I am in no way connected with this device except as a customer. I am not endorsing it, I have not received any payment or compensation for it.

As this is an ongoing project, I have decided to make it a new topic. My previous posts can be found here: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...l#post18856589

I do not have any CAT scales near me and want to make sure my trailer and WD setup is proper. I could purchase a tongue weight scale for $125 or I found this ODBII dongle and app called Haul Gauge.




Seems there is no configuration for the Excursion, so you have to do the calibration yourself. This is not a big issue, but once that was done, I came across a problem. When trying to do either the Tongue Weight or Payload Weight options, the dial gauge will zero its self, and then slowly go negative on its own. I reported this and got this response from Thomas Corie, and engineer at Haul Gauge:

Sorry to hear the Payload feature did not work as it should.

For future tests, one easy way is to open the back of the Excursion and sit on the back of the vehicle as close to the hitch ball as you can; using the Tongue Weight feature, you should get a weight close to your body weight.

I think what happened with your first test has to do with how the Payload feature works. It uses vehicle pitch, so if the suspension settles differently after the vehicle squats under a load it can 'zero' back to a negative value, like what you saw. The added ~200 lbs of your body weight then brought it back to a gauge weight of 0 lb.

Let us know how the rest goes, and sorry again for the inconvenience. We are committed to getting HaulGauge working for you.

Thank you,

Thomas
Systems Engineer
HaulGauge

Followed with this message:

Hi David,

Thanks for your patience and understanding. We are constantly learning and improving our device (and the app), so feedback and help from great customers like yourself is invaluable.

We're in the process of researching what components of the Excursion were changed from year to year (we have data from a number of model years) in terms of the engine, frame, and suspension, so we may update some of our calibration data for your vehicle. I'll keep you posted as we move forward.

Thank you,

Thomas
Systems Engineer
HaulGauge

At one point, if its not shown here already, Thomas said to Zero the Gauge while at the back of the truck and then immediately put the load on the hitch to try to get an accurate reading, before the dial starts going negative. Not an easy task if you have to either manually lower your tongue with a handle, or even with an electric jack that can take a little time to lower the tongue due to the gearing in the jack.

I am going to try to continue to work with them and if anyone would like to provide any information in the year to year Excursion changes that Thomas might be referring to that might help with this project that I can pass along to Thomas, I'd be much grateful.

 

Pretty cool device....I wonder if the creation of the X specific "program" would preclude those of us that have aftermarket/modified suspension setups. Seems that it works on vehicle attitude, but if the spring rates are preprogrammed, I'm not sure if it would work properly. Of course it seems that the program can be calibrated so it may not matter at all.

 

Thomas response:

To respond to the question: I should clarify that the Excursion 'program' isn't unique in that we always research model years for vehicles using HaulGauge and implement a VIN decoding program. That's how we recognize which suspension and engine a vehicle has for the HaulGauge app, it just happened that we didn't have the Excursion info going back past 2005. Sorry if my email gave the wrong impression.


The poster is correct, if a vehicle has custom suspension options they can simply calibrate (by going to Settings in the app).

 

neat idea. i think I shall buy one

not to take away from the gadget but you can easily figure your tongue weight using the same method snd s tape measure.

if you know your rear spring rate just measure the height of the Ex from the ground to the bottom of the fender arch before loading the trailer onto the ball. then load the trailer and measure again. the stock springs have a rate of 420 lbs per inch.

so if your Ex squats 1” the tongue weight is 420x 2 springs = 840 lbs.

if you have modified springs and want to find your spring rate do as that guys email says. measure unloaded then sit on the rear with a know weight and measure again.

if you weigh 200 pounds and the Ex sags 1/4 inch you divide
sag by weight then divide again by 2

200/ .25 = 800.
800/2 = 400

your spring rate is 400 lbs inch.

then put your trailer on and measure the sag.
if sag is 2” you have 800 lbs of tongue weight.

 

I do not know my rear spring rate. Its stock as to whatever came with the 2004 EB v10, but I added an "Add A Leaf" to it. That changes everything. I will try the measurement method using a known weight and see what I come up with. Thomas did say that they have a known issue where the level sensor in the dongle goes negative on vehicles with stiff suspension, and they are working on it. The Haul Gauge was also supposed to help out with WD, but with the going negative issue, that's not going to work for us right now.

Reese wants me to measure the front of the Ex, load the trailer onto the hitch with proper tongue weight, then adjust the distribution bars till the front of the Ex is at the same height. So, just need to adjust the car in the trailer to get about 800 lbs on the tongue. Currently, I am adjusting the car in the trailer to stop the sway with the distribution bars in place, but the front of the EX is up several inches.

 

I did not get a chance to play with the device today, but did get an email from Thomas:

Just to update you: we are still digging into the gauge needle drift issue you saw, but we've updated our calibration database today for your Excursion. We had your calibration data and data from one other customer who had an Excursion that was the same body, suspension, and engine so we were able to create a calibration for the 'Weigh' feature (which weighs the vehicle plus anything inside or attached).


If you go in the app to Settings -> Change Vehicle that will start everything over and allow you to use the new calibration. You'll have to park somewhere flat that has an internet connection (either phone service or WiFi), then it will download the new calibration.

Let us know how it goes after you try out the 'Weigh' feature.


Thank you,


Thomas
Systems Engineer
HaulGauge

 

great service

 

I just tested the downloaded calibration and still have the same issue. Standing on the Reese hitch, the gauge states I am about 300 lbs, and when I step on my bathroom scale, I am 205 lb. Did it twice to make sure. I sent Thomas these results.

 

Talk about quick responses!

Ok, thanks for sending that screenshot and the weight; from those two things we calculated a corrected value for your Excursion and we are in the process of updating the database for your VIN


I'll let you know once that's done (the team said they'd get to it before the end of the day) so you can try it out again


Thank you David!






Thomas
Systems Engineer
HaulGauge