Where to weigh in Vancouver, BC

[WildBirder]

Hello all,

I am wondering if anyone has experience getting there trailer weighed in Vancouver, BC. The government website for weigh stations is lacking and state "random hours" and has a a phone number that is "not in service". Today I checked out the scale on highway 99 just north of the George Massey tunnel. No luck. It's "closed" and the scale is turned off. I tried it.

I've heard to use transfer stations, landscaping yards or that the public scales can be used by anyone. I don't want to line up with the big rigs just be turned away. I also don't have the time to drive around looking for scales that are operable after hours.

Any real experience or knowledge would be appreciated.

Cheers,

[greenghost45]

There is a free weigh scale open 24/7 near the Pacific Crossing border, in Surrey. This is an unmanned scale that trucks use as they head south to the border. It is at the sw corner of 176 St and 8th ave. I have used it many times to weigh my trucks and trailers. Most scales in BC can be used when closed with no problem.

[WildBirder]

Fantastic! Thank you.


Sent from my iPhone using Fiberglass RV

[Jeff T H]

On the way to hope. The guy in the shack was really good about it and gave me the print out. Ask the guy before you drive on the scale. Just to be nice.

[greenghost45]

Just a cautionary note that if you drive into a manned scale, you should be prepared for the possibility of a complete inspection of your unit for compliance. This could mean checking the brakes and brake-away unit, tow weight permitted, etc. etc. Weighmasters in BC are peace officers and can ticket you for any non-compliance under the motor vehicle act. Most of the weighmasters are nice people and are mostly concerned about enforcing commercial vehicle safety. But that does not mean they all exercise discretion and are always reasonable. I was once towing a gooseneck trailer that I just had passed a provincial safety inspection (for which I had a receipt) with about $500 of work. The weighmasters had set up a random check roadblock just south of Prince George, BC. The break-away worked, until my vehicle was disconnected, then it didn't. The shop doing the inspection failed to note the break-away battery was bad. The weighmaster had no sympathy; $130 fine and the trailer was impounded on the spot. I drove about 30 km to Prince George, bought some wire from Crappy tire, and returned. I wired the breakaway to the winch battery on the trailer and continued my trip, albeit poorer.....

The weigh master insisted I should have checked the breakaway each day! Who the heck does that? The typical cheap spring breakaway would be worn out soon if I did that. I have since had other more positive encounters with weighmasters, but just bear this in mind before heading across a scale.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by greenghost45

Just a cautionary note that if you drive into a manned scale, you should be prepared for the possibility of a complete inspection of your unit for compliance. This could mean checking the brakes and brake-away unit, tow weight permitted, etc. etc. Weighmasters in BC are peace officers and can ticket you for any non-compliance under the motor vehicle act. Most of the weighmasters are nice people and are mostly concerned about enforcing commercial vehicle safety. But that does not mean they all exercise discretion and are always reasonable.

Also note they may check your GVW as well. They actually set special road blocks in the summer in various spots in BC to do that... they are manly targeting those with pickup camper units and pulling a boat. But small tugs loaded up with wife, kids & the family dog pulling a small trailer are of interest to them as well.

[Wayne Collins]

you may want to look for a rural grain elevator, or Feed store. A smaller scale will give you more accurate weights than a large platform made for full length semis.
Talk to the man first, and tell him you want to weigh the total and each axle separately. Ideally you want the weight of the trailer all by itself too. Then you can calculate weight distribution on the TV, and figure the hitch weight.
CAUTIONS: the approach ramps both on and off the scale should be level with the scale platform. When weighing the axles with some on and some off the scale; roll straight ahead or back do not turn the steering wheel, put your car in neutral, and stay off the brakes, let it roll a few inches to stop. Otherwise you can throw the scale off by forcing the platform sideways.
Be sure you are fully loaded, and all passengers on board with the driver.
NOW, that you know the actual gross axle loads, divide by two for the load on each tire, and adjust air pressures to the minimum allowable for those tires. Your rig will ride smoother, less bounce. Just check tire temperatures after 50 miles or so of highway speeds. If they are too hot to hold your hand on, add some air to reduce sidewall flexing. Happy Trailering!

Originally Posted by WildBirder

Hello all,

I am wondering if anyone has experience getting there trailer weighed in Vancouver, BC. The government website for weigh stations is lacking and state "random hours" and has a a phone number that is "not in service". Today I checked out the scale on highway 99 just north of the George Massey tunnel. No luck. It's "closed" and the scale is turned off. I tried it.

I've heard to use transfer stations, landscaping yards or that the public scales can be used by anyone. I don't want to line up with the big rigs just be turned away. I also don't have the time to drive around looking for scales that are operable after hours.

Any real experience or knowledge would be appreciated.

Cheers,

[WildBirder]

Thank you to everyone for there input. Greatly appreciated and major time saver for me.

I managed to weigh my trailer at the station on 176th st. and 8th ave. It was a weekday mid-afternoon. I was able to pull right up but was soon followed by a big rig. No time to unhook. I circled the block a few times. Weighed each axle separately and in pairs (front and back then back and trailer). The single axles added together and the pair weights matched bang on. The scale was in use consistently. I ended weighing my tongue with the bathroom scale at home.

Trailer dry axle weight= 440 kg /970 lbs
Tongue weight= 48 kg /106 lbs

Total= 488 kg /1076 lbs

1969 flat top Boler. No furnace. No Battery. Water tank empty. No propane tank at time of weight.

I like to have the bare bones weight. I can then calculate the weight of a loaded trailer as I pack. I think is a great method. As you ad things over the years and the weight creeps up on you. In my back packing days you new the weight of every piece of equipment. You can then manage the weight and distribute it evenly.

[greenghost45]

Originally Posted by WildBirder

Thank you to everyone for there input. Greatly appreciated and major time saver for me.

I managed to weigh my trailer at the station on 176th st. and 8th ave. It was a weekday mid-afternoon. I was able to pull right up but was soon followed by a big rig. No time to unhook. I circled the block a few times. Weighed each axle separately and in pairs (front and back then back and trailer). The single axles added together and the pair weights matched bang on. The scale was in use consistently. I ended weighing my tongue with the bathroom scale at home.

Trailer dry axle weight= 440 kg /970 lbs
Tongue weight= 48 kg /106 lbs

Total= 488 kg /1076 lbs

1969 flat top Boler. No furnace. No Battery. Water tank empty. No propane tank at time of weight.

I like to have the bare bones weight. I can then calculate the weight of a loaded trailer as I pack. I think is a great method. As you ad things over the years and the weight creeps up on you. In my back packing days you new the weight of every piece of equipment. You can then manage the weight and distribute it evenly.

Good to know the real world weight of a Boler. I have heard many claims of weights well under 1,000 lbs (which I never believed!) and this refutes that malarkey!

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by greenghost45

Good to know the real world weight of a Boler. I have heard many claims of weights well under 1,000 lbs (which I never believed!) and this refutes that malarkey!

Good for you Mark for weighing it! Would suggest once you do put everything back into it weigh it again at the scales.... or weigh each item before you stick it in the trailer .... a few of us have been a little taken back as to what all those light weight items we thought we had in the trailer actually weighed.

I know a party who was lambasting a trailer manufacture because they believed the "As it left the factory Weight" the manufacture had given them was way to low because their tug was having a hard time pulling the trailer on big hills & they had put the trailer on the scales loaded and it weighed WAY more than it should of based on all the light weight stuff he had put into it weighed. No way his stuffed weighed anything near the difference between the loaded weight and the as it left the factory weight..... a few camping trips later they told us they took EVERYTHING they had put into the trailer out and went and weighed the trailer again .... lets just say there was a little humble pie handed out around the campfire the next time we all got together. Seems those light weight pots and pans where not as light as he thought they were