Could/would a dealer weigh the trailer
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 t...
Forum Discussion
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.
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.
