Finally weighed the TV and TT together... ugh

BiggD wrote:
Ok, got it all weighed again today.

Truck included 5 people, 1 dog, 5 camping chairs in the bed and full tank of gas. Truck was weighed with WD hitch on. Also remember I have the Timbrens in the rear so that is what I think minimized the changes in wheel gap W/O WD.

Trailer had everything that normally goes except food and clothes.



I know it's still over on the payload and rear axle weight but not as bad as it was before. Is it possible I could adjust the WD to send more to the front and more to the TT axles? I know it won't help payload but it should help axle weights.

I would tighten up the WD hitch and get your front axle back to unloaded weight. that would take about 180 lbs off of the rear axle plus move some more weight to the trailer tires. That would get you within all the ratings except the GVWR.

Moderator edit to re-size image to forum limit of 640px maximum width.

At this point hitch up and go camping! Enjoy, I wouldn't worry about being a few hundred lbs over on the rear axle!

ScottG wrote:
I think your fine, sure it could be better but there's nothing dangerous there.
Remember that a lot of the limits put on by manufacturers are for warranty purposes so even IF you were a little over it isn't that big of deal. It's not like there's a line in the sand where disaster looms on the other side.
Don't worry and have fun.

Funny how people would go bananas if I even approach the limits towing with my minivan (which has more payload btw) but with a half-ton that is 1000lb over weight the response is so different.

OP is way over weight with this combo. IMO you really need more truck or less trailer/cargo, there really isn't an easy way around this. This is an accident waiting to happen.

AH64ID wrote:
BiggD, I think the biggest issue you might have is the rear tires, followed closely by the suspension and rear axle housing/bearings. You need to look at your tires and see what they are rated for.

In the end the scale is likely accurate and your finding what many 1/2 owners find out, they are still 1/2 tons. Based on your weights a different trailer wouldn't help, you are close to the limit without a trailer.

Your weight does seem a little high, but small things add up. I am 1400lbs over my delivered weight without anything in the bed, or people in the cab. Just normal stuff in the tool box, bed liner, hitch, etc... It all does add up.

The tires are the ones that came with the truck. Goodyear Wrangler HP P275/60-20 with a load rating of 2601#

Hi Ron, thanks again for helping out! I have not installed a Diesel engine nor a plow lol

I really have no idea how the axle weight went up so much. I expected them to be a little heavier in the front due to having the dog on this weigh versus the one in May but 500# is not what I expected to see, I would have thought maybe a 100# change. The rear I expected to go up about 125# or so due to the hitch and chairs in the bed, not the 680# it shows.

I'm lost on your last paragraph. When I weighed the combination before, the TV weighed 7840# and TT weighed 6180# for a total of 14,020#.

This time when I weighed it the TV weighed 7640# and the TT weighed 5540# for a total of 13,180#

TV difference is 200#, TT difference is 640# and GCWR difference is 840#

The differences to me are feasible as I said the TT didn't have all the food, clothes, 2 bikes and misc items we take.

If I was to adjust the hitch and move the weight as you described the front axles would go to 3800# and the rear would go to 3690# for a total GVWR of 7490. This would be 690# over GVWR.

Either way I look at it, if I adjust the WD to move the weights I'm still over the limits of the truck. The bars are 1000# bars also.

I wish I would have known about all this prior to buying the truck. Ugh!

How heavy is the family?

BiggD, I think the biggest issue you might have is the rear tires, followed closely by the suspension and rear axle housing/bearings. You need to look at your tires and see what they are rated for.

In the end the scale is likely accurate and your finding what many 1/2 owners find out, they are still 1/2 tons. Based on your weights a different trailer wouldn't help, you are close to the limit without a trailer.

Your weight does seem a little high, but small things add up. I am 1400lbs over my delivered weight without anything in the bed, or people in the cab. Just normal stuff in the tool box, bed liner, hitch, etc... It all does add up.

I enjoy numerical challenges -- but your scale weights really have me mystified.

According to the Ram specs your TV would have had "curb weights" of 3092# front and 2350# rear. Total "curb weight" = 5442# with a 57%/43% distribution.

We know the factory-delivered weight differs from "curb weight". For your TV the factory-delivered weight is indicated to have been 6800-1219 = 5581#. Assuming the same 57/43 distribution gives delivered axle weights of 3180# front and 2400# rear.

Now, do you have any idea how the front axle load could have increased from 3180# to 3680# and the rear increased from 2400# to 3080#, just from adding your family, the dog, chairs, and WDH?
That's 500# added to the front and 680# added to the rear for a total added occupants and cargo of 1180#.

Did you add a snow plow to the front or install a diesel engine? Not meaning to be flippant -- but there seems to be about 500# of extra weight, mostly added to the front axle, for which we cannot account.

I guess one could hope that the scales at HIGHWAY SCALES are reading a bit too high -- but, they are supposed to be certified. The CAT Scale Locator shows a CAT scale at I-94 Exit 128 if you want to take just the truck to a different scale for an independent check.

Today's data show the WDH transferred about 100# to the TT's axles. What is the TW rating of your WDH bars? If they're rated at 1000#, you should be able to transfer a total of about 250# to the TT's axles. Transferring an additional 150# would cause and additional load of about 300# to be added to the TV's front axle and would remove additional load of about 450# from the rear axle. That would get you under the rear GAWR, but you'd still be quite a bit over the GVWR.

BTW, the indicated TT weight now is 6440# versus the indicated weight of 7880# when using the unhitched weights from 5/30/14. And, the GCW now is 13,200# versus the 14,020# from the last weighing. Did you take a bunch of stuff out of the TT?

Ron

I have uploaded the weigh tickets for you to see.

Truck with WD hitch, family, dog and chairs.



Truck without WD hooked up.



Truck with WD

mrekim wrote:
Is there anything else heavy in the truck bed?

Looking here: 2012 RAM 1500 PICKUP TOWING CHART it seems like the base rear axle weight is a lot lighter than the 3080 lbs you are reporting. They spec it at about 2300 lbs.

Add 100 lbs for the hitch and 200 for the portion of the passengers on the rear wheel and 100 lbs for fuel (assuming tank is in front of rear axle) and we're adding 400 lbs for a total of 2700 lbs.

I would think that the spare tire would be included, but lets add 80 lbs for that, bringing us to 2780.

This still leaves us with a mystery weight of about 300 lbs.

There was nothing else in the bed of the truck except what I specified here. We have a '12 Outdoorsman, Crew Cab with the 3.92's.. Axles are rated at 3900 according to that site and also the door jam on the truck..