Went to a CAT scale today

[Mbranscum]

Went and weighed the Octane 222 today. Supposed to weigh around 5300 lbs dry. I pull it with a 2017 Chevy double cab 4wd with a 3.42 trans. Tow rating is 9300 lbs and payload is 1649 lbs.

My results were
3320# on front axle
3520# on rear axle
4800# on trailer axle
11640# total weight

My truck weighs about 5350# so also subtracting me and my wife who were in the truck I am coming up with a trailer weight of 5900# with our personal stuff in there.

On occasion we would be hauling a Harley which would add 950# to the trailer.

Do any of you weight and tow experts see any red flags or anything I need to look at or address.

Thanks for your help.

[Doug]

I can't really make a judgement.
Did you make 3 passes through Scale per the CAT scale process in Sticky?

You need to be able to calculate
Payload of truck
Gross weight of TT
Tongue weight
Truck Axle weights with and without WD bars
Truck axle weights with and without TT

I also take a wheel well height on truck front and back without TT and with TT + WDH and bars.

Doug

[Mbranscum]

I just read the sticky. I only made one pass with everything hooked up and full gas. I was not carrying water.

Here are some additional numbers.

Trailer GVWR is 8000#

Both front and rear truck axle GAWR is 3950# each.

Truck GVWR is 7200#



Axle weight was with 2 adults in vehicle and tongue which is rated at 750# dry.

[Hohenwald48]

Originally Posted by Mbranscum

Went and weighed the Octane 222 today. Supposed to weigh around 5300 lbs dry. I pull it with a 2017 Chevy double cab 4wd with a 3.42 trans. Tow rating is 9300 lbs and payload is 1649 lbs.

My results were
3320# on front axle
3520# on rear axle
4800# on trailer axle
11640# total weight

My truck weighs about 5350# so also subtracting me and my wife who were in the truck I am coming up with a trailer weight of 5900# with our personal stuff in there.

On occasion we would be hauling a Harley which would add 950# to the trailer.

Do any of you weight and tow experts see any red flags or anything I need to look at or address.

Thanks for your help.

I'll take a stab at it. Your truck (hitched) scales at 6840 (3320 F and 3520R). You say your truck empty is 5350. That means that your truck weighs 1520 more hitched than unhitched. That comes from tongue weight and you still have some of your tongue weight transferred to the trailer axles so it looks like your tongue weight is over 1520 pounds which is going to eat up a lot of your 1649 pounds of payload and may exceed the rating of your receiver.

Bottom line is you need to make the 3 passes to get any useful information.

[Mbranscum]

Originally Posted by Hohenwald48

I'll take a stab at it. Your truck (hitched) scales at 6840 (3320 F and 3520R). You say your truck empty is 5350. That means that your truck weighs 1520 more hitched than unhitched. That comes from tongue weight and you still have some of your tongue weight transferred to the trailer axles so it looks like your tongue weight is over 1520 pounds which is going to eat up a lot of your 1649 pounds of payload and may exceed the rating of your receiver.

Bottom line is you need to make the 3 passes to get any useful information.

Wouldn't I subtract the weight of the passengers from the 1520 difference since there were two of us when I weighed?

[dewey02]

Pretty much anything you do with just one pass is speculation.
Do three passes and you will have all the information to make calculations and decisions.

[Hohenwald48]

What dewey2 said.


Most folks fail to understand that the WDH transfers some tongue weight to the trailer axles so not all tongue weight is carried by the tow vehicle.

[Mbranscum]

Thanks guys. I'm going back to the scales next week.

On final question that's not clear in the instructions.

On the initial pass with the TV only, should I also remove the hitch or leave it on?

[Rustic Eagle]

Originally Posted by Mbranscum

snip...... On the initial pass with the TV only, should I also remove the hitch or leave it on?

Leave the WDH on, or account for the weight.

Don't forget, when you have the HD in the TH it will effect the TH's tongue weight. I would want to know the TV/TH lodged weights with/without the HD since you will be towing the TH under two very different loaded conditions. Don't forget the TH fluids (water & fuel) if you normally tow with them.

It's a little bit of a hassle making these weigh-ins with/without the HD, but it will pay to know where you stand with the 13% to 15% ideal loaded tongue weight range under these two different loaded conditions.

Bob

[Hohenwald48]

What's an HD and a TH?

[Mbranscum]

Thanks Bob.

On more question. If I already have my unit winterized can I go ahead and fill the fresh water tank to weigh in and the drain it without rewinterizing as long as I do not operate the pump? Then just drain that tank after weighing?

Thanks.

[oldmanAZ]

Originally Posted by Hohenwald48

What's an HD and a TH?

Usually TH= toy hauler and I bet HD= Harley-Davidson

[Kenelz]

Just a note...... the first pass cost the $10/$11 bucks, and all the extra passes are a $1 each if done the same day. At least that's the way it was last time I did the Cat.

[Doug]

Originally Posted by Mbranscum

Thanks Bob.

On more question. If I already have my unit winterized can I go ahead and fill the fresh water tank to weigh in and the drain it without rewinterizing as long as I do not operate the pump? Then just drain that tank after weighing?

Thanks.

I think you should be fine.
If you have some anti-freeze and a funnel I'd put some in FW tank just for peace of mind or just leave drain valve open.

[Rustic Eagle]

Originally Posted by oldmanAZ

Usually TH= toy hauler and I bet HD= Harley-Davidson

Correct

Bob

[Rustic Eagle]

Originally Posted by Doug

I think you should be fine.....snip

X2

Bob

[Dropnaduece]

Originally Posted by Hohenwald48

What dewey2 said.


Most folks fail to understand that the WDH transfers some tongue weight to the trailer axles so not all tongue weight is carried by the tow vehicle.

This makes total sense because the bars lift the trailer up with the truck to relieve some of that tongue weight. After reading a lot on this forum this is the first time I have read someone post a statement like this one. Do you know how much tongue weight is releived? Is there a calculation for that?

Thanks

[motorbreath]

Whatever additional weight is added to the truck is via the hitch, so it counts as tongue weight. The WDH can be used to distribute the weight away from the rear axle of the truck to the front axle of the truck and the trailer axles. Any weight transferred to the front axle of the truck is still weight on the tongue and still contributes to your payload.

When I scale my truck and trailer I weigh:

1. The whole truck and trailer.
2. The whole truck and trailer with the front truck axle off the scale.
3. The trailer only while hitched.
4. The trailer only while unhitched.

This is a simple sequential procedure you can use to calculate the payload, front and rear axle weights, and individual weights of the truck and trailer.

Originally Posted by Dropnaduece

This makes total sense because the bars lift the trailer up with the truck to relieve some of that tongue weight. After reading a lot on this forum this is the first time I have read someone post a statement like this one. Do you know how much tongue weight is releived? Is there a calculation for that?

Thanks

[Hohenwald48]

Originally Posted by Dropnaduece

This makes total sense because the bars lift the trailer up with the truck to relieve some of that tongue weight. After reading a lot on this forum this is the first time I have read someone post a statement like this one. Do you know how much tongue weight is releived? Is there a calculation for that?

Thanks

When the spring bars are drawn up, they distribute the original tongue weight between the front and rear TV axles and the trailer axle(s). The amount transferred to the trailer axle can only be determined by weighing the trailer with the bars pulled up and again with the bars removed. I suspect it is a minor amount of weight. However, whatever weight is transferred to the trailer axle does NOT become part of the payload on the TV since it's not carried by the TV.

As motorbreath and others have said, it takes multiple passes thru the CAT scale to get all the required numbers. There are several methods to do this (depending on how many platforms the scale has) but there is no shortcut . I do have and use a tongue weight scale but only to make sure I don't improperly load the trailer.

[Doug]

The last time I ran through scale it was $12 first pass and $2 each additional pass.