Using a Sherline tongue weight scale ?

[Storis]

I posted on here about a year ago. I was looking into an Anderson No-Sway hitch for my daughters 20' Look enclosed trailer. I did get the hitch for her and it has been great. She also bought a Shirline tongue weight scale and I would like to know if it can used to determine how much weight the Anderson hitch is transferring. I thought the following method might work.

Note: I know how to do the compensation calculation when you use the Shirline scale under the trailer jack.

I would hook the trailer up with a rough adjustment on the Anderson hitch, put the scale under the jack and lower the jack until I see the trailer tongue lift very slightly and take a scale reading.

Then make an adjustment to the hitch, raise the jack and lower it again until the tongue raises slightly, and take another scale reading.

By repeating this procedure a couple times I think i should be able to get the tongue weight within limits.

Can anyone tell me if I am on the right track here?

[ghaynes755]

Storis I don't think the Sherline will help you. You need to do a couple of tow vehicle and trailer weighings at a CAT scale (truck scales). One with just the tow vehicle, one with the WD engaged and the last with the WD dis-engaged but still hooked up to the truck.

So a search on Ron Gratz and you can get all of the instructions.

[GenXair]

I second ghaynes755 advice.

[slowmover]

The Bathroom Scale Method is the old DIY way of measuring TW. The Sherline and that can be compensated by the percent of total length of the trailer; Jack versus ball.

Measuring Hitch distribution is going to be trickier. Best to go to a certified scale.

At home, measure fenders at all corners for drop before and after hitching.

[Storis]

Thanks for the info. I was trying to avoid going to cat scale. Setting it up by measuring at the wheel wells I am +1/2" in front and -1/2" in back and the trailer pulls real well. I was just curious how much weight was being transferred.

[BillfromWI]

I agree with the advice that you will need to go to a scale.

I just changed out my Andersen for a Blue Ox because the Andersen, according to Andersen, could not be set up to transfer the weight I have. According to Airstream my 2014 Flying Cloud 25FB came off the line with a hitch weight of 925 lbs. (Never mind that the Airstream spec for max hitch weight is 1,000 lbs.) I had the hitch weighed at Jackson Center with the trailer loaded as we use it: 1,252 lbs. Total weight is 6,500 lbs.

By-the-way, my Sherline weighed the hitch 102 lbs. (8.1%) lighter than the Airstream scale.

My drive axle weighed out as overloaded by nearly 600 lbs. According to Anderson Customer Service their hitch will transfer about 50% of hitch weight up to 400 to 500 lbs. So, although the Andersen has a lot going for it, it is not the hitch for my application. It would be nice if Andersen were a little more forthcoming about the capabilities of their product on their Web site and by customer service before the purchase.

As far as what you need to do when you get to a scale, I think weighing trailer and TV axles hitched will tell you if you are with in your TV's capabilities. Figuring out how much weight the hitch is transferring is more complicated, as noted above.