CAT Scale weights

[ET156]

Originally Posted by mhs4771

This is for those that only look at Brochure weights when picking their TV.
My '16 39MB has a brochure weight of 13996, weight leaving the Factory was 15848, which is without any propane or Satellite Dish. Add those in and your're at 16000 easy, 2000 over the published brochure number. Plus the pin is just over a 1000 Lbs more than brochure.

my 39mb had a weight decal on the door. dry weight was 14,630 lbs. pin weight of 2,372 lbs.

[shrode]

Ed - Do you know the measured weight vs the posted weight?

Originally Posted by ET156

my 39mb had a weight decal on the door. dry weight was 14,630 lbs. pin weight of 2,372 lbs.

[Geo9350]

I noticed you say what your axles of your truck weights are disconnected and then what it was with the RV hooked up. I went online and looked up Cat Scales and looked at instructions for weighting a 5th wheel and they say you pull on the scale with the front axle on scale 1, rear truck wheels on scale 2 and 5th wheel axle on scale 3 and they are able to determine all three weights. Did you weight your truck disconnected first then hook up and weight again with the RV? The sticker on the door tells me the GAWR's and I looked up the curb weight info and have that, is it really necessary to know what the exact axle weight was before hooking up the RV?

[Rick and Mindy]

Originally Posted by Geo9350

I noticed you say what your axles of your truck weights are disconnected and then what it was with the RV hooked up. I went online and looked up Cat Scales and looked at instructions for weighting a 5th wheel and they say you pull on the scale with the front axle on scale 1, rear truck wheels on scale 2 and 5th wheel axle on scale 3 and they are able to determine all three weights. Did you weight your truck disconnected first then hook up and weight again with the RV? The sticker on the door tells me the GAWR's and I looked up the curb weight info and have that, is it really necessary to know what the exact axle weight was before hooking up the RV?

By knowing the axle weight before and after fifth wheel hitched will tell you what your pin weight is. Just subtract the original rear axle weight unhitched from the rear axle weight hitched and that will be your pin weight. When I weighed, I made sure my truck was full of fuel and my wife and I both in the truck. That gave me a true picture of what my weight is going down the highway. Also to get the true pin weight you should have your fifth wheel loaded with all your items you travel with.

[johnboytoo]

Makes you wonder how the mfg can miss the true weights so much !
Before I put the first thing in our 38gk, I weighed it to make sure we were ok with just a 350.... surprise !

[shrode]

John - How did your measured empty weights compare with the weights posted on the trailer?

Originally Posted by johnboytoo

Makes you wonder how the mfg can miss the true weights so much !
Before I put the first thing in our 38gk, I weighed it to make sure we were ok with just a 350.... surprise !

[mhs4771]

TV curb weights are almost as bad as RV brochure weights. Mine has a Curb of 7600, ready to tow it's 9100. So that difference really cuts into your ability to carry pin weight. That's part of the reason 250/2500 Series TV get into trouble.
Even as heavy as we are, we're still within the spec's, although just barely, so next TV will be a 450/4500 or 550/5500 with a Hauler Bed.

[johnboytoo]

Danny,
at a cat scale... just like everyone else...
weighed my truck unhooked, then weighed them together before I added a thing of mine to get the difference.

Now, I do define empty weight as 'as delivered' - maybe the mfg's define it differently

[Pete385]

Weigh both front and rear axles of TV and use those in calculation for pin weight. A properly located hitch should add a few pounds to front axle as well.

[RV4us2]

Originally Posted by shrode

John - How did your measured empty weights compare with the weights posted on the trailer?

The hand-written weight posted on the trailer (normally by front door) is what the trailer weighs post production with all options installed. I believe it does not include any liquids or propane.

[johnboytoo]

IIRC, that's my definition ...
but I recall ours was only delivered with one small battery and the dealer put in three... then added propane ?

Other than the delivery driver living in it and using the bathroom from up north to Texas that should be it...

[shrode]

John - Sorry, I guess my question wasn't clear. I understand how you measured your weights. I am interested in your measured (as delivered) weights versus the posted weights that came with the trailer.

Like everyone else, I'm trying to select a rig that's appropriate for my truck. I appreciate that the published brochure weights are sloppy averages at best. I'm trying to understand if the posted weights on each unit really mean anything....or is it all just a big crap shoot until you lay down the cash, make a measurement, and determine whether you have a problem or not. I really prefer to do things by design, not by chance.

Thanks,
Danny

Originally Posted by johnboytoo

Danny,
at a cat scale... just like everyone else...
weighed my truck unhooked, then weighed them together before I added a thing of mine to get the difference.

Now, I do define empty weight as 'as delivered' - maybe the mfg's define it differently

[Shane Wood]

Danny
If you take the suggested weight they say and add about 2500lbs to it you will be in the ball park. Enough to know what TV you will need for any given trailer. This will include all the gear you load in it

[shrode]

Shane - Thanks for the input. That's actually the value I am using as an estimate for cargo etc. I am also adding a couple of percent to the pin-to-weight ratio for the forward basement etc. weight distribution. This is a very expensive endeavor, and I'd like to get it right the first time instead of the second. I already have the TV and need to stay within my limits.

Originally Posted by Shane Wood

Danny
If you take the suggested weight they say and add about 2500lbs to it you will be in the ball park. Enough to know what TV you will need for any given trailer. This will include all the gear you load in it

[Geo9350]

Ok, so you pull into the Travel Center and disconnect the RV, drive over the Cat Scale and push the button to talk to the guy inside and tell him you are weighing the truck first and then you will hook back up to the RV and pull thru a second time. Do they charge you for two times or do they both count as one weighing? Is that how you did it?

[mhs4771]

Typical CAT charge is approx 10 bucks, with a 2 buck re-weigh, so total of 12 bucks.

[mhs4771]

Danny, really about the best to use in determining weights is to use the gross, because if you look at some of the CAT weights posted in this thread you'll see that they are actually exceeding their gross by a small percentage. Our '12 36RL had a gross of 16.5K and CAT weight was just over 17K with a pin of 3.9K.
With a SRW TV you will have to be extremly careful what you pack if you decide on anything much bigger than the 31SL.

[Rick and Mindy]

Originally Posted by Geo9350

Ok, so you pull into the Travel Center and disconnect the RV, drive over the Cat Scale and push the button to talk to the guy inside and tell him you are weighing the truck first and then you will hook back up to the RV and pull thru a second time. Do they charge you for two times or do they both count as one weighing? Is that how you did it?

Here's how I did it. Pulled in to the travel center near my home without the fifth wheel and drove over the scale, pushed the button and told them I wanted to weigh my truck. Truck was full of fuel, hitch in the back and my wife and I in the truck. Went inside, paid and got my weights. I was told if I came back the same day with my fifth wheel I could re-weigh and then get the weights for both. I did just that since I don't live far away from the travel center. You could do it the way you suggest.

[johnboytoo]

Originally Posted by shrode

John - Sorry, I guess my question wasn't clear. I understand how you measured your weights. I am interested in your measured (as delivered) weights versus the posted weights that came with the trailer.

Like everyone else, I'm trying to select a rig that's appropriate for my truck. I appreciate that the published brochure weights are sloppy averages at best. I'm trying to understand if the posted weights on each unit really mean anything....or is it all just a big crap shoot until you lay down the cash, make a measurement, and determine whether you have a problem or not. I really prefer to do things by design, not by chance.

Thanks,
Danny

Gotcha....
I was one of those rebels that already had the truck and wanted it to work, so the wife called me the weight police Never put anything int he front generator compartment other than a light rug.

bed held(and still have 4 sale) an auto slider rated @ 20k?

had heavy duty upgrades and bags to help
double click on the pic of my spreadsheet where I saved it all... the numbers (now) don't seem to add up, but the scaled weights are there to see...

I will say I was right at the limit even with a brand new, very stout truck with upgraded adjustable shocks/bags/sway bars....

the trailer gvwr was 16600
the 'certified' sticker said 13772 (first picture)

Second picture is the fees for registering at a higher rate (lady at dmv had a 5er and understood what she could do )

last picture is what she registered it at !

hope this helps

[ET156]

Originally Posted by Geo9350

I noticed you say what your axles of your truck weights are disconnected and then what it was with the RV hooked up. I went online and looked up Cat Scales and looked at instructions for weighting a 5th wheel and they say you pull on the scale with the front axle on scale 1, rear truck wheels on scale 2 and 5th wheel axle on scale 3 and they are able to determine all three weights. Did you weight your truck disconnected first then hook up and weight again with the RV? The sticker on the door tells me the GAWR's and I looked up the curb weight info and have that, is it really necessary to know what the exact axle weight was before hooking up the RV?

GEO, maybe I can give you some help. I take my big truck and my new commercial trails to the cat scale. I pull my trailer on to the scale, landing gear on pad #2 and tires on pad # 3 that is the first weight. Then I back the truck under the trailer and hock back up then I get a reweigh so that I know what my truck weight is. most cat scales are within 4lbs. You can also pull your rig on the scale and split the axles over pads 2 & 3 for separate axle weights.