tow package question?

[rvcycleguy]

ShrimpBurrito,

Went to the truck scales today. Did not take the motorcycle due to not having my wife around the house today to help me load it with the ramps.

CAT Scale:

TV and TM hitched is 5120lbs + 3280 for a total of 8400lbs combined.

TM unhitched from TV= 3260lbs.

Is the difference of TV curb weight of 4400lbs and the hitched weight of 5120lbs the tongue weight? if not, how would I determine hitch weight? I was not able to breakdown the front axle weight to the rear axle weight for the TV

I measured the drop in wheel well height and the when the TM is hitched, it drops the rear by approx. 1 inch and adds that same I inch to the front.

thanks,

rv

I always measure the truck separately, not the trailer.

But in your case the trailer GVW is only 3260# ???
That seems too light.

Especially if the GAW (gross axle weight) of the trailer is 3280# (???)

That would leave -10# on the hitch. Hmmmmm.

Curb weight of 4400# - is that the unloaded manufacturer's spec or what you weighed without the trailer?

The truck (both axles) weighs 5120# with the trailer attached correct?

Sorry, more questions than answers here.

Not sure which scale you went to, but if you went to a CAT scale this thread might help.

http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...ad.php?t=10333

[rvcycleguy]

1.The truck (both axles) weighs 5120# with the trailer attached correct? Yes

2. Curb weight of 4400# - is that the unloaded manufacturer's spec or what you weighed without the trailer? Manufacturer's spec.

3. Especially if the GAW (gross axle weight) of the trailer is 3280# (???) That would leave -10# on the hitch. Hmmmmm. Thats what I thought as well? 20lbs?

[rvcycleguy]

thanks for the link. very helpful.

[ShrimpBurrito]

To get the tongue weight at the scale, you need 2 measurements of the TM axle:

1. the TM axle when hitched to the TV
2. the TM axle when unhitched to the TV

Weight #2 - Weight #1 = tongue weight

There is no way your tongue weight is only 10 or 20 pounds -- try to pick it up. You probably won't even be able to lift the jack post off the ground, so something went wrong with your weigh. Were the same number of people in the TV during each weigh? It's easy to not notice someone getting out to look at the scale (especially the driver) or go inside to the bathroom/store.

Was the TM packed for camping (besides the bike)? Food, water, charged toilet, cooler/ice, propane, camp chairs, dogs, passengers, full gas tank, etc.? All that stuff adds up quick.

You can also weigh the tongue at home using a bathroom scale and some lumber using the technique described here:

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/auto-p...ue-weight1.htm

Dave

Dave's method works fine, but the CAT scales I've been to have always been pretty busy. So I've avoided unhitching the trailer on the scale. Instead I run through twice; once with the "truck+trailer" and once with the "truck alone" after unhitching the trailer somewhere in the yard. The CAT scale should give you a measurement of each axle's weight plus a total.

If you take the total of "truck+trailer" and subtract the "truck alone" total, you will have the trailer's GVW. Then subtract the trailer's axle weight (GAW) measured in the first run from the trailer's GVW (calculated above) to get the tongue weight.

This is the trailer's true tongue weight only if you're not using a WDH or have removed the tension bars from your WDH. I usually run the "truck+trailer" through a 3rd time with the WDH set up normally to see how it's moving weight from truck's rear axle to the front (steer) axle and trailer axle.

I've estimated my Elkmont's tongue weight 2 different times at 2 different CAT scales using this method and got 620# both times.

[rvcycleguy]

thanks Brulaz. The CAT scale I was using was also busy and I was only able to run the TV with the trailer hitched and then the TM by itself. I should have weighed the truck by itself instead of the TM with the time I had available. I know the tongue weight is more than 20lbs, that was actually more of a joke then reality for me. thank you all very much for your assistance.

[Mr. Adventure]

Originally Posted by rvcycleguy

thanks Brulaz. The CAT scale I was using was also busy and I was only able to run the TV with the trailer hitched and then the TM by itself. I should have weighed the truck by itself instead of the TM with the time I had available. I know the tongue weight is more than 20lbs, that was actually more of a joke then reality for me. thank you all very much for your assistance.

You probably have this all figured out by now, but the axle weights are what you'll really want to know in order to find out how many pounds in the truck are associated with those inches you measured at the wheel wells. This is easy on the Cat scale, just park so that each axle is on a different scale segment.

FWIW, if anyone has a similar vehicle, my 2008 GMC 2500HD, no passengers, no driver, no cargo, not sure about the fuel tank:

Weight 6230

One of these days I need to reweigh everything. The one time I weighed it I was using the 1500HD and did not have any off road toys.

My best guess is that I am around 12,000 pounds loaded.