Getting Pin Weight From Tongue Weight Scale

I'm not try to be snarky but I have a hard time grasping why so many rv trailer owners have a need to know their trailers pin weight but they don't know how much their trucks rear axle weighs (scale weight numbers).
If the trucks rear axle unladin weight is known then playing with hitch loads to gain or lose weight seems like a better idea. A sticker payload is a gvwr based number (front and rear axles)...and if all of it is placed in the truck bed over the rear axles can and has created RAWR overload especially with the newer gen high GVWR plated LDTs.

RobWNY wrote:

corvettekent wrote:
Why not drive to a truck stop and use a Cat scale for $10? Then go drop the trailer in the lot and weigh the truck for another $2.

Of course using a Cat scale will be done when it's convenient to use but the nearest Cat scale to my house is an hour away. If I had a scale I could measure Pin weight numerous times and experiment with what is the best way to distribute the weight in my RV.

Road Trip !

1Wheeldrive wrote:
If you are towing a 5th wheel, moving cargo around is not going to affect pin weight very much unless you put a bunch of gold bars in the basement. I have a 35 foot toy hauler which I weighed empty (as delivered), then loaded up for vacation with a dirt bike, a 600+ lb. quad, camping gear and 50 gallons of water for the road and 30 gallons of gas for the toys and the genny. Probably over 2,000 lbs. total of cargo, then weighed again. The load added about 440 lbs. to my pin weight. Adding the toys to the garage made little difference in the pin weight. As delivered the trailer weighed 13,100 lbs. with 2,560 lbs. on the pin. Loaded for vacation as described above the trailer weighed 15,740 lbs. with 3,000 lbs on the pin. GVWR for the trailer is 16,400 lbs.

Interesting. I would have assumed the dirt bike and quad would have lightened the pin weight some while the rest of the cargo would put weight back on the Pin.

If you are towing a 5th wheel, moving cargo around is not going to affect pin weight very much unless you put a bunch of gold bars in the basement. I have a 35 foot toy hauler which I weighed empty (as delivered), then loaded up for vacation with a dirt bike, a 600+ lb. quad, camping gear and 50 gallons of water for the road and 30 gallons of gas for the toys and the genny. Probably over 2,000 lbs. total of cargo, then weighed again. The load added about 440 lbs. to my pin weight. Adding the toys to the garage made little difference in the pin weight. As delivered the trailer weighed 13,100 lbs. with 2,560 lbs. on the pin. Loaded for vacation as described above the trailer weighed 15,740 lbs. with 3,000 lbs on the pin. GVWR for the trailer is 16,400 lbs.

rhagfo wrote:


You have a 2020 GM 2500, so that clouds the waters a bit. What is your GVWR and Payload on the 2500? It is my understanding that GM now has as high as 11,500# GVWR and likely with the Dmax close to 3,400# payload.

I'm not much smarter than a box of rocks. Can you explain to me how badges on the fender or sticker on the door jam can change the weight of a trailer? Sure, will change what you want the number to be, but has no bearing on how you determine what it is.
OP, one thing you need to watch is be sure when the pin is on the scale the pin is the same height as when the weight is on the truck. Higher will read lighter.
You say the Cat is hours away. But I bet one is not far out of your way if you are going camping. You going to load everything and stay home?
Cat printout is rounded to 20 Lbs. You will need to move a lot to change 100. Once you know what the numbers are only need to check every year or two to watch for gain. The scale on the shelf would pay for many trips across the Cat

RobWNY wrote:
I'm also not sure about the accuracy when you take into account the suspension on the truck. It's like putting foam padding under a bathroom scale. I like having the rigid base which my idea would provide.

You weigh it in a static condition so the suspension really doesn't have an impact.

rhagfo wrote:


You have a 2020 GM 2500, so that clouds the waters a bit. What is your GVWR and Payload on the 2500? It is my understanding that GM now has as high as 11,500# GVWR and likely with the Dmax close to 3,400# payload.

My GVWR is 11,350 and I have a 3,310 pound payload capacity

RobWNY wrote:

corvettekent wrote:
Why not drive to a truck stop and use a Cat scale for $10? Then go drop the trailer in the lot and weigh the truck for another $2.

Of course using a Cat scale will be done when it's convenient to use but the nearest Cat scale to my house is an hour away. If I had a scale I could measure Pin weight numerous times and experiment with what is the best way to distribute the weight in my RV.

You have a 2020 GM 2500, so that clouds the waters a bit. What is your GVWR and Payload on the 2500? It is my understanding that GM now has as high as 11,500# GVWR and likely with the Dmax close to 3,400# payload.

corvettekent wrote:
Why not drive to a truck stop and use a Cat scale for $10? Then go drop the trailer in the lot and weigh the truck for another $2.

Of course using a Cat scale will be done when it's convenient to use but the nearest Cat scale to my house is an hour away. If I had a scale I could measure Pin weight numerous times and experiment with what is the best way to distribute the weight in my RV.

Why not drive to a truck stop and use a Cat scale for $10? Then go drop the trailer in the lot and weigh the truck for another $2.