Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks: BetterWeigh Mobile Tongue Weight and Payload Scale

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BetterWeigh Mobile Tongue Weight and Payload Scale

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Category: R-pod Discussion Forums
Forum Name: Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks
Forum Discription: Ask maintenance questions, share your podmods (modifications) and helpful tips
URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=14343
Printed Date: 03 May 2024 at 3:40pm
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Topic: BetterWeigh Mobile Tongue Weight and Payload Scale

Posted By: geewizard
Subject: BetterWeigh Mobile Tongue Weight and Payload Scale
Date Posted: 08 Jan 2021 at 11:27am

Anyone have experience using this device?

https://www.etrailer.com/Tools/Curt/C51701.html - https://www.etrailer.com/Tools/Curt/C51701.html

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2021 Winnebago Micro Minnie 1708FB
2017 R-Pod 177 (Blue) HRE SOLD
2004 Outfitter Apex 8 camper
2014 Toyota Tundra DC

Replies:

Posted By: EchoGale
Date Posted: 08 Jan 2021 at 12:43pm

I'm very interested to see replies

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Julie

Posted By: pedwards2932
Date Posted: 08 Jan 2021 at 1:43pm

I have one and the tongue weight part is somewhat accurate......within 10%to 15%. You have to let it know which vehicle you have by vin #. Trailer weight I got was all over the map totally unreilable. You get on level ground and accelerate....I got weights of 4600 to 3900. When I weighed my trailer it was 3300 on cat scale. Tongue weight you stand on the hitch and you input your weight to the app then it uses that to approximate the tongue weight....it was about 10 to 15 percent high compared to a Sherline scale. You need to use a CAT scale if you want accuracy.

Posted By: mjlrpod
Date Posted: 08 Jan 2021 at 2:26pm

I am going to buy one of these as soon as it starts to get spring-ish. I think this will work very well.

http://www.etrailer.com/Tools/etrailer/e99044.html - www.etrailer.com/Tools/etrailer/e99044.html

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2017.5 Rp-172
2020 R-pod 195
2015 Frontier sv 4.0L 6cyl
I'll be rpodding

Posted By: geewizard
Date Posted: 08 Jan 2021 at 3:13pm

I agree with you, mjlrpod. That device looks a lot more accurate.

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2021 Winnebago Micro Minnie 1708FB
2017 R-Pod 177 (Blue) HRE SOLD
2004 Outfitter Apex 8 camper
2014 Toyota Tundra DC

Posted By: Toyanvil
Date Posted: 08 Jan 2021 at 5:31pm

I have done this, and it works good.

http://youtu.be/nMoLA44lcgU - http://youtu.be/nMoLA44lcgU

Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 09 Jan 2021 at 9:16am

Why not just go through a scale twice? Once with the trailer, once without. Remove tension on the wdh if you have one. On the first weighing, get the tow vehicle weight, then the whole rig. On the second weighing, get the tow vehicle by itself. You’re using a calibrated scale that you can trust is accurate. Might even get it done for free at your county waste transfer station.

Tongue weight = tv with trailer - tv without.
Trailer weight = total eight with trailer - tv without.

You need that total rig weight anyway to confirm your GCVWR is within specs.

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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold

Posted By: pedwards2932
Date Posted: 09 Jan 2021 at 2:40pm

I have the Sherline; https://www.amazon.com/Sherline-LM-2000-Trailer-Tongue/dp/B007REK28M - Amazon.com: Sherline LM 2000 - Trailer Tongue Weight Scale 2000lb: Home Improvement

The CAT scale is great to make sure you are in specs. The Sherline helps when I am balancing for tongue weight because I have to be at 350 lbs because of my hitch rating. I can't recommend the BetterWeigh just not accurate enough.

Posted By: mjlrpod
Date Posted: 10 Jan 2021 at 10:47am

I ordered the one I had mentioned earlier (and below) from E Trailer. I wanted to make sure there was no sudden rush in the spring. Using the scales at a truck stop might work, especially if you want to know total weights. But for tongue weight, you have to go everytime you load, unless you keep everything the exact same, which seems unlikely. I think if you can put the scale under it as you load up, it's a much easier way to do it. The sherline looks good, but I trust E-Trailer more than Amazon.

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2017.5 Rp-172
2020 R-pod 195
2015 Frontier sv 4.0L 6cyl
I'll be rpodding

Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 10 Jan 2021 at 12:42pm

I guess if you are right at your tow vehicle tongue weight limit then you might need to weigh the tongue every time, but I’ve only weighed mine once or twice. Once you have your loading settled you will know the range the trailer and tongue weights will be in and you shouldn’t have to weigh again unless you make a major change. By far the biggest variable is whether and how much water you have in your tanks, water is heavy, a full 30 gallon rpod water tank weighs 250 lbs.

If you do make a major change and don’t want to re-weigh you can easily calculate the change to tongue weight from adding or subtracting a load. Think of the trailer as a teeter totter rotating around it’s axle. This is the same method pilots use when calculating weight and balance in airplanes so it’s safe and accurate.

Change in tongue weight = (distance from weight to trailer axle x change in weight)/distance from tongue to axle). Add to tongue weight for loads added in front of the axle and subtract from tongue weight when removing loads in front of the axle. Do the reverse for loads behind the axle (subtract from tongue weight when adding and add to tongue weight when removing).

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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold

Posted By: lostagain
Date Posted: 10 Jan 2021 at 2:33pm

I've used the Sherline to weight the whole trailer, first tongue, then at each wheel. It was pretty close to what I got at the CAT scale. I wouldn't trust it if you're right at the limit of the trailer's gross weight capacity, but if you are under, it's plenty accurate.

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Never leave footprints behind.
Fred & Maria Kearney
Sonoma 167RB
Our Pod 172
2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost

Posted By: pedwards2932
Date Posted: 10 Jan 2021 at 9:07pm

Interesting....how did you do each wheel? Hydraulic jack?

Posted By: lostagain
Date Posted: 11 Jan 2021 at 8:42am

Yes, I jacked up each side with a floor jack, then slowly lowered it down onto the Sherline. The bad thing is that it's a little hard to see under there.

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Never leave footprints behind.
Fred & Maria Kearney
Sonoma 167RB
Our Pod 172
2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost

Posted By: geewizard
Date Posted: 12 Jan 2021 at 9:12am

I went with this one: http://www.etrailer.com/Tools/etrailer/e99044.html

Thanks all for the discussion.

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2021 Winnebago Micro Minnie 1708FB
2017 R-Pod 177 (Blue) HRE SOLD
2004 Outfitter Apex 8 camper
2014 Toyota Tundra DC

Posted By: BMJ
Date Posted: 15 Jan 2021 at 7:18am

I apologize if I’m posting this inquiry incorrectly... I’m still a fledgling in trying to negotiate questions in this forum with an iPhone.
My inquiry is that I have a 195... the weight of our tote tank is about 40lbs... it’s designed for transport on the rear ladder... has anyone had any weight difficulties in securing it the back ladder while bouncing down the road?... Thanks

Posted By: mjlrpod
Date Posted: 15 Jan 2021 at 9:12am

Originally posted by geewizard

I went with this one: http://www.etrailer.com/Tools/etrailer/e99044.html

Thanks all for the discussion.

I just got mine delivered on thursday the 14th. It's a very nice unit. Can't wait till spring to start using it.

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2017.5 Rp-172
2020 R-pod 195
2015 Frontier sv 4.0L 6cyl
I'll be rpodding