Forum Discussion

samhain7's avatar
samhain7
Explorer
Jul 05, 2015

I was running heavy

All this talk of tires lately had me curious. I am on my way on a 5 day trip and passing by CAT scales. I noticed the wife and kids packed pretty heavy (I only brought at shirt and beer) and I had a full tank of water.
So I thought better be safe.
Got weighed and low and behold. I am 240lbs over my trailer cargo.
So guess what. Drop a half a tank of water. Grrrrrrr. I love being able too travel with water.
Also got me curious about the way they weighed me.

Had me get on the scale with truck and trailer.

Numbers were:
Steer axle- 9000 lbs
Drive axle - 0
Trailer axle. - 7560
Gross - 16560

I asked how they could measure my trailer when hitched. And said that number can't be right. So the suggestion. Unhitch. Get on the scale with my truck only and subtract from the gross to get my trailer weight. Seems unorthodox.

The trailer can take a total of 8500 lbs.
The truck came in at 7820. Subtract that from the total and it's 8740. 240 lbs over.
Anyway...I guess I need the kids and wife to shed 240 lbs on the next trip because my beer is non negotiable.

On another note, I suspect a lot of these bad tire reviews are not actually bad tires, but people like me travelling overloaded without knowing it..
  • donn0128's avatar
    donn0128
    Explorer II
    Jul 05, 2015
    Overloading is a real common problem for sure. But running ST tires beyond their maximum rated speed is also a guaranteed recipe for disaster
  • Dakota98's avatar
    Dakota98
    Explorer
    Jul 05, 2015
    You have a 69 gallon fresh tank, that's 575 lbs.

    Stop & put water on board as you get closer to your destination.

    And take an extra case of beer !!! :B
  • rbpru's avatar
    rbpru
    Explorer II
    Jul 05, 2015
    The local CAT scale has three separate scale sections. I try to center the TV between the first two scale sections, the TT reaches the last section with no problems. I do need to take a step ladder because the call button is in front of the truck.

    Usually my drive axle is the heavy loaded one.
  • dave17352's avatar
    dave17352
    Explorer
    Jul 05, 2015
    If you trailer was 240 over its GVWR when not hitched it was probably under its GVWR when hitched to your truck right. Because of the tongue weight on your truck. 5th wheels are figured that way.
  • Old-Biscuit's avatar
    Old-Biscuit
    Explorer III
    Jul 05, 2015
    From your weights you had both front/rear truck axles on same scale....you pulled to far forward.

    If truck weighed 7820 alone and 9000 with trailer hitched up......that's 1180# tongue weight which is 13%

    Trailer hitched up......7560 + 1180----8740#
  • samhain7's avatar
    samhain7
    Explorer
    Jul 05, 2015
    Old-Biscuit wrote:
    From your weights you had both front/rear truck axles on same scale....you pulled to far forward.

    If truck weighed 7820 alone and 9000 with trailer hitched up......that's 1180# tongue weight which is 13%

    Trailer hitched up......7560 + 1180----8740#


    I am a newbie to scales.
    Their instruction was this.
    1. Pull up to speaker and hit call button.
    2. Pull forward to second call button.
    3. Pull off scale and get results.

    I don't get your numbers old biscuit. Are you saying they were accurate of in-accurate.
  • Old-Biscuit's avatar
    Old-Biscuit
    Explorer III
    Jul 05, 2015
    samhain7 wrote:
    Old-Biscuit wrote:
    From your weights you had both front/rear truck axles on same scale....you pulled to far forward.

    If truck weighed 7820 alone and 9000 with trailer hitched up......that's 1180# tongue weight which is 13%

    Trailer hitched up......7560 + 1180----8740#


    I am a newbie to scales.
    Their instruction was this.
    1. Pull up to speaker and hit call button.
    2. Pull forward to second call button.
    3. Pull off scale and get results.

    I don't get your numbers old biscuit. Are you saying they were accurate of in-accurate.


    YES I am saying numbers are correct.

    You posted 9000# steer axle and 0# on drive axle with 7560# trailer axle (all weight was recorded on steer...nothing on drive)
    You then posted truck alone was 7820#

    So 9000# total truck (with trailer connected) MINUS 7820# truck only is 1180# which is amount of trailer tongue weight truck was carrying.

    Trailer axle 7560# plus 1180# tongue is 8740# total trailer weight.
    1180# is 13.5% of 8740#
  • Muddydogs's avatar
    Muddydogs
    Explorer
    Jul 05, 2015
    I wouldn't have worried about 250 pounds, thats nothing really. Enjoy your trip and when you get home figure out where you can shed a few pounds since it looks like you either didn't purchase a trailer that meets your needs or you have a bunch of junk in the trailer. What did the wife and kids pack that put you 250 over in the first place? Are you at max weight before the wife and kids even put anything in the trailer? 250 pounds of clothes and electronics is a lot of clothes and stuff considering I would hope you have at least 500 pounds of extra weight room once the trailer was loaded for camping so the wife and kids loaded 500 + pounds of gear in the trailer? Kind of sounds like maybe the wife and kids are being blamed for something that isn't really there problem.
  • RCMAN46's avatar
    RCMAN46
    Explorer
    Jul 05, 2015
    I believe the OP has a travel trailer. If he has a WD system active when on the scales we do not have enough information to get an accurate tongue weight.

    Total trailer weight should be accurate.

    Tongue weight will probably be more as some of that weight should have been transfered to the trailer axles by the WD system.
  • samhain7's avatar
    samhain7
    Explorer
    Jul 05, 2015
    Muddydogs wrote:
    I sounds like maybe the wife and kids are being blamed for something that isn't really there problem.


    Of course!!!

    But seriously. My daughter pretty much packed up her room.
    Either way...next trip we will be fine.

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