just a general question on weighing the trailer from a newbie. i plan to tow my argosy to a public weigh station, and from the manual, to achieve the true trailer weight i need to disconnect from my tow vehicle and weigh the trailer seperately. is there any other way? it seems going thru the hassle of un-hitching and re-hitching at a busy scale might get a little hairy?
To get an accurate weight for your trailer, you really need to unhook and weight the trailer independently. Just find a quiet time at the scales. It's not that big a hassle.
The last time that I weighed, I unhooked and hooked-up twice, once to weight the trailer and tow vehicle independently and again to weigh the trailer's tongue weight. I also weight the whole rig together.
The last time I weighed out along I-10 near Tallahassee, the first weigh was $8, and each additional weigh in the series was $2.
Brian
__________________ SuEllyn & Brian McCabe WBCCI #3628 --- AIR #14872 2005 25' Safari FB (Lucy) with HAHA 2005 Suburban 2500 Quadrasteer (Olivia) & 2004 Suburban 2500 Quadrasteer (Daisy)
I don't think there is a better way. I was totally intimidated by the process too - a total newbie. And I had to re-enter the scales for each separate weight because the scales I used could not be manually *zero'ed out*. I started to freak out when I noticed a couple truckers line up behind me but they were very understanding. I also had gone inside to talk to the weigh master ahead of time to explain what I wanted to do - and though he was a little surprised at my process (4 separate weights he asked??) he was unbelievably helpful.
I made passes similar to Brian/Moosetags - with one additional pass with my WD hitch set differently to determine the ultimate WD set-up.
It took me a couple hours to make the 4 passes - because I let the truckers go in-between my passes. It cost me $10/weight. But, it gave me the confidence to know all my axle weights and how to tweek my WD hitch so that the axles are loaded best. And to find that I don't have much capacity for more *stuff* Gof for it and don't worry too much about the time it takes to unhitch/rehitch (at least with regard to the truckers).
I didn't worry about my tongue weight with my TV, but if you think you are close then by all means unhook with the tongue one the scale.
I just weighted the steering and then the whole tv and then the trailer axles. Then I did the math. You can get within a few lbs.
Make sure the trailer axles are setting level with the tongue when you drop. Trailer can't be on an incline.
I had weighed the steering and drive of my TV prior to taking the whole rig across.
I guess I am luckier than most, I have access to a STATE CERTIFIED SCALE FREE. As many passes as I might need.
All this weighing is kinda essential to know just exactly where the weight is and what adjustments in your Weight Distribution System might be needed. It takes all the guess work out of it .Good Luck with your weigh in.
Roger
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Roger & MaryLou
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thank you everyone for the support, and laura. thank you for the confidence that i am not alone in thinking this to be a hassle. tomorrow morningi'll go and do the weigh in. as far as the distribution hitch adjustments, i'm a little foggy with that. when i got mine, i simply hooked it up, it doesn't seem to have a lot of "adjusting" except maybe the position of the hitch and the torque i put on the chains. any clues would help. so far you have all being very helpful and i like all your ideas. airstream forum folks ROCK
thank you everyone for the support, and laura. thank you for the confidence that i am not alone in thinking this to be a hassle. tomorrow morningi'll go and do the weigh in. as far as the distribution hitch adjustments, i'm a little foggy with that. when i got mine, i simply hooked it up, it doesn't seem to have a lot of "adjusting" except maybe the position of the hitch and the torque i put on the chains. any clues would help. so far you have all being very helpful and i like all your ideas. airstream forum folks ROCK
My first pass at the scales was with the rig hitched to the best of my abilites. For my second pass, I pulled the chains one link tighter - which was a stretch for my physical abilites. By comparing the weigh measured at my TV drive, TV steering and Trailer axles, there wasn't a significant change. The tighter chain was a bit better - but the difficulty in me getting that extra link is - well, not all that exciting to me.
Here's my log about my process at the scales and my results. Hope it helps. You can see some of the adjustments I made and how I determined where to set my hitch. results of CAT Scales and WD hitch adjustments
The scales trip wasn't nearly as bad as I anticipated. When I got home I felt really good that I accomplished that job! Both that I was capable of doing it and that I took the time - so that I could be as safe as possible on my journeys. I don't think many people actually take this step - either thinking it unnecessary or because of the time factor. Because I am such a novice at towing, I figure that I'll do whatever I can to improved my factor of safety. Besides the other motorists, I have myself and other precious cargo on board - my two fur-kids!
You can make your chain adjustment easier by raising the tongue jack/rear TV,(no need to unhook), the higher you go the easier the adjustment will be.
Bob
Man, I 'bout had the truck bumper to my waist already Thankfully, the TT bumper held everthing tight as it rested on the ground.
Actually - it's the removing of the chains that scares the bee-jee-bies out of me. I do the process exactly the same, but opposite and the chain carrier comes down with so much force that my breaker bar (or whatever the pipe is called) gets slung into the ground a couple inches. I've had to dig that bar out a couple times. Seems like the bars get loaded more as I travel. I'm afraid someone is going to get hurt taking the bars off. It about flipped my Aunt to the ground - scared us both. Now removing the bars is a job for moi only!
thank you everyone for the support, and laura. thank you for the confidence that i am not alone in thinking this to be a hassle. tomorrow morningi'll go and do the weigh in. as far as the distribution hitch adjustments, i'm a little foggy with that. when i got mine, i simply hooked it up, it doesn't seem to have a lot of "adjusting" except maybe the position of the hitch and the torque i put on the chains. any clues would help. so far you have all being very helpful and i like all your ideas. airstream forum folks ROCK
What type of hitch system are you using, and how are you adjusting it? The only bearing on weight that the weight distribution function of the hitch system has is on the separate weight on the front and rear axles of the tow vehicle.
Brian
__________________ SuEllyn & Brian McCabe WBCCI #3628 --- AIR #14872 2005 25' Safari FB (Lucy) with HAHA 2005 Suburban 2500 Quadrasteer (Olivia) & 2004 Suburban 2500 Quadrasteer (Daisy)
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re-hitching at a busy scale might get a little hairy?
Gof for it and don't worry too much about the time it takes to unhitch/rehitch (at least with regard to the truckers). 
that i am not alone in thinking this to be a hassle. tomorrow morningi'll go and do the weigh in. as far as the distribution hitch adjustments, i'm a little foggy with that. when i got mine, i simply hooked it up, it doesn't seem to have a lot of "adjusting" except maybe the position of the hitch and the torque i put on the chains. any clues would help. so far you have all being very helpful and i like all your ideas. airstream forum folks ROCK
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and the chain carrier comes down with so much force that my breaker bar (or whatever the pipe is called) gets slung into the ground a couple inches. I've had to dig that bar out a couple times. Seems like the bars get loaded more as I travel. I'm afraid someone is going to get hurt taking the bars off. It about flipped my Aunt to the ground - scared us both. Now removing the bars is a job for moi only!
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