This past summer, I ran my truck with my just completed, fully loaded and fuelled 17.5 Double Eagle project boat/trailer over the scales at the Cumberland Pidgeon Lake dump. I then uncoupled the boat and trailer, and went over the scales again with just the truck. A quick bit of math gave me the total weight of the boat and trailer at very close to 3000 pounds. A quick check of the trailer label gave me the weight of the trailer and a bit more math gave me the weight of my fully loaded Double Eagle - which came in at very close to 2500 pounds.
Unfortunately, the weight of the boat and trailer coming in at at 3000 lbs meant that I was over the GVW as listed on the trailer label by a good 500 pounds. Not wanting to give ICBC any chance of an “out” on any possible future claim, I had Courtenay Spring and Welding provide me with all the components required for a 3500 pound axle, which I assembled and installed, and they then - as a Registered ICBC Vehicle Inspection Station - inspected, approved and certified my trailer for a GVW of 3500 pounds. So, now I have a rig that weighs in at 500 lbs less than the GVW of the trailer.
I also took that Vehicle Inspection paperwork in to ICBC to make sure my insurance was updated to reflect the newly authorized GVW.
That $10 charge to weigh my rig at the Pidgeon Lake facility gave me all the info I needed to make ensure that my rig wasn’t overloaded, is safe to tow, and that ICBC couldn’t ever deny a claim for having an overloaded trailer. $10 well spent.
If you are not certain of the weight of your rig, run it over some scales somewhere and check it out - you may get a surprise, like I did. ....I hope that you don’t, though. And then you can ensure that you won’t run afoul of some zealous ICBC Investigator, either. Good luck.
PS - My 17.5 DE is equipped with a 115 Yamaha main and an 8 hp Yamaha kicker (both 2-strokes), and a 110 litre internal fuel tank. It was originally powered by a Volvo Penta IO, and was converted to an outboard on a pod.