Tongue Scale

[Colo_Native]

Is it worth spending the money($135) on a Tongue scale or is it a one and done thing?

[Lantley]

Having a tongue scale gives you the flexibility to weigh your tongue and shift cargo around as required without having to hitch up and drive to the cat scale.
It allows you to experiment with different loads, full tanks,empty tanks etc.
When you initially purchase/set up a rig the tongue scale is a very useful tool.

[SoundGuy]

SoundGuy wrote:
Maybe you don't but I do ... move cargo around, even relocated the spare tire until I got what I wanted ... and I know what that is because I have a Sherline that tells me. 🙂

Westcoasting wrote:
Two questions... first, do you find any difference to the towing end of things? Second how much weight do you actually move around ?

The "difficulty" I have is I never use campground dump stations but always service my tanks at home. That means that although I head out camping with an empty black water tank, on the way home it's anywhere from partially to completely full, so we're talking hundreds of pounds difference. The bathroom in our current trailer is at the far rear of the trailer, with the black water holding tank directly below, so that means considerably more weight aft of the axle on the return trip compared to the trip out, and yes the difference is noticeable. My previous K-Z Spree was even worse in that it had a rear wall entry door with substantial storage space ... my solution was to move the spare tire from the trailer bumper to the front pass through storage compartment AND store whatever heavy items I could in the front pass through and lighter items in the rear storage compartment. With our current trailer I also carry the spare in the front pass through and modified my A-frame setup so more weight is closer to the hitch compared to the stock setup. Nonetheless, I'm still running less gross tongue weight with my current trailer, ~ 13%, than I would prefer. With the Spree I found 14% worked pretty well for compensating between towing with an empty or full black water tank. Having the Sherline on hand has been the key to knowing what I'd dealing with, not just guessing.

[ken56]

Well here's the thing, if you are not going to use a weight distributing hitch then the Sherline is fine because it gives you raw tongue weight. If you do use a weight distributing hitch then you have to go to the local CAT scale and do the three weights, truck 2 axles, drive and steer, alone then trailer on the WD hitch but not with the distribution bars applied then with the bars applied. That gives you the tongue weight the truck sees. That will give you an idea also of how much weight is transferred to your front axle and by changing the links on your chain to shift weight to the front or back to the rear axle you can change the tongue weight the rear axle sees.

[Westcoasting]

SoundGuy wrote:
Maybe you don't but I do ... move cargo around, even relocated the spare tire until I got what I wanted ... and I know what that is because I have a Sherline that tells me. 🙂

Two questions... first, do you find any difference to the towing end of things? Second how much weight do you actually move around ?

[GrandpaKip]

I have been tempted many times to get one. I use my 4x4 setup on a bath scale at least twice a year on my camper and on my son’s. I also go to the CAT scale at least once a year.

[rbpru]

I will agree that if knowing your tongue weight gives you piece of mind then the scale is defiantly worth it.

As I mentioned the weight of the TT varies by the day. Water in water out, tanks full tanks empty, gas consumed, material moved from TT storage to back of truck etc. etc.

My tongue weight has varied between 8% and 14%, depending on the amount we load for each trip. It tows great and has since the day we towed it home.

Safe travels.

[ktmrfs]

Colo Native wrote:
Is it worth spending the money($135) on a Tongue scale or is it a one and done thing?

well, only you can say if it is worth it. If the $135 gives you piece of mind and knowledge of tongue weight and is worth it to you, ok.

I have one, have used it to weight my trailer tongue, and also to weigh several other trailer tongues to help people set up trailers.

If your tongue weight is under 800-1000 lbs using a bathroom scale will easily get you close enough. Over that weight, it becomes somewhat harder and more attention to detail and setup to get a repeatable measurement. But it saves you the $ if all you want is one measurement.

but the sherline scale is also not a instrument grade product. It measures hydraulic pressure and the design relies on the piston being perpendicular to the ball. side load on the piston will change the reading. So it takes some care to get a repeatable consistent reading.

and then you need the tongue to be at the same height as hooked up to get an accurate reading as well. moving the tongue up and down from actual towing position shifts the tongue weight around some as well. your lifting a teater totter.

[George3037]

I bought a 2000 lb digital crane scale a few years ago. I mainly use it in the garage and to weigh my tractor implements. I hang the scale from my tractor bucket and lift the implement off the ground to read the weight. I haven't weighed my TT tongue yet but will do so in the spring. Its supposed to be around 1030 lbs empty. I realize that not everyone has a tractor but a simple tripod with a come-a-long could be used with the scale to lift the tongue off the ground. They can be picked up online for usually under $100 and have many uses.

[Airstreamer67]

I use my Sherline at least once a year, and often several times.

My trailer is close to the max weight allowed by my hitch, so it's important to know what the tongue weight is when packing. My trailer has a fresh water tank in the rear, so it's easy to adjust tongue weight to get the needed 13% - 15% factor.

[Colo_Native]

The TT I am buying has a true tongue weight of 1700#(per owners) I if needed to I would move weight around. I know you can use the tape measure method keep the fender wells close to the same. But $135 doesn't seem to bad for piece of mind.

[SoundGuy]

rbpru wrote:
The question is what can you do about tongue weight?

I have little control over how the weight is distributed. If I am under my max cargo I am good to go.

Maybe you don't but I do ... move cargo around, even relocated the spare tire until I got what I wanted ... and I know what that is because I have a Sherline that tells me. 🙂

If I was really interest in my TT tongue weight, I would use a pair of bathroom scales and a 4x4.

Your choice, I've done it too, but a Sherline is easier and quicker. :B

[rbpru]

The question is what can you do about tongue weight?

I drive my rig to the scales, I weight all three axels. I come back and weigh the truck alone. I now know how much weight difference there is on each axle for that trip. I know the tongue weight my truck sees for that trip.

The true TT tongue weight is offset by the WD hitch, and how heavy the TT is loaded. That number varies buy a couple of hundred pounds during a trip or between a short trip and a month long journey.

My TT is designed so the food goes in the pantry, the pot and pans go in the kitchen cabinet, the fresh water tank is over the axels, and the camping stuff goes into the front storage. I have little control over how the weight is distributed. If I am under my max cargo I am good to go.

For reference my brochure says my TT's dry tongue weight is 406 lbs. the CAT scales show the loaded TT adds 750 lbs. to my truck.

If I was really interest in my TT tongue weight, I would use a pair of bathroom scales and a 4x4.

[beemerphile1]

I bought a Sherline used on eBay and use it occasionally. It isn't mandatory that you have one.

I like having one but if money is tight don't buy one yourself.

[hawkeye-08]

I bought a Sherline when we first started looking at used trailers. I knew that I had a limit on the payload I could have. We used it many times when shopping and now perhaps once per year.