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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Gadgets
    Posted: 04 Aug 2019 at 3:59pm
Originally posted by podwerkz

Somebody buy this thing and use it to get the readings, then drive to a certified scale and I want to know how much it is off. Cuz it will be.

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+1.  That would be a great experiment to do if anyone has some spare money and time on their hands. LOL
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Aug 2019 at 9:35am
Somebody buy this thing and use it to get the readings, then drive to a certified scale and I want to know how much it is off. Cuz it will be.

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Aug 2019 at 5:37am
You wouldn't really need to leave the device connected anyway. Just use it once when you hitch up and then remove it. No need to connect it again unless you significantly change your TV or trailer loads. For a travel trailer that's pretty rare, once you know what it weighs under a couple of different conditions (mostly different water loads) you really shouldn't need to use it again. I can see the device being a lot more useful for a utility trailer if you're hauling a wide variety of things around, or if you have several different trailers. Assuming its accurate of course.Ouch
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Aug 2019 at 9:36pm
There are OBD splitters that will let you plug 2 things into your ODB port.  From what I've heard, they may not work for everyone or for all devices, but I've had 2 things plugged in and working fine on my truck for several years. Here's one for example: https://www.amazon.com/Outzone-Splitter-Extension-12inches-Vehicles/dp/B07V7DPF9F/ref=sr_1_6?crid=HR21RPKOFZH8&keywords=odb+splitter&qid=1564886032&s=gateway&sprefix=odb+s%2Caps%2C406&sr=8-6

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Aug 2019 at 7:19pm
I'm like StephenH; I have an OBD bluetooth transmitter so I can monitor some other parameters. 

As for the WDH setup, I'm happy with figuring it out with a typical load (via scales), and going from there. If the tongue weight is shifting while you're underway, you got some other serious issue.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Aug 2019 at 6:32pm
Originally posted by StephenH

I think the calculations in my case might be off since I have a Hensley Cub hitch. The main part of that stays attached to the trailer and only a shank is attached to the truck before backing into the hitch to connect. It is quite different from the Equal-i-zer hitch I had before where the hitch head and bars were connected to the truck and only the snap-up brackets were attached to the frame of the trailer.

The calculator should still work. As far as I can tell the Hensley Hitch still rotates vertically around the ball, just like any other wdh (it doesn't rotate horizontally around the ball). So the distance you put in the calculator for the distance from the ball to the TV rear axle is the same. As far as the hitch weight itself most of it is rigidly connected to the TV when connected to the shank. I don't know how hard it is to disconnect the trailer from the hitch and leave the hitch connected to the shank but if that's too hard then just subtract the weight of the hitch from the trailer and add it to the truck when calculating tongue weight, you won't be very far off. 

Very cool hitch by the way. 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Aug 2019 at 12:16pm
I think the calculations in my case might be off since I have a Hensley Cub hitch. The main part of that stays attached to the trailer and only a shank is attached to the truck before backing into the hitch to connect. It is quite different from the Equal-i-zer hitch I had before where the hitch head and bars were connected to the truck and only the snap-up brackets were attached to the frame of the trailer.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Aug 2019 at 9:36am
Originally posted by StephenH

I already have an OBDII sensor plugged in that I use with the Torque app. I would have to switch devices to use this so I will pass. I don't have a convenient landfill scale near me so I would need to find someplace else to go to do the weighing. The nearest public scales I can find are 30+ miles away from us.

If you want to try the scales and can find a place nearby to disconnect your trailer for a few minutes you ought to be able to get everything you need in one trip and two passes through the scales. First with the trailer connected but the wdh untensioned, the second with the tow vehicle only with the wdh installed. Get all three axles adding one at a time on the first pass, the two TV axles on the second pass (5 weights total). Go through fully loaded for a trip. After that you can get any other information you want from your trailer and truck specs, a little arithmetic, and this calculator. 



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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Aug 2019 at 8:52am
I already have an OBDII sensor plugged in that I use with the Torque app. I would have to switch devices to use this so I will pass. I don't have a convenient landfill scale near me so I would need to find someplace else to go to do the weighing. The nearest public scales I can find are 30+ miles away from us.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Aug 2019 at 4:43am
Originally posted by StephenH

I would think that any suspension modification such as the SumoSprings I put on our Frontier would throw such a device off, or at least require some sort of recalibration.

Yes, the manufacturer's comments say any suspension mods do exactly that. A calibration process is provided for that purpose. They also state that the bluetooth signal from the device can interfere with other devices in the rig, so most people use it to get the information then shut it off. 

If its not permanent it seems like the same kind of thing could be done directly with a smartphone and app since the phones all have tilt and acceleration sensors already anyway. Sure enough, there is an app on the App Store called RV Tow Check that is supposed to do something similar. Only $2. But it gets mostly poor reviews. 

My issue with this kind of approach is how are you ever going to be sure that you're really getting accurate data? It's a life safety issue for me and anyone else on the road with me.  So personally, I'll stick with the old school approach, I use the scale at my county landfill, accurate and free to use whenever I need to, which is not very often. 


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