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Topic ClosedWeighing at a CAT scale
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Happy Tripping View Drop Down
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Posts: 473 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Weighing at a CAT scale
    Posted: 11 Oct 2019 at 4:25pm
I have decided that I must weigh my tv-r pod combo. 

I did an internet search and I know that the front axle is on the first scale and the rear on the second and the r pod axle on the 3rd and i know I must make 2 passes, with and without the r pod.

Since I'm towing with an SUV and the r pod itself is pretty short, I'm hoping that if I get onto the first scale just a little, the others will fit ok (?)

But - That speaker with its button at the scale is about 8 feet high. Is there a problem with reaching it since I don't think the SUV will be near enuf to get up onto it??



??Is it better just to get a Sherline scale??


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offgrid View Drop Down
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Oct 2019 at 4:32pm
You can't measure an axle weight with a Sherline, at least not easily.

You don't really need three scales, just one is enough if you have enough length. Add an axle at a time and get the weights, then subtract to get each axle.  If you have a WDH release the bar tension before rolling through the scale with the rig or it will mess up your measurements. 

Have fun!
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Kahonu37 View Drop Down
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Posts: 39 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Oct 2019 at 3:48am
Use the cat scale app, do not even have to get out of the TV. How to use videos on YouTube. Just open an account, on the app. Really easy.
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podwerkz View Drop Down
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Posts: 966 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Oct 2019 at 8:18am
Many municipalities have weigh scales at the local landfill or transfer station. Policies vary, but generally, if you are a resident of the city, town, etc, , and provide an address or a utility bill as proof, you can weigh your rig free of charge. 

You could call them to see if this is available to you. 
r･pod 171 gone but not forgotten!
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Olddawgsrule View Drop Down
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Posts: 1014 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Oct 2019 at 9:57am
Originally posted by podwerkz

Many municipalities have weigh scales at the local landfill or transfer station. Policies vary, but generally, if you are a resident of the city, town, etc, , and provide an address or a utility bill as proof, you can weigh your rig free of charge. 

You could call them to see if this is available to you. 

Mine is no charge, if you don't get the ticket. Funny, they right it all on scrap paper for me though. Probably that tickets are number and a accounting thing. Bring paper and pencil in case they only call-out yours.
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Posts: 1014 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Oct 2019 at 10:02am
Originally posted by offgrid

You can't measure an axle weight with a Sherline, at least not easily.


Curious.. I have another thread to buy one and thinking I could by weighing side at a time.. No? Also thought I might be able to weigh WDH action between front and rear TV.. 
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Posts: 473 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Oct 2019 at 6:21pm

I went ahead and did it. It was gratifyingly easy. I put the vehicle front wheels on one scale, the back tires on another and the r-pod wheels fit on the third. There were three apparent call buttons. I used a step stool to reach the two upper call buttons but they had another lower down, too. I pushed all of them, there was very little apparent motion but after maybe 20 seconds (a long time) the weigher answered and we proceeded. Then I parked, went in, got the form and then re-weighed without the trailer. Total $14 and maybe 10 minutes total, most consumed carefully walking across the huge parking area for BIG trucks.

 

We’re going on a several hundred mile trip next week to northern Michigan and I have winterized the trailer already so before measuring the trailer today I added 48 pounds of lead for ‘pretend’ water-heater water and 8 pounds of drinking water in a container. I have two propane tanks and one regular size battery. Several years ago I had used our bathroom scale to get a measured tongue weight of 284 pounds.  In summer we stay almost all the time at parks and other places with drinking water, toilets and showers so our grey and black tanks fill slowly. We rarely put more than a few gallons in the white tank, taking water from a 3.5 gallon water carrier kept in the tow vehicle as needed for dish washing, cooking and drinking.  So, today there was no clothing and less food than usual, and empty tanks but otherwise things were pretty typical.

 

171 dry weight from factory – 2379 lbs,   cargo capacity 900 lbs

 

CAT scale measurements –

 Trailer axle weight – 2940 pounds (339 pounds of cargo to go)

Gross tow vehicle weight - 5120 pounds (380 lbs to go)

Actual measured tongue weight – 260 pounds, 34 short of 10%. I’ve got a 20 lb floor jack that I will shift from the back of the trailer to the front while travelling and that should get me pretty close. We travel light but I’m amazed that after adding our clothing and perishable food, we will have only around 300 pounds before we reach the max for cargo. After putting several gallons in the white tank for our daily use, that means that there is around 30 gallons of water for both the black and grey tanks!

 

I am very glad I took the time to get the trailer weighed.
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offgrid View Drop Down
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Oct 2019 at 6:03am
I think you actually have even less headroom than you're saying. 

The gross trailer weight rating on your 171 sounds like it is 2379+900=3279. The 2019 specs list it as 3242. You are currently at 2940+260=3200 so you only have 79 lbs before you reach the max gross weight. Another way to look at this is the 171 has a 3000 lb rated axle and you are at 2940 so only have 60 lbs to go on your axle. 

Also, the tongue weight is measured as a percent of total trailer weight not axle weight. So, you are at 260/3200 or about 8% tongue weight. You should try to move enough weight forward to get 320 at least on the tongue weight to get to a 10% minimum. 

I had a similar surprise, how can you be 3200-2379=821 lbs over factory dry weight? The battery, second propane tank, and water weight isn't included in the dry weight so there is at least 150 lbs , probably more like 200 because you can't really get all the water out of the tanks. But where is the other 621 lbs? The current dry weight listing for the 171 is 2342 with no options. If you have the typical a/c, micro, and TV that adds 161 lbs, still leaving 460 lbs unaccounted for. 

In the end I quit trying to find it, the calibrated public scales don't lie.  

FR does not weigh each trailer, BTW, DOT allows them to use a standard empty weight. Hmmm....
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Kahonu37 View Drop Down
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Posts: 39 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Dec 2019 at 5:46am
When weighing at the Cat Scale, should leave WDH on or remove it? Which is more accurate?
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2012 NISSAN XTERRA (retired 12/19)
2019 RAM 1500 WARLOCK (new)
A.R.E. V Series Topper
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Olddawgsrule View Drop Down
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Posts: 1014 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Dec 2019 at 6:52am
Originally posted by Kahonu37

When weighing at the Cat Scale, should leave WDH on or remove it? Which is more accurate?

I'd dis-connect and do the passes. Then connect. the differences may surprise you. Reality is, you should know both, you do run down the highway with it connected, so important. Doing without will tell you if you really require it. 
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