Tongue Weight Gauge

[Bud Brown]

Found this site about general towing info: http://www.sherline.com/lmbook.htm
Sherline makes a tongue weight gauge that is sold at Camping World. It is on their web site, but I never seen it in a store.

[Silvertwinkie]

Nice tool, great post...

[Pahaska]

Nice tool, but a lot of cost for something that you can do with a bathroom scale and a 2x6. Weighing a trailer tongue isn't brain surgery.

We weighed gliders that this way. Set one end of the 2x6 on a block of wood to get it level with the scale and the other on the scale. For lighter tongues, place the weight (tongue jack in this case) in the halfway between block and scale. For heavier tongues, use the 1/3 point or 1/4 point of the 2x6 to get the resulting weight within the range of the scale. Then simply multiply the scale weight by the ratio of the jack location.

[Bud Brown]

Yeah John, I know that, but some people can afford engines on their wings.

[66Overlander]

I just recently discovered the Sherline Tongue weight gauge web site (Sherline Trailer Tongue Weight Scale) by accicent and then see that a few people here already knew about this device by way of the thread I am posting to and this one, too (among others):
http://www.airforums.com/forums/f238...light=sherline

Apparently is was previously sold under the name LoadMaster, too, but that changed a while back due to a licensing issue.

I am wondering how many have used it and do they feel it is a durable, reliable piece of equipment and worth the money. Which weight scale did you get 0-1000lbs., 0-2000lbs., or (gasp) 0-3000lbs.? If you have one, where did you buy it? The Camping World web site no longer appears to carry it. I have searched the internet and seen it for as little as about $97.50 or for more than $110.

[Cracker]

The Sherline scale is a very well-built piece of equipment (---I use a 2,000 lb unit) - and I periodically use it to check my hitch weight before a long trip - but setting it up can be a bit difficult if you want to weigh directly at the coupling. An extension is provided that fits up into the coupling to facilitate this latter procedure. Since the unit is only about 8 inches tall, you have to provide a support for it to sit on when you lower the tongue to take the reading. When the trailer comes to rest on the jack it needs to be level - especially with dual axles.
The alternate procedure is to just extend the tongue jack down onto the jack head when the trailer coupler is resting on the tow vehicle ball - but you have to be careful to avoid "drag" from the ball hanging up in the coupling. Ideally, the trailer should be lifted clear of the tow vehicle while sitting on the scale, the tow vehicle moved ahead, and the trailer re-leveled. Make sure the trailer is chocked well and the scale has a firm footing - as the scale base is relatively small in diameter. There is, of course, a slight difference in readings between the two procedures but it is of little consequence. My hitch weight is right around 960 lbs when I'm fully loaded for a trip.