Tongue Weight - How To Measure

[cpaharley2008]

Another thought, according to Brian, if the tongue is up, the weight is shifted back. The trailer is not parallel to the ground. If Baglo's driveway slopes down so that his tongue is up to be level, then you have the same effect?

[cpaharley2008]

Maybe the axis of the wheel and frame and ground all need to be the same, which they are not!

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Another thought, according to Brian, if the tongue is up, the weight is shifted back. The trailer is not parallel to the ground. If Baglo's driveway slopes down so that his tongue is up to be level, then you have the same effect?

The shift is due to the tongue being up relative to the rest of the trailer. Glenn (gbaglo) has the tongue level with the trailer (with the assistance of his ammo box, but any combination of scale and stuff would work) so it is parallel to the horizon (it's horizontal, regardless of whether or not the ground is) and he has no problem.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Dixhiccup

I've never weighed a trailer or a hitch weight but I now have 53 variations to consider before i go anywhere.

So use level ground and eliminate most of the complication. Measure the height at the very front (the coupler) before unhitching, measure the weight at the coupler (not some other point that needs calculations) at that same height and don't worry about if the trailer is level, because you will have measured the weight the tongue actually puts on the hitch.

[Jim Bennett]

I think we are beginning to over complicate things here. baglo, I blame you because for having a sloped driveway.

[gbaglo]

Well, I thank you, because it is pouring rain here and I don't want to go outside to set up and photo it.
Although, I still might if there is a pause in the downpour.

[gbaglo]

A bit more to chew on: when Reace installed the WDH, he first measured from the coupler to the ground, without the hitch on the ball. Then lowered the hitch onto the ball. Hitch went down by two inches. Then he set up the WDH so that when it was employed, the coupler was at the same height as it had been without the trailer.
And, the result on level ground, was a level trailer.
So, I assume, that I can assume that if the trailer is level when I weigh the tongue, that it will still be level and weigh the same when the WDH is deployed.

[float5]

The whole aim of the hitch set-up is to be as level as possible. If you think of the truck, hitch and trailer when set up properly, properly means that they are all on a line parallel to the ground.

If you then move the tongue up or move it down, your tongue weight will be way off from parallel. That's parallel to the ground.

If you are on a slope and you level the trailer, where is the tongue in relation to the ground? It is not parallel to the ground. The reading would be way off.

[gbaglo]

Originally Posted by Floating Cloud

If you are on a slope and you level the trailer, where is the tongue in relation to the ground? It is not parallel to the ground. The reading would be way off.

It's not parallel to the driveway, but it is parallel to the street.
The last pic, BTW, is the CD box I picked up cheap at London Drugs.

[Dixhiccup]

Hi Baglo, looks you once owned a 105 PAC HOW or something similar!. I spent quite a while through the night using my grand daughters mini wooden train engine as a trailer and I tend to agree with you. If the rear of the trailer is grounded then the other arguments appear to be correct, however there doesn't appear to be any weight transfer in your (Our) case. Like you i think I have too much time on my hands and should unretire myself. If you have more photos to take it just stopped raining. Reace can you jump in and put us all on the right page? Cheers, Richard

[gbaglo]

What is a 105 PAC HOW?
Is that what was in what I call an ammo box? Came from an army surplus store about 30 years ago. Is waterproof.

[float5]

Glenn, I can't really see the situation with the photo well enough so I am going by what you are saying. You need to be on level ground to get a good tongue reading and you are saying that you are not. Next time out, you could find a level place and get the tongue weight and see how that compares to your present reading.

If you are in fact on a slope, your reading would be off with your trailer level, as you show it here. So I would expect at least some little difference if you take a weight elsewhere on level ground. In other words, level trailer on a slope equals an incorrect tongue weight. How incorrect would be the question. Maybe it's not too much. Good box! Now I need one.



Brian, I realized right after I posted that the truck scale could make a difference for tongue weight on smaller trailers. We have enough weight that it is not an issue with ours.

[Dave Walter]

As others have stated, for a single axle trailer it does not matter whether the ground is level as not as long as you measure the hitch weight with the trailer level. Chocks or blocks on the wheels will have no impact on the hitch weight.

Sloping ground may impact hitch weights for multi-axle trailers.

dave

[Dixhiccup]

Gbaglo. When I left the uk territorial army (weekend warriors) the 105mm pack howitzer was just starting to be issued to replace the older 25 pounders in their artillery batteries. I seem to remember the cartridge carriers looked like yours. I think this whole tongue weight thing depends on whether you own a 19 or a 15/17 foot. I notice over 30 posts are from 19s and I lost count of your replies but I think they are about 90% of the remainder. Personally I think you're right and will use that method on our sloping street. Anyone want to sell me a Sherline 1000#? Cheers, Richard

[gbaglo]

Well, those with 19s could simply remove one of the wheels on each side, preferably the ones furthest from the centre, prior to weighing.

As for the box; it weighs a ton. I bought it for whitewater, but, never took it anywhere.

[Dixhiccup]

There you go sounds perfectly reasonable to me. The box - yes very well made - the preference was that the contents only expanded intentionally. Cheers Richard

[Jubal]

Very entertaining thread.
"Smooth is fast."

[Dixhiccup]

Jubal the quote that I used to excuse my transgressions and to infuriate my Father was "You're only young once, you're one a helluva Of a long time dead". At 72 in May I still live by it!! Cheers, Richard

[float5]

We have double axles. Glenn, since yours is a single, it can act differently so you are probably fine. To me, the difference between a double and single is that when the tongue is parallel to the ground and then is lowered, I expect the weight to be greater. I understand that it is greater for a single axle. But it is less for double axles, at least that is the way I remember the weight going with our double axles. So apparently single and double axles do not act the same. If we put the tongue up, it becomes heavier, not lighter as expected. So I shouldn't say anything on single axles. Done! The box is nice.

[Jubal]

Dixhiccup
"You're only young once, you're one a helluva Of a long time dead".
Most excellent quote.