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ugcamper
Central Illinois
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Joined: 05/05/2002
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Many in here have talked about getting their rigs weighed. WHat is the best way to get a proper weight, where is the best place to find scales and for the most part what does it cost to have it weighed? Thanx
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rvlady
Sublimity, Oregon
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Joined: 09/09/2001
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In Oregon our State Dept. of Transportation maintains small, non-manned scales on major two lane roads--you can use them free. Check with your state transportation department. I'll let others give you the technical details on how to weigh your rig and where else to find scales.
Linda
Linda and husband Dave (retired US Army) W7DDW
Magic, Yellow Lab Female, born 18 July 2010. R.I.P., Jake!
2002 Arctic Fox 25R, Yamaha 2400i Generator
2003 DODGE 3500 SLT Quad Cab, 4x4, SRW, HO CTD, 3.73, 48RE, Jake Brake
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LAdams
Northern Illinois
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John,
There are a few different ways you can go about this...
Scales capable of weighing your rig are found in many different areas... I personally use the moving company down the street which has a very large scale to weigh it's semi trailers when they are fully loaded...
Many material companies (sand and gravel) will have similar scales and in truck stops along the highways there are what is referred to as CAT scales...
When I weigh my rig at the movers, they usually charge me about 5 dollars per measurement... I think the CAT scales are about 10 per and I'm not sure of the others, probably what you can negotiate at the material yards and such...
Best Regards,
Les
2000 Ford F-250SD, XLT, 4X4 Off Road, SuperCab
w/ 6.8L (415 C.I.) V-10/3:73LS/4R100
Banks Power Pack w/Trans Command & OttoMind
Sold Trailer - not RV'ing at this point in time
HUNTER THERMOSTAT INSTALL
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chillihead
Jefferson, TX
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Joined: 05/16/2002
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Whaddayaknow.....I just walked into the office from the van after going to the scrap dealer scales. Cost $5 for the measurements. Here is what I did and found. Placed just the van front axle on the scales. 2,960lbs. Both van axles on the scale. 6,280lbs. Van axles and TT axles on the scale. 9,240lbs. TT axle on scale, still hitched to van (TT axle weight). 2,700lbs. Unhitched TT on scale. 3,240. Tongue weight = TT weight unhitched - TT axle weight = 3,240 - 2,700 - 540. Ideal tongue weight would be 325 to 480ish. Other than distributing the cargo, anyone have ideas on adjusting that 540? Perhaps another way to measure the tongue weight?
Good luck with the weigh in!!
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uncle t
reno,NV
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i used public scales twice, once to weigh my truck and once to weigh the truck/5er package. i used scales found at truck stops. one charges 7.00 and the other was 7.50. i weighed with full tank of gas and 5er hitch on board as well as wife and me. they both had three distinct sections of scales one for the front axle, one for the rear axle and the third for the 5er axles. the printout you are provided breaks down all three weights and also gives you a total weight.
2020 Integra 36U
can am spyder or can am commander
BE PREPARED- NEVER BRING A KNIFE TO A GUNFIGHT.
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ugcamper
Central Illinois
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Thanks to everyone for their input. I looked in the phone book and found some cat scales here in bloomington at one of the local truck stops. Guess it is time to go weigh!!
thanx again
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chillihead
Jefferson, TX
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Nomad: None taken. I'm a newbie too, still setting up to get on the road. I posted this in order to have more than one set of brains to figure this out! Your are right. I lost a couple of hundred pounds + during the process. And I know that the kids stayed put in the van!.
Looking at the scale tickets yet again. 1st weight, front axle on scale = 2960. 2nd, both van axles = 6280. 3rd = 3240, which is the unhitched TT. 4th = 2700, hitched TT, or TT axle weight. The sum of the axles = 8,980.
I don't think this changes my tongue weight calculatons, which are TT total - TT axle, or 3240 - 2700 = 540.
Sum of axles - TT weight = 8980 - 3240 = 5740, which should be the van, people and cargo. Add back the 540 tongue weight and the van goes to 6280, which matches the scale.
My assumption (look out!!) is that the rear axle is heavy and the front axle is light as the 540 is on the hitch. The 3360 van rear axle - 540 tongue weight = 2820, which makes more sense for the van alone. That would make the van weigh in at around 5780 without the trailer attached, not accounting for unloading of the front axle. This is close to the 5740 calculated above.
Ya'll lemme know what you think about this round with the numbers.
I'm just enough of a nut to want to weigh before and after setting up the weight distributing hitch. It'll be interesting to see the change in front axle weight with all the hardware doing it's job.
Thanks for the look at the numbers, Nomad.
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Kenneth
Washington, the state
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Joined: 03/20/2001
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You can set up your w/d hitch with a tape measure. The springs compress proportionally with the load.
http://www.can-am-rv.com/cantow1.htm
Don't worry about extra tongue weight if your rig can handle it OK. It gives a bit more stability.
Ken
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fixruprbob
Raleigh, NC USA
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Joined: 12/21/2001
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I recently measured my rig in a similar fashion. The numbers did not gell. Sometime later I recognized the problem...... the approaches to the scale were inclined therefore introducing some measurment errors.
An alternative method for tongue measurment may be made using portable scales often used at propane tank filling stations.
FixruprBob
*This Message was edited on 31-May-02 09:54 PM by fixruprbob*
*This Message was edited on 31-May-02 09:55 PM by fixruprbob*
Robert
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