List of trailer real weights?

[Cory Lewis]

Hi

If we create a list of our trailers and their actual (rather than advertised or listed by manufacturer on spec sheets) weights, would it help list readers when they are shopping for trailers and considering their tow vehicles' capacities?

If so, maybe we should include:

1. Whether it was weighed empty or full of water and other things, including propane tanks and batteries.

2. Both actual weight and how that differs from manufacturer advertised or spedified weights.

3. Something like a statement that each post is anecdotal only and intended to show what reading the writer had when weighing their particular trailer, which may have been modified, and not necessarily an indication of the weight of any similar brand, model, and year trailer the reader is considering purchasing and that each reader must weigh, and is solely responsible for personally weighing, the particular trailer they are considering purchasing, prior to purchasing and as part of the purchase test pull, to confirm for themselves that their trailer's weight falls within the allowed towing capacity of their tow vehicle.

[Frederick L. Simson]

If we create a list of our trailers and their actual (rather than advertised or listed by manufacturer on spec sheets) weights, would it help list readers when they are shopping for trailers and considering their tow vehicles' capacities?

Have you seen these topics?
Link to 2008 Oregon Gathering Weigh-In
Link to 2009 Oregon Gathering Weigh-In

[Cory Lewis]

No. My search terms were incorrect for those pages. Thanks very much. Administrators, feel welcome to delete my thread. Although, perhaps for completeness, if someone owns something not on the other list, it may be helpful to add the ones not shown on that list.

[Frederick L. Simson]

My search terms were incorrect for those pages.
Administrators, feel welcome to delete my thread.

On the contrary, your thread may now help others find those links.

[Pam Garlow]

My 1985 (13 ft) Uhaul was weighed fully empty at local scales = 950lbs.
I don't know the tongue weight. Items that were NOT weighed w/camper (were removed before taking to scales): swamp cooler, rooftop solar panel, propane tank, furnace, battery. The water tank and all storage bins were also empty.

[Ron Stewart]

Another data point here.

[Raya]

Pam,

Interesting. At first I was thinking that sounded pretty light, since they claimed 1250# "empty." OTOH that propane "cartridge" must weigh 50# including the tank And I suppose for rental purposes, U-haul's "empty" weight would have included the water tanks (potable and swamp cooler) being full, plus the propane tank being full too.

So upon reflection, I could see all that, plus the battery, swamp cooler, and solar panel adding up to 300# and making the "empty but ready to put your personal gear into and go camping" weight of 1250#

(That was weighed with the trailer off the vehicle hitch, right?)

Raya

[Frederick L. Simson]

Link to 2009 Lake Casitas Rally Weigh-in

[Pam Garlow]

Sorry, have not been looking lately at this discussion. Raya, I weighed my trailer hitched up to my car, at a gravel pit scale near my house. Should I have added hitch weight to offset the fact that I was still tied to the car?

[Raya]

Hi Pam,

Thanks for getting back with the information.

Yes, if you weighed the trailer hitched to your car, you are probably missing around 150# (could be more or less, depending on your tongue weight percentage). Actually, thinking of the big, honking propane tank bracket on the U-haul, maybe it's a bit more for tongue weight.

That explains your super lightweight U-haul, I think!

Raya

PS: Usually you would either unhitch the trailer while it is on the scale, and weigh just the trailer; or you would weigh them both together, pull off to the side somewhere, unhitch, and then drive back on and weigh your tow vehicle alone, then subtract that from the total.

[Parker Buckley]

We finally made the move and bought a 2005 16' Casita SD and towed it home from Huntsville AL this past weekend with our Subaru Outback 3.0 (after upgrading to a Class III hitch).

Knowing that weights and loading arrangement will be tight with our Subaru (3,000# max), I took off for the scales first thing when we got home.

The total weight is 2420 pounds, with a 200 pound tongue weight.

Trailer was totally empty of all the usual carry-on stuff.
Fresh water, gray, and black tanks empty.
Six gallons in the water heater, since this is not readily emptied between trips.
I removed both propane tanks for the weighing. I will probably just re-install one.
We have the factory-installed AC unit, but do not have a furnace (yet).

I know there is another thread on trailer weights here, so maybe I'll post this there as well.

By the way, it towed easily from Huntsville back to Ohio. No major hills, but it did great on what we encountered. We did not have the sway bar connected and did notice a little hunting back and forth at times. I wiggled the car once just to see what would happen and got a pretty good sway, which damped out right away. With a little care and common sense, I think this is going to be a good setup. Our garage door is being expanded to an eight-foot high opening as I write this.....

Parker