Trailer Weighing at The Oregon Gathering

[Frederick L. Simson]

[b]Here are the workshops & demos that are scheduled for the Oregon Gathering:

[b]Extras:

[b]"Trailer Weighing" by Frederick S.
Thursday afternoon (only), stop by to weigh your trailer before going to your campsite.

Last Year's Weigh-In went very smoothly. I would like to do it the same way:

1. When you arrive, do NOT turn right into the Campground
2. Instead, Proceed ahead to the Beach Restroom Lot
3. Weigh your Trailer's Axles while hitched (but with any WDH bars removed)
4. Now go back, check in, and proceed to your campsite
5. Unhitch and get level. DO NOT deploy stabilizer jacks (but DO chock your wheels)
6. I will come to your site and weigh your Trailer's Tongue
7. After I'm done, you can set up your campsite

This worked so well because Eric B. and Robert Z. helped with the weighing at the beach while I drove from campsite to campsite weighing tongues.

Eric, will you be available to help this year?
Would anyone else like to help? It's easy!

If anyone would like to weigh your Tow Vehicle, or compare with WDH to without WDH, or see how bicycles on the back affect hitch weight, just ask!

[Nancy in Oregon]

I want to get my trailer weighed but we are coming in the weekend before the Gathering and lazybutt me is not willing to break everything down and haul it over there on Thursday. :P

Nancy

[Frederick L. Simson]

I want to get my trailer weighed...

One option is that I can weigh [b]at your site, both axles and hitch. While you still have to hitch up to the truck and raise the stabilizer jacks, you won't be moving more than a foot in order to pull the wheels up onto the scales. You can keep the electric, water, and sewer connected. You could even keep the awning deployed as long as the legs are not on the ground. I could do it this way for any [b]early bird who is already set up, at a time other than Thursday afternoon.

[Nancy in Oregon]

Great! I would love to weigh it, if there is a way to do it on Friday after Michael arrives (or Saturday or Sunday). I don't feel comfortable hitching up everything myself. If that's an issue then no problem. Thanks for the offer!

If you send me the time slots that you need a helper or two, I will put it on my request sheet for help that will go out in a week or so.

Nan

[ERIC B.]

Eric, will you be available to help this year?

[b]Yes I can!

[Frederick L. Simson]

We weighed 19 trailers at the 2010 Oregon Gathering. The results in pounds are:

#1
2010 ESCAPE 13
Trailer axle 1: LEFT = 960 RIGHT = 820
TRAILER’S TOTAL AXLE WEIGHT = 1780
TRAILER HITCH WEIGHT = 240
TOTAL TRAILER WEIGHT = 2020

#2
2010 ESCAPE 5.0
Trailer axle 1: LEFT = 1620 RIGHT = 1600
TRAILER’S TOTAL AXLE WEIGHT = 3220
TRAILER HITCH WEIGHT = 680
TOTAL TRAILER WEIGHT = 3900

#3
1992 SCAMP 5TH
Trailer axle 1: LEFT = 1380 RIGHT = 1340
TRAILER’S TOTAL AXLE WEIGHT = 2720
TRAILER HITCH WEIGHT = 700
TOTAL TRAILER WEIGHT = 3420

#4
2008 ESCAPE 17B*
Trailer axle 1: LEFT = 1360 RIGHT = 1140
TRAILER’S TOTAL AXLE WEIGHT = 2500
TRAILER HITCH WEIGHT = 340
TOTAL TRAILER WEIGHT = 2840

#5
2009 ESCAPE 17B
Trailer axle 1: LEFT = 1320 RIGHT = 1240
TRAILER’S TOTAL AXLE WEIGHT = 2560
TRAILER HITCH WEIGHT = 380
TOTAL TRAILER WEIGHT = 2940

(* = This is a repeat customer. I weighed this trailer in 2008 AND 2009)

[Frederick L. Simson]

#6
1987 BIGFOOT 5W-20
Trailer axle 1: LEFT = 1920 RIGHT = 1860
TRAILER’S TOTAL AXLE WEIGHT = 3780
TRAILER HITCH WEIGHT = 1000 (W/O BIKE RACK ON BACK)
TOTAL TRAILER WEIGHT = 4780

#7
2010 ESCAPE 19
Trailer axle 1: LEFT = 1340 RIGHT = 1180
Trailer axle 2: LEFT = 500 RIGHT = 420
TRAILER’S TOTAL AXLE WEIGHT = 3440
TRAILER HITCH WEIGHT = 360 (320 W/2 BIKES ON BACK)
TOTAL TRAILER WEIGHT = 3800

#8
2009 ESCAPE 17B
Trailer axle 1 : LEFT = 1640 RIGHT = 1380
TRAILER’S TOTAL AXLE WEIGHT = 3020
TRAILER HITCH WEIGHT = 320
TOTAL TRAILER WEIGHT = 3340

#9
1972 COMPACT JR*
Trailer axle 1: LEFT = 760 RIGHT = 720
TRAILER’S TOTAL AXLE WEIGHT = 1480
TRAILER HITCH WEIGHT = 120
TOTAL TRAILER WEIGHT = 1600

#10
2005 CASITA SD-17
Trailer axle 1: LEFT = 1340 RIGHT = 1400
TRAILER’S TOTAL AXLE WEIGHT = 2740
TRAILER HITCH WEIGHT = 380
TOTAL TRAILER WEIGHT = 3120

(* = This is a repeat customer. I weighed this trailer in 2009)

[Frederick L. Simson]

#11
2005 CASITA LIBERTY-17 WDH Spring Bars removed
Trailer axle 1: LEFT = 1400 RIGHT = 1440
TRAILER’S TOTAL AXLE WEIGHT = 2840
TRAILER HITCH WEIGHT = 460
TOTAL TRAILER WEIGHT = 3300

2005 CASITA LIBERTY-17 WDH Spring Bars INSTALLED*
Trailer axle 1 : LEFT = 1500* RIGHT = 1500*
TRAILER’S TOTAL AXLE WEIGHT = 3000*
TRAILER HITCH WEIGHT = I cannot provide a hitch weight while WDH is connected.
TOTAL TRAILER WEIGHT = This number would be meaningless.

[Frederick L. Simson]

#12
1983 FIBER STREAM
Trailer axle 1: LEFT = 880 RIGHT = 740
Trailer axle 2: LEFT = 480 RIGHT = 460
TRAILER’S TOTAL AXLE WEIGHT = 2560
TRAILER HITCH WEIGHT = 180
TOTAL TRAILER WEIGHT = 2740

#13
2009 ESCAPE 19
Trailer axle 1: LEFT = 1180 RIGHT = 1080
TRAILER’S TOTAL AXLE WEIGHT = 3620
TRAILER HITCH WEIGHT = 240
TOTAL TRAILER WEIGHT = 3860

#14
2010 ESCAPE 19
Trailer axle 1: LEFT = 1140 RIGHT = 980
Trailer axle 2: LEFT = 960 RIGHT = 660
TRAILER’S TOTAL AXLE WEIGHT = 3740
TRAILER HITCH WEIGHT = 240
TOTAL TRAILER WEIGHT = 3980

#15
1992 SCAMP 16 STD, Side Bath
Trailer axle 1: LEFT = 1200 RIGHT = 1080
TRAILER’S TOTAL AXLE WEIGHT = 2280
TRAILER HITCH WEIGHT = 240
TOTAL TRAILER WEIGHT = 2520

[Frederick L. Simson]

#16
1985 CUSTOM-LITE 5W
Trailer axle 1: LEFT = 700 RIGHT = 560
Trailer axle 2: LEFT = 840 RIGHT = 720
TRAILER’S TOTAL AXLE WEIGHT = 2820
TRAILER HITCH WEIGHT = 520
TOTAL TRAILER WEIGHT = 3340

[Frederick L. Simson]

#17
2010 CASITA Spirit Deluxe 17
Trailer axle 1: LEFT = 1280 RIGHT = 1380
TRAILER’S TOTAL AXLE WEIGHT = 2660
TRAILER HITCH WEIGHT = 380
TOTAL TRAILER WEIGHT = 3040

#18
1998 SCAMP 5TH
Trailer axle 1: LEFT = 1140 RIGHT = 1280
TRAILER’S TOTAL AXLE WEIGHT = 2420
TRAILER HITCH WEIGHT = 480
TOTAL TRAILER WEIGHT = 2900

#19
2009 ESCAPE 19
Trailer axle 1: LEFT = 980 RIGHT = 740
Trailer axle 2: LEFT = 600 RIGHT = 600
TRAILER’S TOTAL AXLE WEIGHT = 2920
TRAILER HITCH WEIGHT = 220
TOTAL TRAILER WEIGHT = 3140

[Lizbeth]

Thank you for doing this Fred, you provide a great service to us.

I especially like #6, now I know our 5th isn't fat!

[Gina D.]

It looks like a 19ft Escape is within my towing capabilities!

Now, If Reace would just give me one

[Dave and Kathie]

Wow, thanks Fredrick. We were wondering what the 19 ft Escapes would look like on paper. They were very nice inside. We are surprised at how light the tongue weights are though. Shouldn't the tongue weight be 10 - 15 % of the total trailer weight?

Thanks,
Kathie (and Dave)

[Frederick L. Simson]

We are surprised at how light the tongue weights are though. Shouldn't the tongue weight be 10 - 15 % of the total trailer weight?

That's what I thought, too... but it seems to be similar to my Fiber Stream which only has 7% on the tongue.
#7 has an extra cargo box on the tongue with 2 six-volt Golf Cart batteries to bring the weight up.

[Carol Christensen]

Thank you, Frederick. I think everyone should take advantage of the service you provide. I know I find it very interesting. Now I know where the weight goes when the WDH is in use.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Dave&Kathie

Wow, thanks Fredrick. We were wondering what the 19 ft Escapes would look like on paper. They were very nice inside. We are surprised at how light the tongue weights are though. Shouldn't the tongue weight be 10 - 15 % of the total trailer weight?

Thanks,
Kathie (and Dave)

Kathie I know on at least one of those 19' Escapes that came in with the low tongue weight of 240 ish that they had 2 fairly heavy bikes on the back which would have been a large part of why the tonque weight was so low.

[Laura & Rick]

Allow me to clarify. Tongue weight, with the bikes on the rear of the trailer, was 320 pounds. Tongue weight without the bikes (but with Thule rack) was 360 pounds. One bike is 30.8 pounds and the other is 35.6 pounds. The Thule rack is 23.1 pounds. Grand total 89.5 on the rear, yet the difference in tongue weight was 40 pounds. This 40 pounds difference was exactly the same on a 17' Casita SD

With or without the bikes, the Escape tows very well. And the 19' Escape is very, very, very nice!!

[Carol H]

I don't think yours was one of the ones Katie was questioning -sounds like yours came in with a weight more in line with what one might expect but a couple of others came in at 240 lbs on the tongue. Perhaps there bikes were heavier? LOL or it was that and they had a few other things stowed inside to the rear.

[LindaK]

Here is a great link that was given on another site; it helps to determine actual towing capacities of your tow vehicle: Travel Trailer Weight Calculator
I think lots of folks tend to tow more than they really should and it can be dangerous as well as hard on the tow vehicle. The site at this link (above) has lots of great info throughout.
Linda