Weighed at CAT scale - Need some clarification

Also Posted in Travel Trailer Forum.

First, congratulations on taking a trip to the scales. I am one who likes to be under GVWR on both truck and trailer. If you need to tweak your loading by shifting 150-200 pounds from rear to front, or the other way around to stay under your ratings, I think you are too close to your maximums. As noted, not even all the vehicle manufacturers agree on the amount of front axle weight restoration.

I have a similar setup with a slightly lighter trailer and my front axle is also 160 lbs light. I am restoring 2/3rds of the front axle weight removed and it works great for me. I think your setup is fine. Your trailer has only a 1K payload and it is pretty easy loading 1K as you found out.

Cecilt wrote:
Truck is 2009 f-250, v-10, crew cab, 4x4, regular bed. I know an option that came with the truck were HD front springs. This is probably why it is a little hard to get more weight on the steer axle.

Hitch is 1200lb Equalizer 4 point system

Trailer is 2014 keystone outback 323BH

Tks

With that heavy V10 engine nailing the front down, and considering you are likely still well under the rear axle rating, it sounds like you probably have a good WD setup. Sounds like a very nice rig, both truck and trailer.

Truck is 2009 f-250, v-10, crew cab, 4x4, regular bed. I know an option that came with the truck were HD front springs. This is probably why it is a little hard to get more weight on the steer axle.

Hitch is 1200lb Equalizer 4 point system

Trailer is 2014 keystone outback 323BH

Tks

Cecilt wrote:
So looks like I am over about 250 lbs. I have a couple of questions:

My axles are rated at 4400 lbs each. Tires are 225/75/15 Load D. Wheels can handle load E so I will upgrade these next year.

I assume that since my TT's axle weight of 8240 means I am okay on the axle front. I say that because I was reading in Trailer Life this weekend the same question and the response was you take the trailer weight minus the tongue weight. In my case that would 9250 - 1140 = 8110. This puts me 690 lbs (8800 - 8110) under my axle ratings so I should be okay on the axle front.

Just need to see what I can shed from the camper now.

If it was me, I would, as I said earlier, try to get some more weight onto the steer axle, put a set of load range E LT tires on the trailer and go from there.

Curiosity, what is the truck, trailer and weight dist hitch ?

So looks like I am over about 250 lbs. I have a couple of questions:

My axles are rated at 4400 lbs each. Tires are 225/75/15 Load D. Wheels can handle load E so I will upgrade these next year.

I assume that since my TT's axle weight of 8240 means I am okay on the axle front. I say that because I was reading in Trailer Life this weekend the same question and the response was you take the trailer weight minus the tongue weight. In my case that would 9250 - 1140 = 8110. This puts me 690 lbs (8800 - 8110) under my axle ratings so I should be okay on the axle front.

Just need to see what I can shed from the camper now.

Hopefully Ron will not mind me quoting him here, but this was a post he made some time back that made it easy to plug the numbers in and make sense of it all:

==========

....Ron said....

If you want to use the scales data to determine tongue weight, and if you want to get the maximum information about your TV/TT combination and how well your weight distrtibution system is working, you need data from three weighings. Second and third weighings usually are done at a lower cost.

And, you need to find a scales with at least three separate weighing platforms so you can separately measure all three axle loads at the same time. Most, perhaps all, CAT scales have this feature.

If you need any help in interpreting the scales results, just post the numbers. There are several ORF members who can help with the calculations.

First, the TV and TT should be loaded approximately as they would be for camping.

Second, the weight distribution system should be adjusted as it normally would be for towing.

Then, I would do the following:

Weighing #1 -- TT attached and Weight Distribution Activated
Let Front Axle Load be "FA1"
Let Rear Axle Load be "RA1"
Let TT Axles Load be "TT1"

Then, while in same position on scales, take
Weighing #2 -- TT attached and Weight Distribution Not Activated (WD bars unloaded, but hanging in place)
Let Front Axle Load be "FA2"
Let Rear Axle Load be "RA2"
Let TT Axles Load be "TT2"

Then, drive off scales and drop TT. Return to scales and take
Weighing #3 -- TV only -- TT Not Attached
Let Front Axle Load be "FA3"
Let Rear Axle Load be "RA3"

From the above values, you can calculate:

TV weight = FA3 + RA3

Gross Combined Weight = (FA1 + RA1 + TT1)
{should also be equal to (FA2 + RA2 + TT2) if scale weights are correct}

TT Weight = Gross Combined Weight - TV Weight

Tongue Weight = (FA2 + RA2) - (FA3 + RA3)

Load Transferred to TT Axles
when WD System is Activated = TT1 - TT2

This procedure should get you on and off the scales fairly quickly and still provide all the data you need.

Ron

Looks to me like you have:

trailer weight = 9260
tongue weight = 1140

without WD you had made the front of the truck light by =
480
...and with WD you had restored =
300 of that 480 and further, the WD had moved =

170 more to the trailer axles.

If it were mine, I would try to get more weight to the front axle of the truck. Although that may not happen depending on what WD hitch you are using. Some will argue that you do not have restore 100% of the front axle weight, and that is in fact true for some of the late model trucks. I stated that I would try to get the front closer to it's original weight, and will admit I am stating "that is my preference".
So hopefully, that stop any of the arguments about whether 50% restoring is correct, or closer to 100% is correct. Your arguments may vary....

EDIT: so you say the wife was not in there at all during any of the passes ? If that is the case, your trailer weighs 9260

EDIT to correct some of my math

Wife was not with me when I weighed. Her weight plus some stuff the kids bring that I did not have in the truck would be about 150 lbs. had some weights in the truck to compensate for my kids weight though. I still can't believe my trailer weight exceeds the GCWR of the trailer. Time to see what I can shed. Think I'll take one of the propane tanks off as we can almost go an entire season on one tank.