No, that is the brochure. I have never weighed in, but I will if given a chance in the future.

 

I recommend it. There are CAT scales everywhere. Last weigh I did was like $12.00 . Totally worth it.

In your situation I would pull in with the trailer axles on the "drive tires" pad, the tongue jack on the "steer tires" pad, and the rear axle of the tow vehicle on solid ground. If the trailer is long enough, you can do all three at once and then you only have to lift the tongue enough that the hitch can wiggle.

 

OK, so I am trying to get the exact weight of my trailer, right?

Never done it, so I am not certain what to do, are they pretty helpful at these places?

 

Down load the CAT Scale app. That's how I did it. I just rolled onto the scale and it told me where to stop as I recall. The weights looked right so I must have parked correctly. I did not disconnect the trailer from the truck. I already knew what my tongue weight was since I have a tongue weight scale at home.

 

What HRTKD said ^^^^^^^

Since you're a first timer, try to go when the scale is less busy if you can. I've seldom had a truck waiting behind me, but when they are I'm always mindful that they lose money waiting on me. They don't have anyone right out there to help, but it's pretty simple

So here's how it goes:
1. Install the CAT Scale app
2. Enter your info etc. so you have less steps when you're on the scale
3. Hitch up
4. Go to the scale
5. At Love's travel stops, it is usually located next to the truck fuel islands
6. Be sure to keep your head on a swivel, often there are a lot of things moving in the truck area
7. Pull onto the scale, straight and centered
8. In the picture below, you can see that this scale is entered from the West and you stop at the East end



9. For what I was saying above, pull through until the trailer axles are on the the "drive" section (in purple), the tongue leg is on the "steer" section (in green), and your truck tires are on the exit ramp, making sure your tires and the tongue leg are not touching other sections
10. Get out and jack the tongue until there is no tongue weight on the hitch (for me, I unlatch and lift just enough that I can wiggle the ball mount where otherwise weight would prevent this, and I don't disconnect chains and cables etc.)
11. Step off the scale pad (yes really, when you are talking about how many hundreds of pounds the tongue weighs, you don't want to inadvertently add your body weight to that number)
12. Open your CAT Scale app
13. It will walk you through all of the steps, starting with figuring out by GPS what CAT Scale you are at (it will say you're at CAT scale 12345 (whatever the number is), right? The number is on the overhead sign at the beginning of the exit ramp, aligned such that truck drivers can easily see it to their left when getting weighed
14. It will tell you your weight and also email a PDF of your weight slip
15. Hitch back up and go

Alternatives to Step 9:
9. For weighing truck and trailer at the same time, pull through until the steer axle is on the "steer" section (in green), the drive axle is on the "drive" section (in purple), and the trailer axles are on the appropriate trailer section (orange and/or pink)
9. For weighing truck and trailer at the same time while measuring before and after tensioning the weight-distributing hitch, pull through until the steer axle is on the "steer" section (in green), the drive axle is on the "drive" section (in purple), and the trailer axles are on the appropriate trailer section (orange and/or pink), undo all of the weight-distributing hitch tension so it is not helping at all, get a weight, re-tension the weight-distributing hitch to your normal configuration, get another weight. This costs more, but then you can tell exactly what changes when you tension the weight-distributing hitch. Many are surprised to see the front axle get heavier.
9. For weighing truck and trailer at the same time while getting the change between trailer on and trailer off, pull through until the trailer axle is on the pink section and the tongue is on the orange section, unhitch and disconnect and pull forward until the steer axle is on the "steer" section (in green), the drive axle is on the "drive" section (in purple), get a weight, back up and hitch/hook everything up, pull forward until the steer axle is on the "steer" section (in green), the drive axle is on the "drive" section (in purple), and the trailer axles are on the appropriate trailer section (orange and/or pink), get another weight. This costs more, but then you can tell exactly what changes when you hitch up. Many are surprised to see the front axle get lighter.

I always do this with fuel tanks full and trailer tanks empty, and the first time I do it on a given unit, I do it without any "stuff" loaded so I know a true empty weight. Later you can do math for the driver's weight at the time of the measurement, as well as the weights of water/sewage/generator/etc.

 

An afterthought: If you want to weigh side-to-side loading, pull on the scale as in step 9 above, get a weight, then pull off and circle around and pull back on with one side's tires OFF of the scale (left side tires are easier, but I usually do right side), get another weight. Later do the math to figure out the difference.

At most CAT Scales that I've been to, there is plenty of room to do this. At the one pictured above, there is plenty of room, even with that truck parked directly South of it.

Sometimes knowing side-to-side loading is important if your vehicle has all of the appliances on one side or if your storage habits have you wondering. This is especially true if you are near/at/over limits. Let's say you are at 7,000 pounds over your two 3,500 pound axles. Weigh for side-to-side. If one side is 500 pounds heavier than the other, then that side is overloaded at the springs, axles, and tires. Now you know you need to move your 250-pound brick collection over to the other side to even it out.

The CAT scale pictured above is at the Love's in Bennett, CO, if you want to check it out in a satellite view etc.

 

I fairly sure that my street side is heavier. That's the side with the generator, refrigerator, oven, microwave, batteries and inverter My trailer doesn't give me a lot of options for adjusting weight left to right, but I could put a couple of 7 gallon jugs of water in the tub which is on the curb side. But it would be good to know how far off balance the sides are.

 

Cool, I'll chew on this info....THANK YOU.

 

Typically the first pass over a CAT scale costs about $12/14 then every additional pass is about $2/4, so by making the typical tow vehicle / travel trailer three passes to get all of your pertinent weights you are at about twenty bucks.
I do not recommend actually unhitching on a scale, it’s not needed and will only keep you in the way of others potentially. The typical method has you make your first pass exactly as you normally travel, with full fuel and gear and passengers with the WD under tension. (All 3 passes need the steer tires on the steer scale pad, drive tires on the drive pad and trailer tires on the trailer pad) get your weight with you and everyone else in their seats. Pull off the pad (don’t spend more time than needed messing around on the scale) and pull into one of the large truck parking spots then release the tension from the WD system, now you have all of the tongue weight just sitting on the ball. Pull back onto the scale as before and get this configuration weight. Pull back off to a parking spot and disconnect the truck from the TT and drive back onto the scale to get the trucks unhitched axle weights. Pull off and back around to your TT and hitch up as normal for travel (unless you found some thing from the scale results that could use some adjusting) and continue on your way.
The unhitched truck weights will tell you where you are weight wise on its axles, the combo weights with the WD untensioned will provide the numbers needed to figure the exact tongue weight (weight added to the rear axle from unhitched minus any weight lost off the front axle unhitched weight). The combo weights with the WD under tension will tell you exactly how much of that tongue weight is being distributed to the trucks front axle and TT axles, this is the set of numbers that you can make adjustments to the WD and receive to get the combo better dialed in. This method gets you all of the numbers that matter (except the side/side weights which can be obtained as described above if you want with one addition pass over the scale) and will allow for any loading or WD adjustments to be made to ensure all axle loading is under the ratings and the WD is correctly distributing the tongue weight to get a better ride and loaded control. And gets you on and off the scale quickly so as to not delay any other scale users.

 

That is very detailed, thanks.....
I think I am beginning to understand a little bit more.
I just took for certain that I am good, as I know my truck is plenty to pull this, and I've never felt at a loss of control in any situation pulling it.....
But I wonder just how many folks are out there just trusting that their set up is right, without really even knowing the facts, details.
A real ignorance is bliss scenario., until......

I am not real big on trusting our government to make certain that safety in our lives is attained, they seem to pick and choose their concerns based on their own needs.
But like a motorcycle endorsement takes a special attachment to drive a motorcycle, and of course to drive big trucks and loads commercially.
I wonder if we should have such for pulling travel trailers too?
Just a thought....

 

Yeah it's always good to know. I've seen some with the water tank and sewage tanks shifted to one side to help compensate for a wall of heavy stuff, but that was many years ago. Either way, the more you know the more you can act to offset that.

 

Back when we had our Pathfinder pulling our camper, I scaled it as @WE3ZS described above. Pulled on the scale locked and loaded, then release the WDH and scaled it with all weight just on the ball, and finally the tow vehicle alone. Since getting my new SD I have only scaled the truck… we haven’t had but one opportunity to hook up the camper for a trip, but I do have one coming up soon and I will be scaling it the same way as we leave out. The CAT scale I go to isn’t busy at all, so if there is no truck around, I will release the WDH (just turning the bolt with the new Anderson WDH!) and re-weigh while still on the scale, but if there are others around I’ll pull off, make the adjustments and roll back through. I haven’t ever gotten side specific weights, however I know that the driver side (curb side) is a little heavier because more appliances are on that side. I try to offset that with stuff inside though.

That’s a bummer to hear of your issues. I hope you are able to get them all correctly sorted out soon. I have recently changed out the hardware on my suspension kit and want to do more. I need to flip my axle to get a little more clearance so I can upgrade the equalizer on mine… I will also be pulling my drums soon and checking my brakes and the hubs too… this will be my first time so I am a little nervous, but there are lots of good videos out there. Anyway, good luck with yours!

 

Haven't heard anything yet.
I have talked to a few private trailer repair shops.
Of course, they shared about how Lippert is sketchy stuff, and after really reading what I could online, it is without a doubt the most problematic axle out there.
If I have any reservations about the "fix: at the dealers, I will just go get it and have it upgraded elsewhere.
Not sure how much it cost to upgrade axles, but I gotta believe it's less expensive than breaking down on the road or having an accident, because of poor build from manufacturer.

 

So here is where we stand today.....
I received an email correspondence late, after 9pm, yesterday, working late, om my, regrading my trailer.
The person I am dealing with was submitting the information to the extended warranty folks but was waiting on price of replacement axles.
He said the springs were "flat" which caused the axles to bend.
Most likely from overloading, but not certain.
Guys, my trailer only has clothes, some groceries, and the front cargo area with chairs, etc, in it.
I would be aghast if it was overloaded.
I could have in empty in total in minutes.
I have never even filled the water tank.
I do recall on a trip to the Oregon coast we took a road from the 5 to the coast, it was very bumpy and winding, I mean ugly...I would never drive it again, even tho it's a major road.
My guess is perhaps that road weakened something.

So, where I stand now, I am just waiting to hear back, from them.
I think I am limited in what I can do as far as upgrading to bigger axles as it would mean changing out everything, even tires because they step the lugs too, and bottom line I might have bigger axles but everything else, the frame, etc, is still the same.
Are there ways to improve they existing set-up?
I read something about equalizers and wet bolts, etc...????

Thanks.

 

Equalizers and wet bolts aren't going to resolve your problem, but they certainly are good upgrades.

Axles can be ordered in different bolt patterns (lug nuts). The higher the axle rating, the more likely you are to have more lugs on the axle. I have 5200 lb Dexter axles with 6 lugs.

Leaf springs can be upgraded without doing anything to the axles. I did that on mine last year. I upgraded to 6K springs, just for more wiggle room. I don't plan to go over the GVWR which is 11K.

If you get serious about replacing the axles and perhaps stepping up to a heavier axle, consider spending extra money for disk brakes too. I didn't go that route, but came close to doing it.