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tom proz · 09-11-2017, 10:42 AM

I just started RVing this summer and have my RV to the weight I think I will travel with from now on, give or take a few pounds. I am looking for a place to weigh it so I can accurately see my tongue weight. I live in Illionois near Naperville. Does anyone know how or where I can take it for a weigh in? Thanks!

xrated · 09-11-2017, 11:06 AM

Do a quick Google search for CAT certified scales locations. They are at almost every truck stop in the U.S. You need to do a three weigh process.
1. Weigh the truck and trailer together. There are three scale pads and your truck front tires go on the first on. Truck rear tires go on the second one. Trailer tires go on the third one. Use your weight distribution hitch like you would normally.

2. Do not move the truck after your first weight....simply disconnect the spring bars from your WDH so that all of the tongue weight is on the hitch ball and not being distributed.....get another weight.

3. Hitch the spring bars back up and pull off of the scale. Find a place to park out of the way and unhitch from the trailer completely. Pull just the truck back onto the scales (pad 1 and pad 2) and get another weight.

Hook back up and go inside and pay for your three scale tickets. Pricing should be about $11 for your first ticket and $2 each for the other two...= $15 total.

Drive home and get on the computer and look for this website.....

RV Safety|RV Towing Calculator|Tow Ratings|GCWR. Click the link at the top of the page called "4 Step Weight Safety Plan" and make sure you use the one for tow behind trailers and not the one for fifth wheel trailers. Follow the instructions and soon you will know more about your trailer weight than you want to know. By the way, you can use the calculator without having to know all of the information in the worksheet. Hope this helps

Bigd9 · 09-11-2017, 11:06 AM

I took my RV to Pilot Fueling station near me and weighed it + the tow car. About $10

Also many feed and grain places like Southern States have public scales. I even pulled into a closed truck weigh station once peeked through the window, saw the weight and then drove off!

At the Pilot I used, the scales were segmented, so they could weigh each axle. Maybe they could weigh the trailer tongue weight that way?

ThirdSpaceCO · 09-11-2017, 02:03 PM

Xrated, I'm not the OP but I found your step-by-step guide very helpful. Thank you.

xrated · 09-11-2017, 04:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThirdSpaceCO

Xrated, I'm not the OP but I found your step-by-step guide very helpful. Thank you.

You're welcome. I did it on my tablet at work today, so it was kind of tedious compared to typing it on my computer at home. I feel like I gained a lifetime of experience on trailer/truck weights, and there are still lots of guys out there that know a "Ton" more than I do!

See what I did with that?