CAT scales question

[delosholly]

Would someone please let me know what to expect when I go to a CAT scale to weigh my rig. How much do they charge? Will that charge apply to each axle?, for the complete session to include front axle, rear axle, whole rig, cargo trailer axle?

Any advice would be welcome.

Thanks
Del

[pjay9]

rjmelehan wrote:

WOW, THANKS.
I just started looking at Truck Campers. My focus will be to drag a small boat trailer or a larger weight distributed trailer with the boat n trailer inside along with other toys.
I have an 2006 Dodge DRW 5.9L Diesel Quad cab which looks to be just like yours.
Your post really helps me put things into perspective, thanks again.

PS, Play 9; Do you know the overall height of your unit? Do you have a AC unit on top?
Also, tell me about the benefit of the 19.5 " wheels ? Obstruction clearance?. TIA

This is a posting on scales and such. Do not want to hijack with other questions and get off track. Pls search the 19.5...lots of postings to be found pros and cons on SWR and DRW...for me I would not be without them. Yes to AC and approx 11.5' If you like PM me. THX!!

[Butch50]

When you pull on the scale and they ask you first weigh and you say yes. Then they ask you for company just say private. They just wright private on the ticket. After they weigh the operator will tell you your ticket number and to come into the fuel counter. Go in and tell them the ticket number pay your money and away you go.

Don't need to go through the whole thing like making up a company name and truck number. This is just more that the person in the station has to write down. They told me they appreciated not having to write down a lot of other garbage.

[delosholly]

Update:
I was not able to get the weighing done this weekend,but we are going camping next weekend and I plan on making the stop at the CAT scale when we are out.
We got hit by some pretty bad weather Friday night (something called an F0 tornado, so very light). We lost 4 trees and spent Saturday with the chain saw. One of our trees hit the neighbor's house, but just barely and only caused very minor damage.
Another neighbor's trees got cut off about 15 feet up and fell right through another neighbor's shed. It simply sliced the shed in two like a knife would. Thus is spring in Alabama.
Anyways, we weigh next weekend and post results.

[rjmelehan]

pjay9 wrote:
I have been reading this post and all the great info. I had wondered if the commercial scales would even bother with us little guys, but a buck is a buck to them.
I find it very easy to use a scale that is not open to do what ever I want. In WA along I 90 there is a scale on the eastbound lanes on the east side of the pass. I rolled in took all axels, unhook trailer by itself, moved to do tongue wght, then did truck by itself both /each axel, then I took each wheel of the truck...very interesting the side to side differnce...but the whole rig came in at less than 18000# (close enuf)... Truck fueled at 3/4, TC with food water full propane empty waste and boat 1/2 fuel (23 USGal), fish gear, downrigger balls, and kicker. Will try to find in my log book the exact numbers and post later just so you can see the each wheel info.

Good to know if I need a scale I can roll in to a truck stop.

Log book entry:

Frt Axel 4180
Rear 8900
LF 2100
RF 2080
LR 4500
RR 4380
Yes it is 20# dif, that is a margine of error!
That is weight without me on board...
since I was doing this by myself.

With BT Trlr
F 3980
R 9960
BT 3780 BT alone 4180
17720

On my 9700 mile trip to Everglades and back:
F 4000
R 10140 Had my aft storage boxes full of stuff
BT 3600 Lighter...took a bunch of fishing gear off
17740

It seems my all up is staying about the same, no matter my config. I am happy I have the 19.5's!

-------------------------------------------------

WOW, THANKS.

I just started looking at Truck Campers. My focus will be to drag a small boat trailer or a larger weight distributed trailer with the boat n trailer inside along with other toys.

I have an 2006 Dodge DRW 5.9L Diesel Quad cab which looks to be just like yours.

Your post really helps me put things into perspective, thanks again.

Bob

PS, Play 9; Do you know the overall height of your unit? Do you have a AC unit on top?
Also, tell me about the benefit of the 19.5 " wheels ? Obstruction clearance?. TIA

[fpoole]

...accurately from a bathroom scale

yah, I did that for a smaller 10x6 trailer...
I kept it simple and just put the bathroom scale under the wheel on hitch..
Kids... don't do this at home...

So after trying to find a "New" scale, I'm looking for some other, non mathematical way of doing it...

(wheel bent the scale face plate... sigh, and yet another "Doh" factor in life... heheh...

[consumeratlarge]

I was getting gas and saw that there was no line for the scale. I had my new 24' trailer behind the motorhome, and so I got a reading. Then, at home, I used a load-cell type scale to weigh the hitch, then adjusted the results.

If you're into math, there are ways to get your tongue weight pretty accurately from a bathroom scale that's one half of a support for a beam that holds the weight of the hitch on top of it. The other half of the beam would be on a block the same height. The distances between the points are adjusted in anticipation of not overloading the bathroom scale. Then, do the math to find the % of force on the scale to get the true reading.

Very informative to find out what moving a few things around does to the hitch weight.

The weigh stations I've seen in the South don't want you to even slow down and ask them what the weight is, since there's usually lots of trucks in the line, too. Opinion has been split on whether a cargo looking trailer has to stop or not at those, but once they see the motorhome, they just wave me past, meaning I didn't break some huge weight threshold that a huge truck might.

[pjay9]

I have been reading this post and all the great info. I had wondered if the commercial scales would even bother with us little guys, but a buck is a buck to them.
I find it very easy to use a scale that is not open to do what ever I want. In WA along I 90 there is a scale on the eastbound lanes on the east side of the pass. I rolled in took all axels, unhook trailer by itself, moved to do tongue wght, then did truck by itself both /each axel, then I took each wheel of the truck...very interesting the side to side differnce...but the whole rig came in at less than 18000# (close enuf)... Truck fueled at 3/4, TC with food water full propane empty waste and boat 1/2 fuel (23 USGal), fish gear, downrigger balls, and kicker. Will try to find in my log book the exact numbers and post later just so you can see the each wheel info.

Good to know if I need a scale I can roll in to a truck stop.

Log book entry:

Frt Axel 4180
Rear 8900
LF 2100
RF 2080
LR 4500
RR 4380
Yes it is 20# dif, that is a margine of error!
That is weight without me on board...
since I was doing this by myself.

With BT Trlr
F 3980
R 9960
BT 3780 BT alone 4180
17720

On my 9700 mile trip to Everglades and back:
F 4000
R 10140 Had my aft storage boxes full of stuff
BT 3600 Lighter...took a bunch of fishing gear off
17740

It seems my all up is staying about the same, no matter my config. I am happy I have the 19.5's!

[Wheelholder]

Cat scales are very accurate. They do not weigh individual weights as to 1# increments. It is usually in 5# increments. They also stand behind their scale tickets. If you , as a trucker, get an overweight ticket, they will stand behind their weights and when you go to court will back you up.

The diagram earlier posted is a very accurate description of the way a cat scale operates. It is very easy to weigh a short trailer. Just make sure your front axle is over the break in the pads, and the rest will usually fall in line to weigh properly.

The cost varies from location to location. It is somewhere around 10-12 dollars for first weigh and then a small amount for the reweigh.

[Bedlam]

The scales used by our local LEO's are accurate to the 20 lb increments.

[bka0721]

SugarHillCTD wrote:
I am curious about how accurate CAT scales are for our relatively light loads.

Look at the 7th entry to this thread. Notice that it is 4500, 3100 and 7600. What a coincidence!

These scales have been designed for heavy trucks. Ever try to weigh a light weight (like 10-15 pounds) on a bathroom scale designed for human beings? Would you bet that the result is very accurate?

On another RV forum, a contributor suggested that a race shop is the place to go since they rely on very close accuracy.

Just throwing it out there.......

These scales are very accurate and checked often by the states weights and standards. This is where revenue is created, weight of loads, so anything involving money will be accurate just by that reason alone.

Longacre Scales Clicky used in race shops are even more accurate. They fit in a suitcase and can be carried to the track. This is how you balance a car to gain Neutral balance. Just by moving the engine back into a firewall provide a great solution when braking and in acceleration. Just like a truck camper's placement in the bed. You don't want to take too much weight off the front axle. This results in less tire patch which is important in cornering and braking events. Or, worse, acceleration when the front wheels come up off the ground.

b

[SugarHillCTD]

I am curious about how accurate CAT scales are for our relatively light loads.

Look at the 7th entry to this thread. Notice that it is 4500, 3100 and 7600. What a coincidence!

These scales have been designed for heavy trucks. Ever try to weigh a light weight (like 10-15 pounds) on a bathroom scale designed for human beings? Would you bet that the result is very accurate?

On another RV forum, a contributor suggested that a race shop is the place to go since they rely on very close accuracy.

Just throwing it out there.......

[Bedlam]

fpoole wrote:
Ahhh soo... thanks for clarifying.. heheh...

I'll take a closer look at them, but will just mosey on down to the CAT scales, have one near by and get it that way.

As always B, thanks,

ps. will stick to daylights hrs. heheh...

Your closest WSP scales are on northbound I-5 just before HWY 18. I have always gone when they are closed to get my weights. There will be no print out, but you can photograph the scale to record the numbers for later.

[cbshoestring]

The scales have a sensor that tells the attended someone drove up on to it. Get an axel on each scale, then shut off the truck so you can hear...feel free to get out if you need to get nearer the speaker to hear/talk.


Attendant: "First weigh?"
You: "Yes"
Attendant: "Company name?"
You: "Bily Bob's RV"
Attendant: "Truck Number?"
You: "one"
Attendant: "Trailer?"
You: "one"
Attendant: "OK, come inside"

You pull off scale, go drop trailer, come back with just the truck.


Attendant: "First weigh?"
You: "re-weigh"
Attendant: "company"
You: "Billy Bob's RV"
Attendant: "come inside"

Some even have a camera, so if they see it is an RV, they may just tell you they got it, come inside.

Do not be surprised if they seem short & to the point. They are busy dealing with fuel pumps, a convienent store, etc... They are use to dealing with professionals who do not want their time wasted.

Whatever you do, do NOT block the scale. Get on, get off, park out of the way.

[Jgwoods]

You got most of the info above. The button to talk to the folks in the store is way up high for big rigs. Lucky I'm tall and could reach it.

Usually they can't see you and assume you're in a big rig. Tell you have a pickup and camper. they ask for numbers- trucker stuff. I give my plate number so it goes on the weigh slip and matches it to the truck.

Most of the folks around are friendly so ask if you need to.