4 corner weigh at the scales with a toad

[marjoa]

Just had a Ready Brake Brute Elite Tow Bar installed on the MH and we be pulling a Ford Fiesta, 4 down. I'm going to take the MH for a—4 corner weigh with the toad—in a couple of weeks.

The last place I went to get weighed was at a flying "J". As a default procedure for just anybody that just wants a normal weigh, you pull up, get both axles weighed, pull forward out of the overhead gate and out you go.

But—as you know—doing a MH, 4 wheel weigh is different, because now when you pull onto the side of the scales to get just 2 tires on the scales, you can't pull forward, swing around and then get the other 2 tires on the scales. That gate is in the way.

My question is:
When you first pull onto the scales with the MH's front and rear left tires on the scales to get that weight... how do you maneuver the MH and the toad to get the right 2 tires on the other side of the scales to get that weight?

Do you "CAREFULLY" back up with the toad still hooked up with wife spotting you (I've read here your not supposed to do this) then move the MH over to the other side of the scales to the other weight?

Or, when you arrive, detached the toad first, get the MH 4 wheel weight, then reattach toad and then get all axles on the scales for a full total weight.

Or, maybe some other procedure.

I should know this by now but don't.

Please advise?

[BFlinn181]

Disconnect the toad when you weigh it. If you're towing 4 down, the only additional weight on the RV is some of the tow bar weight.

[Isaac-1]

What was said above, but I note your location is listed as Livingston TX, which is the location of the Escapees headquarters park, where they have a full time rv weighing program.

[marjoa]

Originally Posted by Isaac-1

What was said above, but I note your location is listed as Livingston TX, which is the location of the Escapees headquarters park, where they have a full time rv weighing program.

Yeah I know. Thanks!

[Kiawah]

As Flinn indicated, do your 4 corner weigh with just the motorhome, using the 2nd and 3rd weighing pads. Once all of that is figured out, then come back at a later date with your toad and you can just do a normal axle weighing....using all three pads. Front axle on pad1, rear axle on pad2, toad on pad3.

[marjoa]

Ok got it. Will do.

And thank you all for spelling out the answer in the proper steps to take with details. I know I'm the same way when I answer someone's question. (sometimes I get a little winded but hey...) It really helps the OP like me get a full answer.

Thanks everyone so much.

[windsorbill]

Originally Posted by marjoa

Just had a Ready Brake Brute Elite Tow Bar installed on the MH and we be pulling a Ford Fiesta, 4 down. I'm going to take the MH for a—4 corner weigh with the toad—in a couple of weeks.

The last place I went to get weighed was at a flying "J". As a default procedure for just anybody that just wants a normal weigh, you pull up, get both axles weighed, pull forward out of the overhead gate and out you go.

But—as you know—doing a MH, 4 wheel weigh is different, because now when you pull onto the side of the scales to get just 2 tires on the scales, you can't pull forward, swing around and then get the other 2 tires on the scales. That gate is in the way.

My question is:
When you first pull onto the scales with the MH's front and rear left tires on the scales to get that weight... how do you maneuver the MH and the toad to get the right 2 tires on the other side of the scales to get that weight?

Do you "CAREFULLY" back up with the toad still hooked up with wife spotting you (I've read here your not supposed to do this) then move the MH over to the other side of the scales to the other weight?

Or, when you arrive, detached the toad first, get the MH 4 wheel weight, then reattach toad and then get all axles on the scales for a full total weight.

Or, maybe some other procedure.

I should know this by now but don't.

Please advise?

What ever you do, don't back the motorhome up with the Toad attached, not even a few feet. Even with a spotter, you'll do serious, expensive damage to the front wheels of the toad.

[BFlinn181]

Originally Posted by windsorbill

What ever you do, don't back the motorhome up with the Toad attached, not even a few feet. Even with a spotter, you'll do serious, expensive damage to the front wheels of the toad.

While not something I do often, I have backed up with the toad attached. In tight situations, when making a U-turn or having to make a cut to turn sharper, it's not an impossible, never-to-be-tried, damaging maneuver. If you want to back up straight back, my wife gets in the car and makes sure the wheels are behaving.

[Crasher]

I've backed up a few times when in a jam. It's not that hard to do with no damage if you are careful.

[windsorbill]

I've actually done it a few times when I needed too. I don't know OP experience and I sure would not encourage a novice to try it unless he/she has someone with them to walk them through it. By his comments about he "read here it was not a good thing to do", I figured better safe than sorry.

I have seen a few badly damaged towed cars in campground parking lots over the years waiting for a wrecker to come get them.

[marjoa]

Originally Posted by windsorbill

I've actually done it a few times when I needed too. I don't know OP experience and I sure would not encourage a novice to try it unless he/she has someone with them to walk them through it. By his comments about he "read here it was not a good thing to do", I figured better safe than sorry.

I have seen a few badly damaged towed cars in campground parking lots over the years waiting for a wrecker to come get them.

OP here:
Well your right, I don't have experience backing up with a toad and yes, I've always "read here it was not a good thing to do" and I had no intention of doing so. But now I'm wondering why/how would it damage the front wheels of OUR toad if we did.

I did say in my original post that we'll be towing 4 down, but I forgot to mention that our toad "2017 Ford Fiesta" and has a manual transmission 5 speed on the floor. Fords user manual says, "put tranny in neutral, release parking brake, hook up and tow. Don't go over 70mph".

Additional Question 1:
So just asking here, how would backing up a few feet say in a tight situation, ruin the front wheels of our toad? Just asking.

Additional Question 2:
And if your up to it...what are the proper steps?
You said...What ever you do, don't back the motorhome up with the Toad attached, not even a few feet. Even with a spotter, you'll do serious, expensive damage to the front wheels of the toad.. I sure would not encourage a novice to try it unless he/she has someone with them to walk them through it.

[Sweetbriar]

That was quick. 8th entry and the subject of the thread is onto something totally different. Might as well add to it.

Every coach, toad, base plate and tow bar setup is different. Even how loaded the coach might be which affects the horizontal angle of the tow bar and could affect what might occur when backing. Some owners can back up straight without a problem. Some can even maneuver the toad while back without a problem. Others the front wheels of the toad will quickly turn into the stops before a tires can make one complete revolution. What I can do with my coach has little bearing on what you can do with yours. So any advice posted, including what I write, should not be trusted until you first test how you setup behaves.

Now if you want to give it a try find a wide open flat parking lot to do a test run. Use a spotter that can see the front wheels of the toad and you can also see. Position the coach and toad in a straight line with both steering wheels centered and very, VERY, VERY slowly start backing in a straight line. Did I stress moving slowly enough? If you're backing faster then you can craw you're going to fast. The spotter is watching for any movement of the front wheels as if making a turn. If the wheels do start to swing out give it up as your configuration will not support backing.

What could happen if you push the toad front wheels into the turning stops? Plenty and a few that will leave you stranded. Bent or broken tie rods, broken ball joints, twisted baseplate, damaged tow bar clevis ends, bent towbar to baseplate attachment pins, bent tow bar arms, over stressed hitch receiver fasteners,,,

Good luck.

[Mudfrog]

Myself, i would not try backing up unless i had no other choice. Tried it a couple of times and in both instances (straight back for only a few feet), everything got in a bind. I mean, a really tight bind that put a lot of pressure on the tow bar and who knows what else.

On 4 corner weighing,, can't you just do the front and rear axle weigh, then go back through to do one side or the other? Afterwards, do the subtraction to get the numbers for the side that wasn't weighed?

[mpierce]

Originally Posted by Mudfrog

On 4 corner weighing,, can't you just do the front and rear axle weigh, then go back through to do one side or the other? Afterwards, do the subtraction to get the numbers for the side that wasn't weighed?

Yes.