How often do you weigh?

[crk112]

Just picked up new TT and am taking it to the local CAT scale this weekend for first weigh (I am familiar with the procedure 🙂 )

My question actually is how often do you weigh your rig? Once? Once per season? Each trip?

Since I'm weighing it loaded for camping I don't anticipate the weights changing much between trips but I'd like to know what the experts do. 🙂

Thanks in advance and safe travels!

-- ck

[Atlee]

Once, unless something significant happens. If I changed WDH systems, I'd probably weight again. If I were to add something significent in weight, I'd probably weight again.

[myredracer]

If you don't go to a scale, how are you going to know what the tongue weight is so that you can select the correct spring bar rating or if you are exceeding the TV payload capacity. Our factory dry TW is 540 lbs but the scale showed it was 950 lbs. Had pre-purchased a WDH and ended up having to buy heavier bars.

Another reason to go to a scale is that some TTs can have a low CCC compared to other makes/models of comparable length and you could end up exceeding the GVWR if just guessing weights. Overloading above the GVWR will void the warranty on the frame and could overload the tires (leading to a blowout). Doesn't help that some TT manufacturers install axles and tires with a low reserve load capacity.

I would say always weigh it in the very beginning and then maybe a few years later, esp. if you've done some mods & upgrades. I weighed our brand new TT on the way home from the dealer, after some mods & upgrades were done and then after it was fully loaded for camping and have some VERY useful info.

Weighing from side to side can help too since one side can weigh more due to a slide out(s) and what's in it and can overload tires on one side.

[Greyghost]

I've weighed my current coach twice. First weigh-in was with full tanks (fuel, water, propane) and all four corners. I did this to determine the correct tire pressure necessary for the weight of the coach. The second was after 2 seasons and things had been adjusted for full time camping. Nothing had really changed, consequently I probably will never weigh it again as our contents are fairly consistent season to season.

[ependydad]

4x4van wrote:
I find it funny to hear so many claim that they can accurately "guess" the weight of their belongings and their rig's overall weight. I would wager that most, if they were challenged to do so and then actually weighed their rig, would come up woefully short.

Agreed. And I know 2 or 3 friends who were WAY wrong when it came down to actually weighing.

[4x4van]

I suppose that it could be argued that weighing may not be as important on a trailer as it is on a motorhome since trailers will typically run the max tire pressure; that is not necessarily the case with a motorhome. 4-corner weighing (or at least front axle/rear axle) on a motorhome is important information to set tire pressures in order to provide the best overall ride, handling, tire wear, control, safety, etc. However, even on a trailer, it is important to verify you are not exceeding your trailer's GVWR and GAWR's or your tow vehicle's GCWR and GAWR. And tongue weight IS important to know; not in order to set up the WD hitch per se (that can usually be done by eye), but to verify trailer weight distribution and the added weight to the tow vehicle.

I find it funny to hear so many claim that they can accurately "guess" the weight of their belongings, their rig's overall weight, and their tongue weight. I would wager that most (if not all), if they were challenged to do so and then actually weighed their rig, would come up woefully short. And that doesn't even begin to address individual axle weights on the tow vehicle. Throw in a WD hitch, and any "guestimates" on your tow vehicle's overall and individual axle weights go right out the window.

When it is so easy and cheap to weigh your rig, and when the info gained can be so important, and when that info is impossible to accurately acquire any other way...I just have a hard time understanding the reluctance to do so, or the insistence that it is not important. Just my $.02

[Ralph_Cramden]

Never, and never have had a reason to. If you know a rough dry weight it's fairly easy to estimate your loaded weight and if you want to get more technical, some measurements, common sense, and math can get you a reasonably close number for tongue weight or anything else you want. As far as WDH's are concerned I have yet to see instructions for any brand or type that tells you to head on off to the scales in order to set it up. If it somehow makes you feel better I guess, weigh it.

[ependydad]

Before we full-timed, I would weigh about yearly and ended up mixing it up between first trip of the season, mid-season, and when "loaded for bear" before a longer trip. I liked seeing the averages and how things changed based on what was loaded. It helped me be mindful of what we added.

Now fulltiming, I strive to weigh about every 6 months or so. Basically it causes purging sessions each time. With a family of 4- we tend to keep too much ****.

[PawPaw_n_Gram]

Being full-timers, I've found that the trailer needs to go on a diet about twice a year. It seems to gain a couple hundred pounds or more in weight every five or six months.

So I tend to weigh twice or three times a year.

[afidel]

I weighed my setup when I got the new TV, I'll probably weigh it next Thursday as we're heading out for a 3 week trip and this will be the heaviest we'll probably ever have the trailer so I want to make sure we haven't eaten up too much of our small 500lb CCC.

[Old-Biscuit]

NOT Commercial so NO weight tickets, log books or stopping at weigh stations required.....you are just an RV'r going camping.

Enjoy!

[crk112]

Hello everyone and THANK YOU for your responses! I read them all! 🙂

To shed a little light.. I work at a trucking company so I'm used to the concept of scaling each trip. It sounds like in the case of TT that's not a legal requirement (and overkill). My fear was getting hassled by a cop for not having a scale ticket, or not having a scale ticket from that trip. Without a lot of modifications to the TT or TV, or a drastic change in our camping loadout I see that a single weigh "session" will be sufficient. (agree that knowledge is power.. I wouldn't feel right about not scaling at all)

Again thank you to everyone for your tips and advice, this was an overwhelming response. I'm a little new on here but I already see no shortage of friendly helpful folks. 🙂

Safe travels to all!

-- Curtis

[Grit_dog]

Stepped on the scale last week. Bit over 220. Not going to do that again for a while til I go on a diet!

Truck/camper? Never. Had enough experts here tell me how much it weighs. And it's pretty easy to figure based on the pressure required in the bags to push it back to unloaded ride ht.

To the OP, what makes you think it would change drastically from year to year?

[hotpepperkid]

Weighed mine once. I was loaded as heavy as I will ever be so don't think there is a reason to reweigh. I had 20 gal of extra water all kind of extra camping equipment, a cooler that holds 2 30 packs a bunch of soda and water and 100 lbs of ice, a generator and 5 gal of gas. Fire wood stuck in every place it would fit, 66 gal of diesel fuel me and my wife and it all came under the published weights for my truck and 5er

[Old-Biscuit]

Weighed it once a year for the 7 yrs we were FT.

Since then ..never as I know it is NOT loaded up same camping vs FT Travel