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Old 09-23-2016, 12:50 PM   #1
Mark N.
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How to get weighed properly?

I am not certain of my numbers when I visited the Cat scales recently. I want to make sure I am getting meaningful numbers that actually show my proper weights. Can someone please tell me the correct procedure for figuring how much weight is sitting on each of my axles?
 
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Old 09-23-2016, 01:29 PM   #2
Razrbk
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by Mark N.

I am not certain of my numbers when I visited the Cat scales recently. I want to make sure I am getting meaningful numbers that actually show my proper weights. Can someone please tell me the correct procedure for figuring how much weight is sitting on each of my axles?

This was posted by a long time MOC member which I copied into a phone note for myself. I found it to be very helpful to better clarify the towing weight issue. Sorry, I didn't get his name.

"There are two things you can look up easily:
1) GVWR of your truck (drivers side door panel)

2) GVWR of your trailer (sticker on the trailer somewhere)

Steps to finding what else you need/want to know.

A) Load your truck with everything you will be likely to carry when heading out, also full of fuel and passengers, now weigh the truck alone. Weigh each axle individually so you will know later how much weight from the pin goes on the front/rear axles.(information only) The total of the axle weights = the total weight of truck.

B) Load your trailer with everything you will likely carry in it and haul it to the scale, while hooked up, weigh truck front axle, then weigh truck rear axle, finally weigh the trailer axle.

When you subtract the two truck axle weights obtained in (A) from the two truck axle weights obtained in (B) you will have your pin weight. You can compare the front/rear axle weights to know how much weight was added to each axle (information only).

Now if you add the now known pin weight to the axle weight of the trailer obtained in (B) you will have the total weight of the trailer.

Hooked up weights of truck front axle + truck rear axle + trailer axle = the total combined weight of the two vehicles.

Don't worry about front/rear GAWR of the truck as together they will exceed the GVWR of the truck anyway.

Now that you know how much your truck weighs including the pin weight you can compare that to it's GVWR.

Now that you know how much the trailer weighs pin+axle you can compare that to it's GVWR.

That is it, and all you really need to know. Are you over or under the listed capacities.

Knowing the "actual" weight (pin + axle) of the trailer is important, you can now calculate how much weight your tires are carrying and what tires will give you a safety margin and how much. All good stuff easily obtained by following the above steps first."
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Old 09-23-2016, 02:18 PM   #3
mhs4771
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If you pull properly on most CAT Scales, you will get the TV Front axle, TV Rear axle, and the weight on your RV axles. Pull around and disconnect the RV and go back on the scales with just the TV and get a re-weigh, generally cost another couple of bucks.
Now just subject the second TV weight from the first and will give you your Pin weight as you already have the axle weights.
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Old 09-24-2016, 02:57 AM   #4
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"B) Load your trailer with everything you will likely carry in it and haul it to the scale, while hooked up, weigh truck front axle, then weigh truck rear axle, finally weigh the trailer axle."

I am not sure how you weigh all your axles, one at a time using public Cat scales at truck stops. mhs4771 is correct, pull on the scales correctly and you will get a printed copy of steer axle weight, drive axle weight, trailer axle weight, and total weight. Unless there is a line waiting to weigh the whole process will take a few minutes, including prepaying your $10.00 and then stopping back in for your printed sheet.

I didn't go through the trouble of disconnecting and going back over the scales, then re-connecting. There are too many opportunities when we are traveling and I am bobtailing where I go to a truck stop to fill up. During one of those visits I will pay another $10.00 and run across the scale just to get my truck weight. But you do need all the axles plus total (while hooked up) plus your individual trucks weight to get the whole accurate picture. I used to have a formula saved on my computer that I would just enter the numbers and it would give me pin percentage and everything else.
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Old 09-24-2016, 03:11 AM   #5
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You can re-weigh and place one axle on one pad and another axle on a second pad which will give you each axle independently. That has worked for me.
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Old 09-24-2016, 06:17 AM   #6
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I have also weighed the trailer axels with just one side one tire on the scale. Then I weighed the other tire and repeated the process on the other side to actually see the difference in weight from side to side.

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Old 09-24-2016, 11:14 AM   #7
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I go to the nearby PUC scales (when closed) to weigh. They leave the digital readout on 24/7. No charge, no lines.
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Old 09-24-2016, 11:16 AM   #8
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I should mention, I weigh both trailer axles together.
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Old 09-24-2016, 11:54 AM   #9
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Bad Moon, thanks for the advice. I'll have to go find a PUC scale (whatever that is), then use it when it's not open for business, which is what you're implying. I hope I don't get in trouble going in somewhere after business hours. There used to be a moving and storage company down the street from my house that charged only #10 and I could weigh whatever I wanted, during the same visit. Unfortunately, they sold out to some other private business that doesn't allow the public into the back where the scales are located (I actually asked and they said, "sorry, but No").

I do try and weigh separate axles so I can manage front to rear axle weight. My rig had a difference in that the rear axles are typically lighter meaning I carry more weight at the front of my rig. I do know how to weigh and calculate pin weight. Nothing wrong weighing both axles together, unless there's an overweight reading or it's close and you want to ensure one axle is not carrying too mush weight versus the other axle. I can't imagine this is easy for three axle trailers, or finding discrete tire weight for trailers that have duallies. Yes, there are some, I have seen them.
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Old 09-24-2016, 03:06 PM   #10
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PUC = Public Utilities Commission in Oregon. Weigh stations are scattered on most primary Highways (Like Interstates) and secondary highways. I am not trespassing; some of the weigh station scales are left open for truckers (and RVers, presumably) to check their weights. Sorry for any confusion or false impressions.
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Old 09-24-2016, 03:34 PM   #11
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I had mine weighed at the rally a couple years back
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Old 09-25-2016, 07:04 AM   #12
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Yep I use the open scales on Oragon all the time. To bad other states don't do the same. Correct me if there are others.
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Old 09-26-2016, 03:44 AM   #13
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I kept searching locally with trucking companies and moving/storage companies and found scales I could weigh each individual wheel. The company did not charge me for the weigh once they understood the reason.
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Old 09-26-2016, 03:24 PM   #14
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I have stopped at three different scales in Washington which leave the digital scales on. Never had a problem.

Tom Marty
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Old 09-27-2016, 05:23 AM   #15
Virginia Young
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We had ours weighed at the National Rally. They weigh each tire separately. That helps, because one side of the fiver is heavier than the other.
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