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Old 11-02-2020, 04:52 PM   #1
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Weighing with a WD hitch

Our 17B will be delivered this week. I will be taking it to the local CAT scales to be weighed. We will have the Fastway E2 hitch. Does having a weight distribution hitch affect the tongue weight? Should I disconnect the torsion bars on the hitch when weighing?
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Chuck
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Old 11-02-2020, 05:09 PM   #2
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Most CAT scales are designed for trucks. As a result there are actually three or four platforms each returning a separate measurement. When you get your "ticket" from the truck stop it will show each weight.

If my recollection serves me correct I placed the trailer on one platform, the tongue on a second and the vehicle on the third. I believe if you had a dual axle trailer and there was a fourth platform you could put each axle on a separate platform but that maybe difficult and still get a tongue weight.

Obviously, you must disconnect to do this. I would place the trunnion bars with the tongue as they would be part of that weight. This is the time to weigh your loaded vehicle so all passengers and driver plus gear should be in the vehicle. It should have a full tank of gas. Be sure the trailer is level.

All this should be done with some respect to the truckers who maybe waiting for the scale. Also be sure to properly chock the trailer before unhitching.

There maybe some more experienced scale users who can add to or amend my method.
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Old 11-02-2020, 05:31 PM   #3
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A WDH will affect your weights - it distributes the tongue weight of the trailer, dividing it between all the axles of your tow vehicle and the trailer. To be the most accurate, weigh your trailer as fudge brownie described above, unhitching your trailer. If I want to be quick, I weigh my truck rear axle, and the trailer axles, with the bars tensioned, and then untensioned. You can do some math and get a good idea of what the tongue weight is from that method.
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Old 11-02-2020, 05:50 PM   #4
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Seeing as how I would't tow a travel trailer without a wdh, that's how I'd weigh it. If you will not be using a WDH, then do the weights without. Front truck tires on one pad, rear on the next, and the rear tires on the 3rd. Get the weights then disconnect the trailer in the lot somewhere and weigh just the truck.

Last time I did it, the $20 fee covered both readings.
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Old 11-02-2020, 06:03 PM   #5
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I do not think a weight distribution hitch will change things on the scale. The only factor it has on the scale is the weight of the distribution device. Having it tensioned will not change the tongue weight of a vehicle, therefore it will not change the vehicle weight. In the same way it does not increase the towing capacity of the vehicle. Its purpose is to level things off by distributing the weight to the front wheels.
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Old 11-02-2020, 08:33 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fudge_brownie View Post
I do not think a weight distribution hitch will change things on the scale.
By purpose and definition a WDH when 'tensioned' (as when normally underway with a WDH) redistributes the tongue weight among the axles of the rig.

A CAT Scale print-out provides weights on a 'per-axle' basis, most commonly for a TV+RV or TV+boat rig:
  • Front Axle
  • Driven Axle (the rear axle of the tow vehicle)
  • Rear Axle (though stated as singular this is typically the weight of all axles of the towed RV or boat trailer)

If the WDH is 'tensioned' when you enter the CAT scale you will get different values for each 'axle' vs those you will get if you enter the scale with the WDH 'un-tensioned'. In either case the sum of all axle values will = the same Total Rig Weight.

IF you enter the scale with the full rig and WDH 'tensioned' (and make a second pass with the TV alone) you'll be able to derive:
  • the total weight of the rig
  • the weight on each axle as when normally underway (noting that the trailer's axles are usually counted as one)
  • the weight of the TV alone
  • the Total weight of the trailer alone ([sum of rig axles]-[sum of TV alone axles])

IF you enter the scale with the total rig and WDH 'not-tensioned' (and make a second pass with the TV alone) you'll be able to derive:
  • the total weight of the rig
  • the Dead Weight on each axle in the rig (noting that the trailer's axles are usually counted as one - i.e. 'Trailer Axle Weight')
  • the weight of the TV alone
  • the Total weight of the trailer alone ([sum of rig axles]-[sum of TV alone axles])
  • the Dead Tongue weight of the trailer ([sum of TV axles only from the rig-pass]-[TV total weight from the TV alone pass])

The latter is useful because it's the ratio of Dead Tongue Weight to Total Trailer Weight without the WDH tensioned which should be compared to the 'rule of thumb 10%-15% value' desired to inherently minimize trailer-sway potential (IMO).

****Noting that it's generally not allowed for one to make any changes while on a CAT Scale platform (e.g. disconnect a WDH) as that presents a risk of delay to others seeking a weight, but you may be allowed if it's a very slow-day at the scale; I'd Ask First as a matter of common courtesy and good scale-etiquette. It's not uncommon for the scale operator to be remote from the platform, which makes 'reset' between such on-platform changes difficult anyway (the scale 'resets' when it's 'unloaded' between vehicles). I've never encountered a CAT scale operator that would allow 'unhitched' weight of a trailer (risk that the platform could not be 'cleared' timely) but YMMV.
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Old 11-02-2020, 09:18 PM   #7
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I just searched for a particular video, couldn't find it. I thought it was by KeepYourDaydream on YouTube.

The correct way to weigh is drop your trailer. Weigh just your tow vehicle. Second, then hook up, weigh your vehicle and you trailer, this will show the tongue weight at the axle. Third, add the WDH bars by measuring all four fenders so the load is evenly distributed and weigh for the third time.

There are many videos on YouTube on payload and hitches.
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Old 11-02-2020, 10:49 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by sherminator View Post
A WDH will affect your weights - it distributes the tongue weight of the trailer, dividing it between all the axles of your tow vehicle and the trailer.
That's what people say, but it's really not true. Too much weight on the hitch is the main reason for using WD, but the action of the WDH has nothing to do with tongue weight. It actually relives load (weight) from the tow vehicle's rear axle and transfers it to the tow vehicle's front axle the trailer axle(s), in a proportion determined by the wheelbase and the distance from the rear axle to the trailer axle(s).

So because the WDH shifts loads regardless of hitch weight, scale readings with the WDH engaged can only tell you about total weight of the combination, and the axle loads. These are good things to know, but they're not the trailer weight or tongue weight.

You can drive across the scale with the WDH disengaged, but the trailer tongue will be too low so the trailer's tongue will be putting a different weight on the hitch than it is while towing. The straightforward fix is to weigh the trailer unhitched from the tow vehicle. You can put the whole trailer with tongue jack on one scale section to get the total trailer weight, and just the axles on a scale section to get axle weight.
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Old 11-02-2020, 11:02 PM   #9
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Originally Posted by Brian B-P View Post
That's what people say, but it's really not true.
What I said is true, but you are, of course, correct.
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Old 11-02-2020, 11:37 PM   #10
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Originally Posted by sherminator View Post
What I said is true, but you are, of course, correct.
It's not about who is right - it's just physical reality. You can tweak the bars of a WDH to shift as much or as little load as you want, regardless of the tongue weight. You may use a WDH because of tongue weight, bit a WDH doesn't do anything with tongue weight.
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Old 11-03-2020, 05:13 AM   #11
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Thank you

Thanks for all the responses. I think that I understand the process now. I will post my results when completed.
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Old 11-03-2020, 06:03 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian B-P View Post
You can drive across the scale with the WDH disengaged, but the trailer tongue will be too low so the trailer's tongue will be putting a different weight on the hitch than it is while towing.
That's true enough.

Another way to get an absolutely accurate Tongue weight without disconnecting the trailer on the CAT scale platform (often not allowed, but YMMV) is to derive the Total Trailer Weight on the CAT scale as described above, then at home determine the tongue-weight with the hitch at the height it assumes when the WDH is connected. That can be done using a bathroom-scale per the method described here:

https://www.etrailer.com/faq-how-to-...ue-weight.aspx
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