We need to keep below a specific tongue weight. We are about to purchase a trailer. Do you think a dealer would have a scale and that they'd let us weigh it? We'd have to put a bunch of people in there to gsimulate loaded weight.....

I would expect it to be very rare that any dealer would have a scale.

He could, but whether he will or not is a question only he can answer. His first response is going to be to stonewall you in any number of ways; "That vehicle is plenty big enough", "We don't have a scale", "yadda, yadda, yadda". Just tell him your not paying any money for anything until you get that weights you need to decide for yourself whether or not your vehicle will handle the load. It's your money, you have all the control. He makes no money until he gets your money - remember that.

Most dealerships will tell you the truck is more than adequate to tow whatever it is they are selling. I have even heard of fifth wheel sellers telling a prospective customer to go buy a GM 2500 truck to tow one of their 35' long fifth wheels with a 3,000 pound pin weight - even though the GM dealership should say NO - this 2500 truck does not have the ability to carry a 3,500 pound wet pin weight and a passengers. But likely the car dealership will not know anything about the cargo rating of the trucks they are selling! And they will recommend the first one that you see that is the right color! A tongue scale is probably going to cost $150 or more. I don't know any dealerships in my area that have one. They probably will say read the manufactures literature (it is getting closer to the actual weights).I guess in reality, the 'dry weight' before you buy the trailer will change by at least 200 - 600 pounds when the fresh water tank is full, along with camping gear, clothes, food, cooking pans, and such. So I would not really need to check the parking lot weight of the trailer (unless you think you are really close to the vehicle's GVWR) as it will change several hundred pounds when you are ready to camp.That is why many say to buy 'to much truck' and you will have just enough. A larger truck will typically have heavy duty tires, less prone to allow side to side sway into a corner, and the extra weight on the rear axle will prevent the trailer from pushing the back of the truck into a corner on a downhill mountain run, where the truck is trying to hold back the weight of the trailer with engine compression and downshifting.The built in brake controllers on modern big three trucks will apply the electric trailer brakes automatically if they feel side to side sway to get the trailer straight behind the truck again. But aftermarket controllers do not do this, they have a manual slide switch for this reason, and are supposed to be near the driver's reach while steering and controlling this. Sway can be induced by a passing truck on a two lane road, and a tsp of the trailer brakes will stop the sway quickly.Good luck,Fred.

If you want to make sure you stay below a certain tongue weight, take the full GVWR of the trailer (max weight trailer can be, including cargo) and multiply that by 13-15 percent. That will give you what your potential max tongue weight could be. Of course, that goes out the window if you overload your trailer.All trailers will have their dry weight posted, and the max cargo capacity posted. Add those two numbers together to get your GVWR for the trailer.If you go with that max GVWR, and you are within what you need for tongue weight, at 15 percent of that, then you should be good.Mike

They can, but will they? You'll never know unless you ask.

Could/would a dealer weigh the trailer | Good Sam Community

19 Replies

dodge_guy
Explorer II
Feb 18, 2016
Hmm that is weird then. At least you too questioned the first weigh. Hat is a crazy amount to be off!
Chuck_thehammer
Explorer
Feb 18, 2016
dodge guy wrote:
Chuck_thehammer wrote:
dodge guy wrote:
1 question. Why would you load people into the trailer to weigh it?

Use he dry weight on the sticker in the cabinet, that is the as delivered weight. Then add 1200-1500 lbs to the dry weight. Now figure on 12.5% of that number. That will be what you want your loaded tongue weight to be, regardless of the dry tongue weight. As you load the trailer tongue weight will change. So it needs to be loaded correctly each and every time so you always have that same tongue weight.

both the inside and outside stickers of my trailer say 7,500 pounds.. right after I purchased it, I scaled it Empty and No propane tanks.... it weights 8,300 pounds.

the tags can lie.

I can see being off by 100lbs, but not 800! I think you got a bum scale!

Akron Ohio Cat scale
Canton Ohio Cat scale.

I figured the first was in error... but 2? same day. Heavy Air :)
wireman
Explorer
Feb 18, 2016
Maybe someone in your area has a tongue weight scale you can borrow. On Amazon is a Shurline scale for about $150. Might be worth the investment.

Only way to know for sure is to weigh it. Estimates only go so far and won't answer you concerns. Obviously the tongue weight will go up some after it's loaded but weighing the tongue at the dealer gets you in the ball park.

Wireman
dodge_guy
Explorer II
Feb 18, 2016
Chuck_thehammer wrote:
dodge guy wrote:
1 question. Why would you load people into the trailer to weigh it?

Use he dry weight on the sticker in the cabinet, that is the as delivered weight. Then add 1200-1500 lbs to the dry weight. Now figure on 12.5% of that number. That will be what you want your loaded tongue weight to be, regardless of the dry tongue weight. As you load the trailer tongue weight will change. So it needs to be loaded correctly each and every time so you always have that same tongue weight.

both the inside and outside stickers of my trailer say 7,500 pounds.. right after I purchased it, I scaled it Empty and No propane tanks.... it weights 8,300 pounds.

the tags can lie.

I can see being off by 100lbs, but not 800! I think you got a bum scale!
Chuck_thehammer
Explorer
Feb 18, 2016
dodge guy wrote:
1 question. Why would you load people into the trailer to weigh it?

Use he dry weight on the sticker in the cabinet, that is the as delivered weight. Then add 1200-1500 lbs to the dry weight. Now figure on 12.5% of that number. That will be what you want your loaded tongue weight to be, regardless of the dry tongue weight. As you load the trailer tongue weight will change. So it needs to be loaded correctly each and every time so you always have that same tongue weight.

both the inside and outside stickers of my trailer say 7,500 pounds.. right after I purchased it, I scaled it Empty and No propane tanks.... it weights 8,300 pounds.

the tags can lie.
dodge_guy
Explorer II
Feb 18, 2016
They specifically stated about putting people in the trailer. Lots of confusion going on here. hopefully they come back and explain.
wrvond
Explorer II
Feb 17, 2016
To answer your actual question, probably not. However, there is nothing keeping you from using a bathroom scale and some wood. Search YouTube for how to measure tongue weight with a bathroom scale. Easy and cheap.
budwich
Explorer
Feb 17, 2016
Oaklevel wrote:
Never saw a dealer in 30 years with any kind of scale, But there are no big dealers anywhere near here.

I assume they want to use the people for the cargo weight of the truck.......

in the "back water" here and it is a "backwater" compared to the "big city", you will have more of a problem finding a scale... :-)

Anyways, not sure how having people in the vehicle will affect the tongue weight.
Oaklevel
Explorer
Feb 17, 2016
Never saw a dealer in 30 years with any kind of scale, But there are no big dealers anywhere near here.

I assume they want to use the people for the cargo weight of the truck.......
budwich
Explorer
Feb 17, 2016
OhHolly wrote:
We need to keep below a specific tongue weight. We are about to purchase a trailer. Do you think a dealer would have a scale and that they'd let us weigh it? We'd have to put a bunch of people in there to gsimulate loaded weight.....

You don't need people, you need water and propane... :-)
If they are any kind of RV dealer, they will have a "tongue scale" to get the actual tongue weight... you can even throw on your bars and ball hitch draw bar to a "closer total". What "specific tongue weight" are you concerned about? It doesn't sound like you want tongue but are more interested in GVW of your TV when loaded up and ready to go.