Weighing Trailer

[Leslie & Nick]

How would I go about weighing my TM? I asume this can be done at a truck stop with scales, but exactly what is the procedure? If I want to know just the weight of the loaded TM, do I disconnect the trailer from the TV? How do you determine the tongue weight? About what do they charge for a scale ticket?
Nick

[Speckul8r]

The local concrete dealer will let folks weigh trailers for free so long as they aren't busy. Check around. Here is a web site that shows how to do the tongue weight at home with the bathroom scale.
http://www.enjoythedrive.com/content/?id=26359

[Denny_A]

Originally Posted by Texas_Camper

If you drive up on the scales, stay hitched and weigh the trailer tires (axle weight).. then lower the tounge jack on to the scales and unhitch... now you're weighing the entire trailer. Subtract the total weight from the axle weight and you have the tounge weight. We have a salvage yard here where they buy scrap metal.. that's where I weigh. True towing weight should be done with the TM loaded for the road...

....if the WDH is connected when the axle weight is determined, the tongue weight + axle weight, when disconnected, will be result in a false tongue weight calc.

Example: WDH connected, axle load = 3100 lbs.
.............jack and axle on scale, weight = 3500 lbs.
.............Tongue weight = 3500-3100 lbs = 400 lbs. (whoops)

A properly connected WDH will have transferred about 1/3 of the tongue weight to the trailer axle. Say, for example; 200 lbs . Therefore when the tongue jack and axle are on the scale the loads are; Axle = 3100-200 lbs = 2900lbs and Tongue = 3500 lbs - 2900 lbs = 600 lbs.

Just an example. In fact a trailer at 3500 lbs is more likely to see a tongue weight nearer to 500 lbs.

So the caveat, to the method advised, is to ensure the WDH spring bars are not engaged when weighing the axle. All the tongue weight will then be carried on the hitch.

Denny_A