Finally weighed my trailer.

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

Loudram

Just a sinner saved by grace
Military
Joined
Feb 13, 2019
Posts
2,702
Reaction score
7,532
Location
South Jersey
Ram Year
2022
Engine
Hemi 5.7
I bought the Better Weigh scale a few months back and I wasn't sure if I could trust the weights. So today I went to a local feed store that has a public scale and had my trailer and truck weighed. I was on my way to the campground so I figured this was the best time. I didn't ask for individual axle weights bit I got the basics. Truck weight, tongue weight and combined weight. They normally charge $5 but he didn't even charge me that. This isn't a cat scale but it's accurate enough.

So the weights are

Truck 5720 without me. (5350 curb weight)

Tongue 1160

Combined 13320

Trailer 7600

So I'm at my GVW without me in it. It had a full tank of gas at that time. So I'm over a couple hundred pounds with me in it. I could leave a few things home or put my cooler in the trailer. I'm not to worried about that weight, I just have to watch it. Maybe lighten the the front of the trailer. It's a rear kitchen so that helps the tongue.

On some measurements the scale app I bought was pretty close. (Tongue weight and truck weight). On the combined weight it was over by 1000lbs. Before I weighed it, I guessed based on dry weight and what we put in it it weighed low to mid 7k and I was pretty close. I thought 8500 was heavy.

To be honest I was surprised that a 650lb dry tongue weight turned into 1160 so fast.

I finally have some solid numbers.
 

AFMoulton

Senior Member
Military
Joined
Apr 1, 2016
Posts
3,178
Reaction score
5,194
Location
Nuevo Mexico
Ram Year
2018
Engine
6.4 Hemi
Also maybe look and see if you can relocate your batteries.


2018 Ram 2500 6.4L 4x4
Amsoil SS 0W-40
 
OP
OP
Loudram

Loudram

Just a sinner saved by grace
Military
Joined
Feb 13, 2019
Posts
2,702
Reaction score
7,532
Location
South Jersey
Ram Year
2022
Engine
Hemi 5.7
There really isn't anything heavy up front. I'll have to pull everything out of the front storage and weigh it. The difference between dry and wet is 500 lbs.
In my head in thinking
60 equalizer bars and hardware
50 battery
40 propane
So far. That leaves 350. I might be able to lighten that a little bit but my only outside storage is the front pass thru.
 

AFMoulton

Senior Member
Military
Joined
Apr 1, 2016
Posts
3,178
Reaction score
5,194
Location
Nuevo Mexico
Ram Year
2018
Engine
6.4 Hemi
I bet your hitch and hardware is closer to 100# mine weighs about 175 total


2018 Ram 2500 6.4L 4x4
Amsoil SS 0W-40
 

Sandevino

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 18, 2020
Posts
1,146
Reaction score
1,506
Location
North Texas
Ram Year
2023
Engine
HEMI 5.7 eTorque
Something definitely amiss or your trailer weighs more than expected. My father-in-law’s Starcraft was billed as a dry weight of 8500 pounds with a 5W pin weight of 1100 pounds - roughly 13% of the trailer weight.

We drug it across the scales when he took delivery, completely empty and dry, and found it weighed 9100 pounds with a 5W pin weight of 1700 pounds - nearly 19 percent.

I’m saying this to make a point that you may be chasing your tail trying to eliminate weight, and trailer manufacturers often flub their numbers.

Have you weighed the trailer dry? Weight your truck with and without the trailer to get the accurate tongue weight.
 
OP
OP
Loudram

Loudram

Just a sinner saved by grace
Military
Joined
Feb 13, 2019
Posts
2,702
Reaction score
7,532
Location
South Jersey
Ram Year
2022
Engine
Hemi 5.7
I bet your hitch and hardware is closer to 100# mine weighs about 175 total


2018 Ram 2500 6.4L 4x4
Amsoil SS 0W-40
I didn't include the hitch itself. Technically that's payload not tongue. When I disconnect my trailer that weight stays with the truck. And yes that's 50 too. Total set up is about 100 pounds. Looked up shipping weight on the equalizer website.
 
Last edited:
OP
OP
Loudram

Loudram

Just a sinner saved by grace
Military
Joined
Feb 13, 2019
Posts
2,702
Reaction score
7,532
Location
South Jersey
Ram Year
2022
Engine
Hemi 5.7
I’m saying this to make a point that you may be chasing your tail trying to eliminate weight, and trailer manufacturers often flub their numbers.

Have you weighed the trailer dry? Weight your truck with and without the trailer to get the accurate tongue weight.

That crossed my mind to. I didn't weigh it dry. I think they may have been a little light with the numbers in the brochure.

I'll do what I can and live with the rest. Compared to what some guys in here are towing and some of the numbers I've seen on RV forums, a couple hundred pounds is nothing.

And the truck with the trailer hooked up was 6880. The truck dropped to 5720 when I unhooked it.

Edit
I also remembered that my electric tongue jack, while it came with the trailer, it isn't standard. More weight added to the brochure numbers.
 
Last edited:

dhay13

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2015
Posts
3,212
Reaction score
2,792
Ram Year
2018
Engine
2500 6.4L Hemi 4.10's 'Off-Road'
That crossed my mind to. I didn't weigh it dry. I think they may have been a little light with the numbers in the brochure.

I'll do what I can and live with the rest. Compared to what some guys in here are towing and some of the numbers I've seen on RV forums, a couple hundred pounds is nothing.

And the truck with the trailer hooked up was 6880. The truck dropped to 5720 when I unhooked it.

Edit
I also remembered that my electric tongue jack, while it came with the trailer, it isn't standard. More weight added to the brochure numbers.
Yep. And not sure but dry weight may not include the AC unit? awning? spare tire? Just thinking out loud here. But if those aren't included in dry weight then I could see it adding up. But that wouldn't add 600lbs to the tongue weight.
 

GsRAM

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 9, 2016
Posts
2,929
Reaction score
2,743
Ram Year
2017 Dodge Ram 2500
Engine
Hemi, 6.4L
Not suprising. Stuff adds up fast and you have a big trailer. Your totally maxed out.

I personally wouldn't worry about being a little overweight, so long as your under GRAWR, you should be ok. Perhaps a trip to a cat scale where that can be confirmed is in order because that is important.

I was maxed out with a half ton also, which is why I went 2500. One of the Best moves I've made. They are not for everyone though. Good luck
 
OP
OP
Loudram

Loudram

Just a sinner saved by grace
Military
Joined
Feb 13, 2019
Posts
2,702
Reaction score
7,532
Location
South Jersey
Ram Year
2022
Engine
Hemi 5.7
Yep, I'm maxed out on payload but I knew I'd be close with a 1500. I'll just watch what I put in my bed. As for my tongue, I'll move what I can but it won't be much. Honestly I'm not to worried about it, I'll just keep it in mind when I load the trailer.

The scary thing is there is only a small percentage of us towing trailers that actually know our real numbers or care about them.
 
OP
OP
Loudram

Loudram

Just a sinner saved by grace
Military
Joined
Feb 13, 2019
Posts
2,702
Reaction score
7,532
Location
South Jersey
Ram Year
2022
Engine
Hemi 5.7
Yep. And not sure but dry weight may not include the AC unit? awning? spare tire? Just thinking out loud here. But if those aren't included in dry weight then I could see it adding up. But that wouldn't add 600lbs to the tongue weight.
They are included. The only thing not included is the battery. Empty propane tanks are usually included to. But my trailer weight isn't an issue. I'm no where near my max tow.
 

GsRAM

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 9, 2016
Posts
2,929
Reaction score
2,743
Ram Year
2017 Dodge Ram 2500
Engine
Hemi, 6.4L
They are included. The only thing not included is the battery. Empty propane tanks are usually included to. But my trailer weight isn't an issue. I'm no where near my max tow.

Yep, exactly. That's the issue. Most half ton trucks will run out of payload long before they hit their tow rating. But if you stay below GRAWR you should be ok
 

Sherman Bird

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 28, 2019
Posts
1,504
Reaction score
2,223
Location
Houston, Texas
Ram Year
1998
Engine
5.2
The scary thing is there is only a small percentage of us towing trailers that actually know our real numbers or care about them.[/QUOTE]

Do say!
 
Last edited:
OP
OP
Loudram

Loudram

Just a sinner saved by grace
Military
Joined
Feb 13, 2019
Posts
2,702
Reaction score
7,532
Location
South Jersey
Ram Year
2022
Engine
Hemi 5.7
If you want to scare some sense into someone you know have them search for towing fails or something to that effect on YouTube. It's eye opening.
 

GsRAM

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 9, 2016
Posts
2,929
Reaction score
2,743
Ram Year
2017 Dodge Ram 2500
Engine
Hemi, 6.4L
If you want to scare some sense into someone you know have them search for towing fails or something to that effect on YouTube. It's eye opening.

Yeah man, no doubt. Some of those are crazy...scary stuff.

When I tow I try to stay 55-60 mph on the highway and just take my time. There's no rush. When towing especially.......excessive speed kills.

Most ST trailer tires are speed rated to 65 mph. Exceed that for too long and overheat them and bad things happen.

Even if my tires were rated for higher speed I wouldn't. Sadly many tt newbies do not understand the weights and mass involved and controlling that in an emergency situation.

The faster you go, the less reaction time you have. Even with properly adjusted brakes, when your rolling down the road 10-15k combined weight, it takes longer to stop that weight.

I always take towing my tt seriously. It's serious business and should be treated as such.

Just my .02 after many years of towing and seeing more than one rig rubber side up.
 

dhay13

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2015
Posts
3,212
Reaction score
2,792
Ram Year
2018
Engine
2500 6.4L Hemi 4.10's 'Off-Road'
I'm 51 and actually towed my first trailer at about 12 years old with my dads 1876 F250...lol. Yeah, just towed it around the hay fields while him and his buddies loaded the trailer. Yeah it was a 4 speed too but I had started riding motorcycles when I was about 6 so knew the concept of a clutch. Anyway, started towing for real at 16. Never paid much attention to weights, just loaded my trailers so they looked level and towed good. Started drag racing at about 20 and towed car trailers from then on so not real light loads. Never had an issue and never paid much attention to my weights until I started towing our current boat (~9000lbs). Weighed it last year and had about 8% tongue weight. Boats typically have less tongue weight due to the engine being at the back.
 

tron67j

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 14, 2019
Posts
2,798
Reaction score
2,829
Location
Maryland
Ram Year
2018
Engine
6.4 Hemi
I'm 51 and actually towed my first trailer at about 12 years old with my dads 1876 F250...lol. Yeah, just towed it around the hay fields while him and his buddies loaded the trailer. Yeah it was a 4 speed too but I had started riding motorcycles when I was about 6 so knew the concept of a clutch. Anyway, started towing for real at 16. Never paid much attention to weights, just loaded my trailers so they looked level and towed good. Started drag racing at about 20 and towed car trailers from then on so not real light loads. Never had an issue and never paid much attention to my weights until I started towing our current boat (~9000lbs). Weighed it last year and had about 8% tongue weight. Boats typically have less tongue weight due to the engine being at the back.
Wow, that is the winner for age on a truck. 1876!
 

tron67j

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 14, 2019
Posts
2,798
Reaction score
2,829
Location
Maryland
Ram Year
2018
Engine
6.4 Hemi
My friend delivered trailers, among other things for years. He said that manufacturer often had the dry weight rated then installed what were considered add ons, and these were things like awnings. Those external items were not always considered part of dry weight.

Might want to go ahead and weigh axles if you can when loaded to make sure front axle weight isn't too light. Thanks for posting the information, good to read the real world measurements.
 
OP
OP
Loudram

Loudram

Just a sinner saved by grace
Military
Joined
Feb 13, 2019
Posts
2,702
Reaction score
7,532
Location
South Jersey
Ram Year
2022
Engine
Hemi 5.7
My better weigh scale has a weight distribution set up. It shows the balance of weight on both axles and the trailer to. I'm very level. The green is where I should be. The red is where I am.
Screenshot_20200608-114848.png
 

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
194,925
Posts
2,864,172
Members
155,296
Latest member
VLG6963
Top