bars attached. If the OPer removed the WDH, and put them in the trailer or laid them on the ground during the solo weigh-in, then the TV is no longer setup with the same weigh.....that is probably 60 lbs or so that is no longer on the TV. Instead of 5660-5180 lbs equaling 480 lbs. tongue weight, the tongue weight might be 420 lbs.......5660-5240 lbs.......or whatever the additional weight of the WDH and spring bars are.

Not a big deal with that, unless you were approaching the hitch maximum weights, or trying to decide on what weight spring bars to use. IMHO, the OPer did a great to find out all of his information. He know his weights, and how the WDH is setup (looks pretty darn good).

Kudos to pg_rider for doing the weigh-ins, and also posting here so others can see how that is done.

[pg_rider]

Originally Posted by mtnguy

Where was the the WDH and bars during weigh-in #3 ??

Sitting on the ground next to the camper