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Topic ClosedHave you weighed your 180?

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Colt View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Have you weighed your 180?
    Posted: 23 May 2020 at 3:58pm
What did ya get? I took mine at lunch to the transfer station. They didn't have axle scales, just a single scale. They also didn't want to fool with me unhooking to weigh the pod separately. But I got a trailer axle weight of 2680 lbs.Combined with the best info I can get for my SUV, the pod weighs 2975 pounds and has 176 lbs of my "stuff" in it. All believable. This is its ready to go weight. Was yours similar?
John
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 May 2020 at 4:57pm
This is with just your trailer on the scales, right? Then it's a good measurement. That's real weight on the axle. 

I do a 3 way weight when I go. Truck / Truck & Trailer / Trailer. Doesn't cost me and they have fun doing it and awaiting my math in the lot afterwards. I do love my small town! 


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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 May 2020 at 6:06pm
Yes, the trailer axle weight was with just the trailer axle on the scale and my rear wheels just off of the scale. I had hoses, filters, cords, electrical adapters, sheets, towels, rugs, kitchenware, pots, a little canned food, a long handled Dust buster and probably 6 gal in the water heater. Add clothes and food and go.

If accurate, its perfect!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 May 2020 at 5:52am
Our's weighs in at average 2,950 lb. axle weight loaded (but no water). If you are weighing the pod while connected don't forget to add tongue weight to calculate full GVW.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 May 2020 at 6:39am
The 2975 total seems low to me. If you got that by adding FR's tongue weight number than it is going to be low for sure. I think you need an actual tongue weight.

Here's how you can get it without having to disconnect the trailer back at the scales. Did you already get the whole rig weight when you were there? If not, go get that, then come home, drop the trailer, and go get the weight of the tow vehicle by itself. Then the trailer weight is 

total rig - tow vehicle alone and tongue weight is total rig - trailer axle - tow vehicle alone.

If they'll let you, and they should because it only takes a few seconds, try to also get each axle's weight by adding an axle at a time as you go through the scale. You can then later use subtraction to get each axle weight. That will give you more data and improve the accuracy, but you can do it as I describe above and that should be good enough. 

One more thing, if you have a WDH it needs to be in place but untensioned for the measurements. And leave it on the TV for that measurement.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 May 2020 at 5:23pm
Went and weighed the SUV.  So, my 180 weighs 3122 pounds and the tongue weight is 442 pounds, ready to go and with a full water heater (50 lbs).  So, it's about 100 pounds heavier than perfect. 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 May 2020 at 5:53pm
I think your weights sound  good.  14% tongue weight is safe for sway and allows you some ability to add load behind the trailer axle (including gray and black water) if you wind up having to haul some waste water for awhile before you can dump. The only way the 442 lbs becomes an issue is if it is pushing your SUV's hitch capacity, or if it starts to push your SUV if you want to fill your fresh water tank for a boondock trip. If you want to find out what that would add on your tongue without having to do yet another weighing, here's a simple calculation:

Water weights 8.3 lbs per gallon so 30 gallons of fresh water weighs 250 lbs. Since the FWT is forward of the trailer axle, some of the additional load will go to the hitch and some to the axle.  Measure the distance in inches from the trailer axle to the hitch and from the trailer axle to the midpoint of the FWT. The additional weight on the hitch will be 250 lbs times the distance from axle to tank divided by the distance from axle to hitch. The rest will go to the axle. If you only fill the tank half full then use 125 lbs rather than 250. Simple!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 May 2020 at 7:03pm
I weighed my trailer at a public scale where I was able to get the axle weight, the tongue weight, TV rear axle weight, my fat butt, and the whole dang thing combined.  Then I went home and compared the trailer axle weight and tongue weight using my Sherline scale.  Getting the tongue weight is what they're for, so that was easy.  I got the axle weight by jacking the trailer up on each side and gently lowering it down onto the Sherline.  The combined axle measurements were surprisingly close to what I got at the scale.  So, now if I'm going to be carrying a lot of different stuff than normal, I can get at least a ball park figure of what the trailer axle weight is as well as the tongue weight.  
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 May 2020 at 7:13pm
In fact I HAVE had to tow it with a full black tank.  I could feel it.  The level indicator was stuck and had no idea it was full.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 May 2020 at 7:23pm


Water weights 8.3 lbs per gallon so 30 gallons of fresh water weighs 250 lbs. Since the FWT is forward of the trailer axle, some of the additional load will go to the hitch and some to the axle.  Measure the distance in inches from the trailer axle to the hitch and from the trailer axle to the midpoint of the FWT. The additional weight on the hitch will be 250 lbs times the distance from axle to tank divided by the distance from axle to hitch. The rest will go to the axle. If you only fill the tank half full then use 125 lbs rather than 250. Simple!
[/QUOTE] OFFGRID

Would this work in reverse if figuring tongue weight on a 177 where the FWT is BEHIND the axle?  So one would subtract tongue weight using the above formula?

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