Weighing at Cat Scales

JRscooby wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:


Tells you what the weight distributing part of the hitch is doing.

Very useful if you are trying to dial in the correct tension on the bars. If the tension is too light, it may be distributing very little to the front axle and that would show up as a having almost the same front axle weight with and without the bars tensioned down.

The only numbers that making a pass with bars loose can let you calculate that you can't get from the other 2 passes is the TW when not hooked, and what percentages is transferred to steer and trailer. The only way to change the percentages steer/trailer is change wheelbase ratio. If you can't change it, do you need to know it?
Tongue weight needs to stay in the range when bars are in place. Add the weights marked as 'steer' and 'drive' when hooked up, compare to gross of TV alone, you have the weight of the trailer the TV is carrying, the definition of TW.
Old school thinking was when loading a truck you always wanted your steering to carry part of the load. Towing a TT behind a Vista Cruiser, always put enough tension on the bars to mash front down too. Sometime in the safety evolution of pickups that idea way lost. From what I read, nowadays they only want the spring bars to return the front back to what you have with MT truck.

Lots of folks tow without any idea of their weights. If that's the approach you want to follow and you are no where close to your ratings...go for it.

For an extra $2.50 if you are going thru the trouble, no reason not to get all the info in my opinion