tshephard
Active member
- Thread starter
- #1
I see a lot of questions about trailer/tongue weights. I thought my way though the process, and this would be the minimum effort for correct work.
Go ahead and HONESTLY load up your travel team and gear.
I called Cat and my area's scale has a 15 foot 'steering' segment, so the longest F150s could fit both axles on 'steering' segment. If they were not busy, and they allowed one to quickly de-hitch (they will) and get back in truck, the minimum number of weighs would be only one to start:
'Steer seg'..........'Drive seg'...............'Trailer seg'
both axles..........tongue jack.............axle(s)
F150 total............tongue......................trailer(-tongue)
Add tongue and trailer axle = Total Trailer.
Is Total Trailer > MLTW (chart weight)?
Is Tongue = or > than 10% of Total Trailer?
Is Tongue > 15% of Total Trailer?
Is F150 Actual + Tongue < or = GVWR?
(Is all total >GCWR)
This works from real data, to get where you need to go.
If over, it's probably GVWR, and that one you could change.
Put non-living things in the trailer (spare, jack, toys, etc.).
Weight items between, and locate in front or rear of trailer axle.
(Behind axle adds to trailer weight, and reduces tongue by ratio of weight times distance-to-axle/tongue-to-axle. Forward of axle adds to trailer weight, and increases tongue by ratio of weight times distance-to-axle/tongue-to-axle.)
Example:
F150 GVWR 6400
F150 MLTW 7000 (grr!)
Trailer GVWR 5500
GCWR 13400
Cat weights:
F150.........Tongue...........Trailer Axle
5900........500....................4500
Total Trailer = 5000
<Trailer GVWR, and
<F150 MLTW
Tongue = 10%
F150 + Tongue = 6400
= GVWR
(Pretty close for example!)
Real world, F150 GVWR will be exceeded.
So, move stuff from F150 to trailer.
100 lbs from F150, to right on axle of trailer:
F150 -100 = 6300
Total Trailer +100 = 5100
Tongue weight doesn't change = 9.8% now
Move weight 10% of the way to tongue
Tongue = 510 (500 + 10% 100)
Axle = 4590 (4500 +90% 100)
Total Trailer = 5100
Same math works behind axle, but subtracts from tongue, by ratios of distance.
Net result is, starting from a single weighing, you know where you are. By weighing smaller items (bath scale 'step on' with load) and considering and measuring axle distance, you can well calculate changes to Total Trailer, Tongue, and GVWR.
(A second or more weighing after rebalancing is cheaper the same day.)
I see a lot of 'Payload is all you need.'
That is not well defined, and you literally add/subtract each item (dozens?) and persons (wife weight?).
Working down from actual truck weight is much more practical.
Hope that helps someone!
Go ahead and HONESTLY load up your travel team and gear.
I called Cat and my area's scale has a 15 foot 'steering' segment, so the longest F150s could fit both axles on 'steering' segment. If they were not busy, and they allowed one to quickly de-hitch (they will) and get back in truck, the minimum number of weighs would be only one to start:
'Steer seg'..........'Drive seg'...............'Trailer seg'
both axles..........tongue jack.............axle(s)
F150 total............tongue......................trailer(-tongue)
Add tongue and trailer axle = Total Trailer.
Is Total Trailer > MLTW (chart weight)?
Is Tongue = or > than 10% of Total Trailer?
Is Tongue > 15% of Total Trailer?
Is F150 Actual + Tongue < or = GVWR?
(Is all total >GCWR)
This works from real data, to get where you need to go.
If over, it's probably GVWR, and that one you could change.
Put non-living things in the trailer (spare, jack, toys, etc.).
Weight items between, and locate in front or rear of trailer axle.
(Behind axle adds to trailer weight, and reduces tongue by ratio of weight times distance-to-axle/tongue-to-axle. Forward of axle adds to trailer weight, and increases tongue by ratio of weight times distance-to-axle/tongue-to-axle.)
Example:
F150 GVWR 6400
F150 MLTW 7000 (grr!)
Trailer GVWR 5500
GCWR 13400
Cat weights:
F150.........Tongue...........Trailer Axle
5900........500....................4500
Total Trailer = 5000
<Trailer GVWR, and
<F150 MLTW
Tongue = 10%
F150 + Tongue = 6400
= GVWR
(Pretty close for example!)
Real world, F150 GVWR will be exceeded.
So, move stuff from F150 to trailer.
100 lbs from F150, to right on axle of trailer:
F150 -100 = 6300
Total Trailer +100 = 5100
Tongue weight doesn't change = 9.8% now
Move weight 10% of the way to tongue
Tongue = 510 (500 + 10% 100)
Axle = 4590 (4500 +90% 100)
Total Trailer = 5100
Same math works behind axle, but subtracts from tongue, by ratios of distance.
Net result is, starting from a single weighing, you know where you are. By weighing smaller items (bath scale 'step on' with load) and considering and measuring axle distance, you can well calculate changes to Total Trailer, Tongue, and GVWR.
(A second or more weighing after rebalancing is cheaper the same day.)
I see a lot of 'Payload is all you need.'
That is not well defined, and you literally add/subtract each item (dozens?) and persons (wife weight?).
Working down from actual truck weight is much more practical.
Hope that helps someone!
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