How to weigh my tow setup?

[Brockandahardplace]

Am I allowed to use the commercial roadside scales? Or does anyone have any recommendations on how to weigh their boat/trailer setup? I want to upgrade our tow vehicle, but would like to know what I need for towing capacity first, as I’ve added a ton of extra things to the boat since purchase.

 

[chille51]

Where are you located? DBL Disposal in Nanaimo will give you a weigh fir a moderate fee. I believe the municipal landfill will as well. Call your local dump and see what they say.

 

[tinboatrobb]

Most roadside weigh stations have scales on all the time. If it is closed you can drive through and use the scale.

 

[pescador]

I used to go to any highway commercial check weight scale. Go during off hours there’s normally no one there and the scales are always on. Remember to weigh your rear vehicle axle then boat axles to get the true weight overall.

 

[Sir Reel]

Here’s how you can measure your tongue weight with a bathroom scale.

 

[Eden Island]

I used to go to any highway commercial check weight scale. Go during off hours there’s normally no one there and the scales are always on. Remember to weigh your rear vehicle axle then boat axles to get the true weight overall.

Or unhook your trailer on the scales so just the boat and trailer are being weighed.

 

[Max123]

Or unhook your trailer on the scales so just the boat and trailer are being weighed.

I believe the highway scales weight one axle at a time. You would need to weigh the rear trailer axle, backup, then unhitch with the trailer jack on the scale.

 

[Eden Island]

I believe the highway scales weight one axle at a time. You would need to weigh the rear trailer axle, backup, then unhitch with the trailer jack on the scale.

The one at Elk Lake has a pad large enough for my trailer axles and jack to be on it at the same time. Others may not.

 

[CiscoCat]

Definitely good piece of mind to get that done. Contact highliner trailer in Tilbury. They helped get mine weighed and then adjusted the boat on the trailer for proper tongue weight distribution. Turns out Im around 13000lbs with 1/2 fuel. My tongue weight was way off. I only had 230lbs and needed 1300lbs. After the adjustment it Tows so much nicer now.

 

[Coyote Spooner]

I’ve used the commercial scales, after hours.

 

[turbomack]

Or unhook your trailer on the scales so just the boat and trailer are being weighed.

is a combination of increase in the tow vehicles rear axle weight and the trailer axles to get the actual weight

 

[RELIC]

The one at Elk Lake has a pad large enough for my trailer axles and jack to be on it at the same time. Others may not.

Most of the commercial scales I have used on Vancouver Island have been large enough to weigh my trailer off the truck. It is also nice to see how much weight is added to the rear axle of your truck with the loaded boat and trailer attached as I know of some 1/2 ton trucks towing larger boats have exceeded the rear axle capacity of their truck.

 

[Squire]

is a combination of increase in the tow vehicles rear axle weight and the trailer axles to get the actual weight

That’s a generalization that’s mostly satisfactory to determine safe tongue weight but there are some lever forces involved as well.
Because the hitch is a few feet back from the rear axle, the rear axle acts as a fulcrum and the tongue weight lifts the front axle a bit as well.

A more accurate calculation of tongue weight is the difference between the tow vehicle’s combined axle weights with and without the trailer attached. Even this method isn’t perfect but generally accurate enough for most applications.

The best way to determine tongue weight is with a tongue weight scale. Then you can just add the boat’s axle weight to the tongue weight to determine your boat and trailer’s total weight.

Reese 5780 Trailer Tounge Weight Scale, Weight Distributing Hitches - Amazon Canada

Reese 5780 Trailer Tounge Weight Scale in Weight Distributing Hitches.

www.amazon.ca

 

[bigbruce]

Princess Auto has a much cheaper tongue scale…

https://www.princessauto.com/en/trailer-tongue-weight-scale/product/PA0009051673

 

[Squire]

Princess Auto has a much cheaper tongue scale…

https://www.princessauto.com/en/trailer-tongue-weight-scale/product/PA0009051673

That would be adequate for boat and trailer total weight up to about 6500 lbs.