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3 Dog Nite · 12-02-2008, 02:17 PM

Here's how to save cash when making multiple weigh ins. On your 1st scale, the scale master will ask "First weigh?". Answer yes. After receiving the OK, go inside to pay for & pick up your scale ticket. Every scale weigh in after that, say "No, reweigh." or "Second weigh." The scale master will ask for your ticket number. This is the long printed number in the upper left corner of the ticket. The reweighs only cost $1.00.

This is a lot cheaper than paying full price every trip over the scale. You can reweigh as many times as needed in a 24 hr period at $1.00 each. You must do all of your reweighs at the same scale. If you think you'll need many weighs, do it on a weekend or when the truck stops aren't busy. This way you piss off a lot of truckers when you stop in a driving lane while making adjustments to hitch or redistibuting your load.

WK57ABF · 12-02-2008, 03:25 PM

Thanks 3 Dog Nite but we are not in USA. Will use breakers yard scales - quiet and no pressure to move on.

John

Ganaraska · 12-16-2008, 09:36 PM

I don't think you are supposed to use your hitch bars to lift up the back of an overloaded pickup truck.

Airslide · 12-16-2008, 10:21 PM

Great response Ron,

I too tow with an F350 dually crew and in reading your response has me thinking about transfering any more weight to the airstream. My trailer is heavy, big tongue weight and when all tanks are full it leaves me only 350lbs of cargo weight allowable. I havent made it to the scales yet but i know i dont have much room to increase distribution to those rear axles. I use the 600lb bars on my dual cam and i removed those overload springs. I dont want to risk damage to the trailer incase they come in contact.

Inland RV Center, In · 12-17-2008, 08:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vlamica

Great response Ron,

I too tow with an F350 dually crew and in reading your response has me thinking about transfering any more weight to the airstream. My trailer is heavy, big tongue weight and when all tanks are full it leaves me only 350lbs of cargo weight allowable. I havent made it to the scales yet but i know i dont have much room to increase distribution to those rear axles. I use the 600lb bars on my dual cam and i removed those overload springs. I dont want to risk damage to the trailer incase they come in contact.

How does your rig "now" handle, since you made those changes?

Many owners want to make changes such as you have, but are waiting for feedback from some of those that in fact "did" make the changes.

Andy

Airslide · 12-17-2008, 08:19 AM

Hi Andy,

I have limited time behind the wheel with this combination but its level and seems to handle great. When i bounce on the tongue i get plenty of movement as those overloads never come in contact. My particular trailer is one of the few because the slide and overall weight has very little payload. Once my wife fills it up (i have to watch her) and some of the load is transfered I can get in trouble quick. The spec sheet behind the closet door says with all the tanks full i have only 350lbs of capacity left..

But.. im happy with the combination.

Airslide · 12-17-2008, 08:27 AM

So Andy,,,

I also like to haul this around.. What size bars do i need now??

Inland RV Center, In · 12-17-2008, 08:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vlamica

So Andy,,,

I also like to haul this around.. What size bars do i need now??

You need bars that also have Karioke.

Andy

Airslide · 12-17-2008, 09:02 AM

LOL,

Thanks Andy.. i will consider that..
Sorry for the highjack 1939.. i tried to tie it into the theme..

WK57ABF · 12-17-2008, 12:46 PM

Vlamica,

Highjack away young man, its all about transferring weight and any situation where a bed load is involved is applicable and of particular interest to me. Important to see how other folks do it.

Do you load the Jeep with a Hueay (probably spelt it wrong)!!!

John

Airslide · 12-17-2008, 08:16 PM

No huey needed.. I built a complete ramp system. I used to tow my other trailer with the jeep in the bed of my dodge truck. That setup got a lot of questions..

Airslide · 12-26-2008, 08:51 PM

1939 to....

I have been fooling around with the airstream and truck today as i had time off from work. My son and i were switching around the load bars.. i have two sets. 1k and 600lb. We have the 600lb bars on in the pic. It seems to provide the best ride. Keep in mind that i have removed the overloads from the truck. I can bounce on the hitch and get the whole thing to move about 2 inches up and down. I had my son ride in the trailer down the road a bit. He confirmed the ride is smooth and soft. He had a glass of water on the table and said it didnt spill or splash out. Even when the truck would hit a bump it felt like a soft hit from inside.. He however didnt feel so good once he came out of there.. i guess i should have had the window open for him

Inland RV Center, In · 12-27-2008, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vlamica

1939 to....

I have been fooling around with the airstream and truck today as i had time off from work. My son and i were switching around the load bars.. i have two sets. 1k and 600lb. We have the 600lb bars on in the pic. It seems to provide the best ride. Keep in mind that i have removed the overloads from the truck. I can bounce on the hitch and get the whole thing to move about 2 inches up and down. I had my son ride in the trailer down the road a bit. He confirmed the ride is smooth and soft. He had a glass of water on the table and said it didnt spill or splash out. Even when the truck would hit a bump it felt like a soft hit from inside.. He however didnt feel so good once he came out of there.. i guess i should have had the window open for him

Glad you have joined the ever growing list of "finally got the hitch rigging correct" club.

What you described is what everyone can have, "BUT" they have to have an open mind first.

Forth coming articles in 2 magazines, about hitch rigging, will hopefully, teach others to do as you have done.

Thanks for the feedback.

Andy

WK57ABF · 12-27-2008, 01:18 PM

vlamica & Andy,

Thanks for info. Please bear in mind that weight distribution hitches for us are new on the planet! We are learning from the various posts on this and other threads. With the truck bed loaded and hitched up with 1400lb bars (2 links under tension), we too can bounce hitch 2" and have a smooth ride, although no-one's sat in the back of trailer.

Given our smooth ride, I am still puzzled as to why I should be concerned about pounding 10% of our trailer's weight when 90% of its weight is supported on axles that I cannot compress 1".

All the best for the coming New Year, John

Inland RV Center, In · 12-27-2008, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1939 to ....

vlamica & Andy,

Thanks for info. Please bear in mind that weight distribution hitches for us are new on the planet! We are learning from the various posts on this and other threads. With the truck bed loaded and hitched up with 1400lb bars (2 links under tension), we too can bounce hitch 2" and have a smooth ride, although no-one's sat in the back of trailer.

Given our smooth ride, I am still puzzled as to why I should be concerned about pounding 10% of our trailer's weight when 90% of its weight is supported on axles that I cannot compress 1".

All the best for the coming New Year, John

The heavier the torsion bar rating, the less vertical movement you will have at the ball, which allows more "road shock" to be transfered to the front of the trailer.

In time, you will see that your beating the trailer to death.

It would be obvious, what would happen if you used railroad track for torsions bars.

You are not using that, of course, but your not far from it.

Without exception, everytime we see a trailer come into our shop with fatigue cracks in the shell and/or frame, many sheared rivets, worn out entrance door hinges, bulkheads coming loose, and the like, we see either shot axles and/or excessive hitch bar ratings.

This doesn't happen over night, but we have seen it happen thousands of times, all of which are costly to repair.

Two very soon to be published articles, will cover that subject in detail.

What exact tow vehicle do you have? Also, what load equalizing hitch do you have?

Andy

Jim Foster · 12-27-2008, 02:00 PM

"Two very soon to be published articles, will cover that subject in detail."

Andy....Where will these articles appear?

WK57ABF · 12-27-2008, 02:34 PM

Hi Andy,

Answers to questions -

F350 2008 Super Duty, extended cab, long bed, 4x4, 6.4 diesel. The truck has a very soft ride when loaded and comfortable when light. Very different from our last 1989 F250 which had very stiff spring packs and shorter springs than our 08.

The hitch was made by Robin Industries (I believe they are now obsolete) but almost identical to basic Reese hitch.

Also interested to know where related articles will appear - don't suppose we can get these publications in the UK.

John

Inland RV Center, In · 12-27-2008, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Foster

"Two very soon to be published articles, will cover that subject in detail."

Andy....Where will these articles appear?

We are not at liberty to list those magazines, by name, at this time.

We will announce their names prior to them being distributed.

However, I can tell you that these publications are extremely familiar to the vast majority of Airstream owners.

Andy

Inland RV Center, In · 12-27-2008, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1939 to ....

Hi Andy,

Answers to questions -

F350 2008 Super Duty, extended cab, long bed, 4x4, 6.4 diesel. The truck has a very soft ride when loaded and comfortable when light. Very different from our last 1989 F250 which had very stiff spring packs and shorter springs than our 08.

The hitch was made by Robin Industries (I believe they are now obsolete) but almost identical to basic Reese hitch.

Also interested to know where related articles will appear - don't suppose we can get these publications in the UK.

John

John.

Precisely my point.

You have a "Queen Mary" tow vehicle.

As you say, when it's loaded, you get some bounce.

And when it's not loaded???????

That's the very time you will punish the trailer, to the hilt.

You should be using 550 to 600 pound torsion bars, and no heavier.

Your towing a little 25 foot Airstream, not a battleship.

Try riding in the back of the trailer at 60 MPH. Watch how fast you will change your mind about your current rigging.

Andy

Ganaraska · 12-27-2008, 11:52 PM

"Given our smooth ride, I am still puzzled as to why I should be concerned about pounding 10% of our trailer's weight when 90% of its weight is supported on axles that I cannot compress 1"."

Look at it this way. Imagine your rig going over a hill. At the top of the hill the truck is pointing down while the trailer is still pointing up. When you get to the bottom of the valley the truck is pointing up while the trailer is pointing down.

This means the whole rig has to bend at the hitch ball. Ideally the hitch bars will have enough give to them, that the rig will bend easily and spring back.

Now suppose you have totally rigid spring bars. Something has to give and it's usually the frame of the trailer.

Naturally this is exaggerated to make a point. The point is that your spring bars have to be just stiff enough to hold up the tongue weight while being soft enough to flex over bumps. The more flexible the better just like soft springs on your vehicle give a better ride.