how do I properly weigh my rig?
I want to weigh my rig on my next camping trip, but am a little confused on how to do this. I want to make sure I get all the pertinent weight measurements, like truck weight, travel trailer weight, ...
Forum Discussion
What matters most? What the exact weight of your TT is or how the load is distributed when you travel?
I could pull up to the scales and release the WD bars, let the back sag and the front raise up and get the true tongue weight of the TT that way, but why? I certainly am not going to drive down the road that way.
I do want to know, what is the load on the axels when I am towing. If the tongue weight is 800 lbs. and the WD bars shift some of the tongue weight to the front axle and some to the TT axel that is fine, that is what it is supposed to do.
However, I still know the total change in weight due to the TT and I also know how much weight each axle going to carry and my total TV payload.
Max cargo and axle weight are what are important to me, how the load was distributed is academic. I suppose one could test the load distribution changes cause by adding or dropping a few links on the WD hitch. That might be interesting.
But, the fact remains that I try to adjust the WD links so the TT is level with the TV or maybe a bit lower in the front; then weigh the combo to see what the max cargo and axel loads are.
On any given trip it would not surprise me to see a 200 lbs weight shift due to just the changes it gas tank, fresh, grey and black water tank levels, not to mention consumable good like food and propane, that will not get replenished until we return.
I could pull up to the scales and release the WD bars, let the back sag and the front raise up and get the true tongue weight of the TT that way, but why? I certainly am not going to drive down the road that way.
I do want to know, what is the load on the axels when I am towing. If the tongue weight is 800 lbs. and the WD bars shift some of the tongue weight to the front axle and some to the TT axel that is fine, that is what it is supposed to do.
However, I still know the total change in weight due to the TT and I also know how much weight each axle going to carry and my total TV payload.
Max cargo and axle weight are what are important to me, how the load was distributed is academic. I suppose one could test the load distribution changes cause by adding or dropping a few links on the WD hitch. That might be interesting.
But, the fact remains that I try to adjust the WD links so the TT is level with the TV or maybe a bit lower in the front; then weigh the combo to see what the max cargo and axel loads are.
On any given trip it would not surprise me to see a 200 lbs weight shift due to just the changes it gas tank, fresh, grey and black water tank levels, not to mention consumable good like food and propane, that will not get replenished until we return.
