Weighing Your Motorhome

Colesmeister · 08-27-2002, 07:47 AM

Recent posts have made me wonder about the proper way to weigh a motorhome. I assume I can go to any public scales and have it weighed. But do you need to get three different weights? Do you need to have it weighed with only the front axle on the scale, then both axles, then only the rear axle?

Colesmeister · 08-27-2002, 07:47 AM

Recent posts have made me wonder about the proper way to weigh a motorhome. I assume I can go to any public scales and have it weighed. But do you need to get three different weights? Do you need to have it weighed with only the front axle on the scale, then both axles, then only the rear axle?

Roger Kneeland · 08-27-2002, 12:03 PM

I recently weighed my motorhome at a truck scale at a truck stop ... it was very simple ... pull up on the platform (as I remember there are lines to show you where the scale is separated) and when the signal light on a post near the drivers side turned green the coach was weighed. A 4 digit number shows up on a small screen and when you take that number to the counter person (along with $7) they print out the slip w/the axle weights.

Fleetwood owner slips into Winnebago forum!

Roger& Gail (and retreiver "Molly")
2000 Pace Arrow Vision 36B
95 Neon Toad
Valaraiso IN

Ghost · 08-27-2002, 02:08 PM

We use the "Cat" scales found at various truck stops with great regularity. I always stop in to the ticket counter first and make sure they are ready to go. Then you just pull up onto the scale and follow the instructions on the sign. Pretty straight forward. If you are in doubt, ask for a quick tutorial at the counter prior to driving up on the scale.

These scales give you weight by axle - front and drive. You can also get your toad weight at the same time.

Ghost
'02 Adventurer 32V Ford
Various Toads
Connecticut Woods
FMCA 300790, Good Sam, PCA-CVR

Fred B. · 08-27-2002, 02:22 PM

I take ours to a local scale that weighs gravel trucks. its an old manual (not electronic) scale, & we are able to weigh each side separately + front & rear axle.

Fred B.

Steve Bloom · 08-27-2002, 04:40 PM

Excellent advice from all, just one additional suggestion, when you attend a rally, FMCA, Good Sam, WIT, seek out A Weigh We Go they will weigh each tire, this is important. The axle weight could be misleading. You may have a 10000 lb GVWR on the steer axle and 19000 lbs on drive axle, but the front may be left side 6000 and rt 4000. The 6000 is over load for the tire rated at 5000 lbs and you need to rearrange stuff.

By weighing each wheel you then know definitively whether you have a problem. Even if uneven weights are determined, but your still under GVWR for that axle, the tire inflation should be for the heaviest wheel on the axle and match both tire pressures with higher inflation pressures.

I hope my prose wasn't too confusing :-)

Steve Bloom
00 Advantage
Atlanta

alex · 08-29-2002, 03:16 PM

Excellent advice Steve. By the way, A'Weigh We Go is now the RV Safety Education Foundation. Their shedule is available here:

http://www.rvsafety.org/schedule.cfm

I had my Adventurer weighed by them for free at a Colorado Springs RV dealer last year. Very informative seminar presented along with the weighing.

Alex

sal avitabile · 01-03-2006, 06:29 AM

thanks i called them and they are great to work with, just so happens im from leesburg florida and they have a set up at thousand trails campground, just 35 min down the road
thanks again

Charles_c · 01-03-2006, 09:15 AM

Sal,

Our coach is stored in Leesburg. We are coming down in two weeks for the Tampa show. Where is the campground you found?

Charles

ichn2go · 01-03-2006, 10:46 AM

The best way is to have each wheel weighed better known as all four corners. This tells you if one tire front or rear is overweighted. The safety foundation does a good job.
Altho I have not had mine done yet(four corners) I have found a local moving company that has scales to accomodate this...Happy New Year