RV corner weighing-Florida/Ala Panhandle? Can’t find anybody.

[weighit]

I weighed trailers and motorhomes by wheel position for almost 8 years while we full time traveled. Finding motorhomes 1,800 lbs different from right rear to left rear was not unusual, finding 800 lbs off on front wheels was not unusual. Finding 5th wheels with one side over 1,000lbs heavier than the other side was also not unusual. So when we talked to owners and heard of tire issues, many times they were where we found the heavy unbalance.

Yes, also found some really well balanced rigs, but rarely found them exactly even side to side and front to back, but they are out there. What we found mostly was under inflated tires for the loads they were carrying. Also found many running tires at max pressures when after weighing could show them the tire manufacurers chart for the correct lower tire pressures needed. It was a very interesting business. And yes, there are not nearly enough places to get this information. The scales are very expensive.

[SKP Kirk]

Originally Posted by weighit

I weighed trailers and motorhomes by wheel position for almost 8 years while we full time traveled. Finding motorhomes 1,800 lbs different from right rear to left rear was not unusual, finding 800 lbs off on front wheels was not unusual. Finding 5th wheels with one side over 1,000lbs heavier than the other side was also not unusual. So when we talked to owners and heard of tire issues, many times they were where we found the heavy unbalance.

Your experience is pretty typical. I am still appalled that one of the forum dignitaries/experts would make such an outlandish statement. Talk to any experienced tire shop and you will find that weight issues is one of the main causes of early tire failures. The same is true for poor handling.

[ArtJoyce]

I have often thought about doing the tire by tire/dual weight. About every year I camp with a retired Goodyear tire design engineer. His line of tires in his career were Special Tires and Commercial. I know one time he was saying that campers normally one side was much heavier then the other side. Because of fridge, water tanks, oven slides, etc...

So if you took your axle weight weight and divided it by 2 to determine your load to psi and you set you psi to it. You could be over weight on one side for the PSI you set. After thinking about this, I started years ago setting my tires to the load to psi plus 10 psi to be safe. But it would be nice to set the tires correctly.

[Dutch Star Don]

Originally Posted by SKP Kirk

Your experience is pretty typical. I am still appalled that one of the forum dignitaries/experts would make such an outlandish statement. Talk to any experienced tire shop and you will find that weight issues is one of the main causes of early tire failures. The same is true for poor handling.

I think you're going a little overboard on your criticism of another member. I totally agree with him. I'm willing to bet that less than 2% - 3% of RV owners ever weigh their RV's, yet the 97% - 98% who don't are doing just fine. When you talk about the issue of overloading an RV, the guy that does that wasn't ever going to weigh his RV, because he didn't know to or care to. He'll abuse just about anything he owns.

I've been RVing for 45 years and have never done anything more than an axle weight. I take excellent care of my RV's and never been overloaded or even had a flat tire in all that time. A little common sense with the axle weight numbers will get you where you need to be.

[phays]

I'm one of those with one side significantly higher than the other. On my coach the driver's side rear is almost 3000 pounds heavier than the passenger side. The 4 corner weighing was done with empty waste tanks, almost full fuel and propane and full fresh water tank. Although the axel position is not over loaded I need to run 110 psi in my rear tires. Interesting that my front wheels are within 100 pounds of each other. There is no possible way for me to significantly change this imbalance by rearranging my storage.

So any statement that owners don't need to worry about 4 corner weighing certainly doesn't hold for me or any coach of my model and year.

[Winemaker2]

If using axle wts for tire pressure I would recommend using about 110% of the avg tire wt to figure tire pressure.

[hogdriver]

This thread has deteriorated from seeking someone with portable scales to the merits of weighing your RV. Not much help.

[twogypsies]

Originally Posted by hogdriver

This thread has deteriorated from seeking someone with portable scales to the merits of weighing your RV. Not much help.

Sorry.... that's how these forums go, unfortunately.

I did answer your direct question. Didn't they help? Did you ever find someone?

[chunker]

Originally Posted by twogypsies

Sorry.... that's how these forums go, unfortunately.

I did answer your direct question. Didn't they help? Did you ever find someone?

I did too and a CAT scales in the region he asked about. Those scales have never been busy when I was there and I have used them several times with different RVs. In the near future I'll take my new Omni and I will get whole vehicle and "half vehicle" weights.

[hogdriver]

Originally Posted by twogypsies

Sorry.... that's how these forums go, unfortunately.

I did answer your direct question. Didn't they help? Did you ever find someone?

Well. Considering the lack of responses able to help, I’m considering buying a couple scales and starting a sideline business. There’s a lot of disinformation out there.....

[wolfe10]

Originally Posted by phays

I'm one of those with one side significantly higher than the other. On my coach the driver's side rear is almost 3000 pounds heavier than the passenger side. The 4 corner weighing was done with empty waste tanks, almost full fuel and propane and full fresh water tank.

Pete,


Have you checked your RIDE HEIGHT against spec. Incorrect ride height is a prime cause of vastly different side to side weights. Yes, interior and tankage also play significant roles but are a lot harder to move.


Assuming you have two ride height valves on the back/drive axle, I would be tempted to run the "light side" 1/8" higher than spec and the "heavy side" 1/8" lower than spec.

[phays]

Brett, although off topic, my ride heights are correct. I've had them checked 3 times over the period I've owned this motorhome, twice by Josam and once by HWH after I had service done at each location. Unless Country Coach put out bad specifications the ride height is where it needs to be.

[twogypsies]

Originally Posted by hogdriver

Well. Considering the lack of responses able to help, I’m considering buying a couple scales and starting a sideline business. There’s a lot of disinformation out there.....

I agree!