How to determine weights

[Navy Jr.]

I'm still doing research before plunking down the bucks for a boat next year. Wow, what an experience. It seems that getting an answer to one question leads to another two or three.

Anyway, my question today is this: How do you measure the weight of your trailered rig? And how do you measure the weight bearing down on the tongue to be sure you're within manufacturer specs?

 

[BrianS.]

Re: How to determine weights

If you want a exact weight, take it to a public scale.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: How to determine weights

Tongue weight. what i do is that the bath room scale out to the trailer, place it on a box, milk crate, bucket. rest the center of the tongue in the center of the scale. public scale will give you total weight. NADA Boats will also give you the dry weight out the door of the factory, of boat and motor.

 

[Navy Jr.]

Re: How to determine weights

If you want a exact weight, take it to a public scale.

Sorry to be so ignorant of such things, but by "public scale" are you talking about the truck weigh stations we see every once in a while on the interstate, or something else?

The bathroom scale and bucket idea by TashasDaddy was great! Thanks!

 

[Silvertip]

Re: How to determine weights

Don't forget to add the weight of batteries, spare tire, fuel, gear, etc. You will be amazed at how quickly that weight adds up. The next thing to consider is what the tow rating is for your tow vehicle. If you are approaching the maximum rating, you might want to consider 1) a bigger vehicle or 2) lighter boat. Vehicle manufactures are in a "tow rating" battle these days. They would have you believe you can tow the Queen Mary with their vehicles. Have you ever seen published "stopping" or "lane change" figures for vehicles towing maximum loads????

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: How to determine weights

Sorry to be so ignorant of such things, but by "public scale" are you talking about the truck weigh stations we see every once in a while on the interstate, or something else?

The bathroom scale and bucket idea by TashasDaddy was great! Thanks!

Most Bathroom scales just go to 300# I think. All the ones I have ever had did. Maybe some new ones out that read more, don't know.
Take it to a truck stop if you have one nearby. Most larger ones have scales there you can use. Maybe $3 to weigh.
You can weigh the whole thing, pull up and drop trailer tongue on scale, just weigh whole boat, etc.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: How to determine weights

moving companies, look in phone book under public scale.

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: How to determine weights

Don't forget to add the weight of batteries, spare tire, fuel, gear, etc. You will be amazed at how quickly that weight adds up. The next thing to consider is what the tow rating is for your tow vehicle. If you are approaching the maximum rating, you might want to consider 1) a bigger vehicle or 2) lighter boat. Vehicle manufactures are in a "tow rating" battle these days. They would have you believe you can tow the Queen Mary with their vehicles. Have you ever seen published "stopping" or "lane change" figures for vehicles towing maximum loads????

I think my old Windstar would have towed the queen Mary !!!
With a load levelling hitch of course !!!! LOL LOL

Seriously though, Silvertip is absolutely correct. The fact that you can pull a certain amount of weight does not mean that it will perform well with it.

 

[thunderroad]

Re: How to determine weights

If you don't want to incur the wrath of a bunch of impatient truck drivers at a truck stop scale, search out a grain elevator. Drive up in your tow vehicle, carry in a 12 pack and ask them if you can weigh your vehicle. If they say yes, set the 12 pack down and ask if you can come back, pulling your boat, and weigh the two of them together. After weighing them together, pull the tow vehicle off the scale, leaving the trailer axle(s) still on the scale and check the reading again. You wrote down what the vehicle weighed by itself, right? With a little subtracting you can come up with boat weight, tongue weight and trailer axle weight pretty quickly. Trailer axle weight can be pretty important too. Say you buy a used boat on a single axle trailer....and someone has put car tires on it with a maximum load rating of 1100# each. Two tires, 1100# each.. = 2200# total capacity. If your trailer axle weight is much over this you could have problems during a long haul on a hot day.

Correctly matching up vehicles, loads, tires and capacities makes for much happiness on boating trips....not to mention safety for you, your family and everyone in your path.

 

[freddyray21]

Re: How to determine weights

quarries will also have scales. around here the landfills will have them as well. probably not charge you anything to weigh you.