Actual weight of 19' Escapes

[FishBioGirl]

I am working thru my build sheet for my 19, as well as FJ mods I will need to tow the 19. Have now seen two Escapes in person which has been a big help, but does result in some conflicting opinions that I need to resolve. ColoradoRockiesFan placard weight is 1818kg (4008 lbs), that is more than I expected. What do other 19' weigh? Any advice to keep build weight down without sacrificing on all the options I want? What do I need to know about managing the tongue weight?

[FishBioGirl]

Found other posts that clarify my question regarding the total weight. Still wondering about tongue weight.

[cpaharley2008]

My tongue weight on my 19' was around 350# with single battery in front box, loaded for camping, empty tanks, full hot water tank. The Escape 21 is around 425#. I have a Sherline scale which I always bring with me to meets for others to check their units.

[Vermilye]

You might check "Trailer Weights in the Real World at the Fiberglass Forum". I also keep an updated version as an Excel Spreadsheet that can be sorted, etc at my LakeshoreImages page.

[dave macrae]

I was right at 400 lbs on the tounge with 2 6volts in the storage box and 3700 lbs loaded total weight. Weighed at a commercial truck scale . I know there are endless threads on weights and the right and wrong way to do it . My numbers seemed logical and about what I expected so I left it at that

[FishBioGirl]

Thanks Dave!

[scubarx]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

My tongue weight on my 19' was around 350# with single battery in front box, loaded for camping, empty tanks, full hot water tank. The Escape 21 is around 425#. I have a Sherline scale which I always bring with me to meets for others to check their units.

You will be bringing it to Townsend, won't you? I'm curious about the new Oliver.

[cpaharley2008]

Yes I will.

[CADreamin]

Which scale do you have? (e.g., 1k, 2k or 5k)

[gbaglo]

Sherline advises that the most accurate measurement is taken when the needle is at the mid-point. Since you are measuring the tongue weight ( less than 500 lbs ) the gauge you want is the 1,000 lb. one.
My Sherline came with the 2,000 lb gauge and I have since switched it over to the 1,000. It's easier to read too.

[cpaharley2008]

Mine is the 1000 limit.

[astrobuff]

Gbaglo,
The Sherline scale looks to be a really good investment, thanks for sharing your experiences. Just reading their website and they said that "An even easier method is to release the hitch, lower the jack onto the scale and lift until the trailer tongue just lifts off the ball. Though a little behind the actual pivot point, in most cases it is sufficiently accurate to tell if you are in a safe towing range." This would be easier than carrying a cinder block or something to put the jack on and would be within a few % of what you'd measure at the actually ball position. Just mentioned it as I read the other thread showing the blocks for measuring and thought this would be a quicker and easier way to do it.
Now I wonder how much to ship to Canada, brokerage is a killer when using UPS.
Cheers,

[cpaharley2008]

Someone posted using the jack point will reflect maybe 10% of weight difference. Easier but not what we are looking for as to impact on our tow vehicle.

[gbaglo]

I got mine from etrailer.com. They have a warehouse in Ontario and so when I order stuff I do it by phone and explain that I would like the item shipped Canada Post from Ontario. They check to see if it is available at Ontario site.

However, etrailer only had the scale equipped with the 2,000 lb. gauge ( which I bought because I didn't know better ). I ordered the 1,000 lb. gauge from Sherline and installed it myself. I'd be more confident if somebody else had done it.

I suggest you look at the Sherline site and locate a Sherline dealer in your area. They likely won't have the scale ( but will have lathes etc. ). They could probably order it for you saving the UPS blackmail.

[gbaglo]

As to the jack point, you measure the tongue weight at the ball and you measure the tongue weight at the jack. You do this once. Sherline instructions give you the math to calculate the actual tongue weight and you use this factor in the future ( measuring the weight at the jack, which is a whole lot easier ).

[Donna D.]

I have a Sherline scale too. I use a piece of pipe inside the tongue spoon and onto the Sherline. Crank the jack up just so it clears the ground, as long as the trailer is the same as towing height... mine is.

[gbaglo]

Well, I searched my log for the weight I got at the ball and then on the jack and the conversion factor. Can't find it. I think the result I got was so insignificant that I wouldn't be bothered to do the math.
My tongue weight should be in the area of 315 - 325 lbs.

[Cypherian]

I am going to just drop this here Trailer Loading and Towing Guide might answer all the questions.

Cypher

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by astrobuff

Just reading their website and they said that "An even easier method is to release the hitch, lower the jack onto the scale and lift until the trailer tongue just lifts off the ball. Though a little behind the actual pivot point, in most cases it is sufficiently accurate to tell if you are in a safe towing range." This would be easier than carrying a cinder block or something to put the jack on and would be within a few % of what you'd measure at the actually ball position.

True. The actual difference is easy to determine... just keep in mind by either method that the tongue height change the tongue weight, very substantially with tandem axles (for those with 19', 21', and getting 5.0 TA models). If it takes more than an inch or so of lifting while the tug suspension unloads before the coupler is no longer resting on the ball, the reading will be significantly wrong.

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Someone posted using the jack point will reflect maybe 10% of weight difference. Easier but not what we are looking for as to impact on our tow vehicle.

The ratio of the weight at the jack to the weight at the coupler will be the same as the ratio of the length from axle to coupler and the length from axle to jack. So if it is 10 feet from axle to coupler and 9.5 feet from axle to jack, the
weight at the coupler will be 95% of the weight at the jack. For single-axle owners, remember that the axle position is the centres of the wheels, not that steel tube of the Torflex suspension running across the frame. For tandem owners, the effective axle position (if you have everything level as you should) is the midpoint of the two sets of wheels.

Of you can empirically calibrate it, this way:

Originally Posted by gbaglo

As to the jack point, you measure the tongue weight at the ball and you measure the tongue weight at the jack. You do this once. Sherline instructions give you the math to calculate the actual tongue weight and you use this factor in the future ( measuring the weight at the jack, which is a whole lot easier ).

With the errors in the measurements, this will be an approximation, but likely good enough... and certainly to compare loading from one trip to the next a consistent measurement setup (including tongue height) is the important part.