Forum Discussion

_tpc_'s avatar
_tpc_
Explorer
May 14, 2015

Using Sherline TW scale in the driveway

Ok so I just purchased one of these the other day. My plan is to try it out on the driveway at home.

I'm not so much worried about the slope of the driveway because when I go back far enough its fairly level. Additional my plan of attack would be to measure the coupler height first when attached to the truck, so that I can return to that height when measuring with the Sherline.

My issue is with the "pitch" of the driveway right to left. While up near the back of the driveway its fairly level or should I say not as severely sloped as the front of the driveway, but the side to sideleveling is pitched pretty good.

What I am thinking is that when I use the jack to raise the scale up to the coupler, the jack and scale will also be at this same "pitch". Additionally, I am thinking the extension supplied would allow the coupler to be lifted without the base of the coupler contacting the piston. So in theory, the weight measured shouldn't have a lot of "side forces" on it.

The reality is, I know it won't be "perfect", but I just won't have time to get it to a perfectly level area to really dial it in tonight. In the future yes, but not right this second.

Question is, am I wasting my time even trying to mess with it in this fashion? I just want to get an "idea". On top of this, the trailer as it sits is unloaded, and I'm loading it tonight, so the idea is to also see about how much all our gear really weighs.

Thoughts?
  • atreis's avatar
    atreis
    Explorer
    May 16, 2015
    I have a shurline and have weighed mine on my driveway, which is a somewhat side-to-side unlevel, and in a perfectly level campground. The difference is very small - not much more than the difference from two back-to-back weighings at the same spot with no changes. The scale is good for getting a ballpark number to let you know if you're in the range you want to be.

    If you're weighing at the unlevel location though, be careful when lowering the trailer onto the scale - take it a step at a time. If the trailer shifts a little it can move the scale off of whatever is holding it up.
  • SoundGuy's avatar
    SoundGuy
    Explorer
    May 15, 2015
    RJCorazza wrote:
    Since you will be moving it anyway (to the fairly level spot) why not take the trailer to a level residential street and weigh it?
    I weigh mine on a level stretch, at seated ball height (exactly level or not).


    That's what I do as well, not to just weigh the tongue but whenever I might be setting up a WD hitch ... take the trailer to a vacant area of a mall parking lot and set up wherever I can find a relatively flat, level area for the trailer to sit while I'm taking my measurements. It's been awhile now so I forget the exact numbers but I seem to recall my tongue weight measurements taken with the trailer leveled on our significantly sloped driveway were quite a bit different than the reading I got at the parking lot, IIRC something on the order of ~ 50 lbs. IMO that's quite a bit so if you're going to the trouble of measuring it with a Sherline I'd say it's worth dragging the trailer to a lot somewhere so you can measure with the trailer sitting on a flat, level surface.
  • RJCorazza's avatar
    RJCorazza
    Explorer
    May 15, 2015
    Since you will be moving it anyway (to the fairly level spot) why not take the trailer to a level residential street and weigh it?
    I weigh mine on a level stretch, at seated ball height (exactly level or not).
  • llberge's avatar
    llberge
    Explorer
    May 15, 2015
    SoundGuy wrote:
    llberge wrote:
    Weigh it in the driveway, and weigh it again at the campground where it should be level and compare the 2 readings. Your accuracy won't be to plus or minus a pound.


    If we're talking a significantly sloped driveway then I'd have to disagree, there will be a noticeable difference in the gross tongue weight reading compared to when the trailer is sitting on relatively level terrain. Been there, done that, was surprised at how much difference there can be. If the OP can back up his trailer sufficiently so it is sitting on a relatively level portion of this driveway (as he's indicated he can do) then this shouldn't be an issue ... but if there is a back to front slope there will be.


    Sound Guy, I reread my post and although I knew what I wanted to say, it didn’t come out right. I combined 2 thoughts too close together.
    First, the accuracy of the scale itself won’t be plus or minus a pound.
    Second, the reading in the driveway and campground will probably be different. In the future when weighing in the driveway, he could use the same proportion to get his current weight. It won’t be exact, but in the ball park.
    Thanks for clearing that up for me.
  • SoundGuy's avatar
    SoundGuy
    Explorer
    May 14, 2015
    llberge wrote:
    Weigh it in the driveway, and weigh it again at the campground where it should be level and compare the 2 readings. Your accuracy won't be to plus or minus a pound.


    If we're talking a significantly sloped driveway then I'd have to disagree, there will be a noticeable difference in the gross tongue weight reading compared to when the trailer is sitting on relatively level terrain. Been there, done that, was surprised at how much difference there can be. If the OP can back up his trailer sufficiently so it is sitting on a relatively level portion of this driveway (as he's indicated he can do) then this shouldn't be an issue ... but if there is a back to front slope there will be.
  • llberge's avatar
    llberge
    Explorer
    May 14, 2015
    Weigh it in the driveway, and weigh it again at the campground where it should be level and compare the 2 readings. Your accuracy won't be to plus or minus a pound. I have a Sureline and can get 2 slightly different readings if I do it twice in a row without changing anything in the trailer. I said "slightly" different, not 25 lbs.
  • _tpc_'s avatar
    _tpc_
    Explorer
    May 14, 2015
    Well maybe not exactly how much my gear weighs. But an idea of how the additional gear is affecting the tongue weight. Most of my gear is in the passthrough closest to the tongue.

    So yes, you are correct. I was mistaken. I was meaning the tongue weight as delivered from the dealer, and the tongue weight after the gear is stowed. I've actually weighed my gear individually to get an idea of what it all weighs. But nothing subs for gross weight of the loaded trailer at a scale.
  • SoundGuy's avatar
    SoundGuy
    Explorer
    May 14, 2015
    {tpc} wrote:
    Question is, am I wasting my time even trying to mess with it in this fashion? I just want to get an "idea". On top of this, the trailer as it sits is unloaded, and I'm loading it tonight, so the idea is to also see about how much all our gear really weighs.

    Thoughts?


    As a long time Sherline owner I'd say your most accurate results will be when the trailer is level front to back / side to side and measuring right under the coupler. It's a mystery to me though how weighing your gross tongue weight is going to tell you how much your gear weighs. :h
  • fla-gypsy's avatar
    fla-gypsy
    Explorer
    May 14, 2015
    I would measure at a spot as level as possible and go with that number

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