Weighed My Truck and Trailer ... Good News!

While I was at the Escapees Escapade in Sedalia, I took my truck and trailer to their SmartWeigh setup and had it weighed with individual wheel weights.

Good news - I'm well below the limits on EVERYTHING, even with the pickup bed full of tools, generator, air compressor, ladders, etc.

The truck is a 1999 Ford F350 7.3 PowerStroke with single rear wheels.  The trailer is a 2001 Sunnybrook 29 ft. bumper tow with superslide.

All of the tire ratings exceed the minimum needed at their location, i.e the trailer tires are Load Range E with a maximum weight rating of 2830 lbs vs. 2150 lbs. required to meet the GAWR.  And they have a speed rating of 81 MPH.  8)

Here are the figures, Gross Ratings first followed by the actual weights:

1) Truck Axle Weights:

Front Axle GAWR: 4400 Lbs.  Left Front Tire 2000 lbs + Right Front Tire 2000 lbs = 4000 lbs Measured Axle Weight. 
400 lbs below the front axle GAWR.

Rear Axle GAWR: 6000 lbs.    Left Rear Tire 2475 lbs + Right Rear Tire 2450 lbs =  4925 lbs Measured Axle Weight. 
1075 lbs. below the rear axle GAWR.

2) Truck Weight

Truck GVWR = 9700 Lbs.  Front Axle 4000 lbs + Rear Axle 4925 lbs = 8925 lbs Measured Vehicle Weight.
775 lbs below the GVWR including the trailer tongue weight and all of the cargo in the pickup bed.

3) Trailer Weight:

Trailer Front Axle GAWR = 4300 lbs.  Left Front Tire 1900 lbs + Right Front Tire 1950 lbs = 3850 lbs Axle Weight.
450 lbs under the GAWR.

Trailer Rear Axle GAWR = 4300  lbs.  Left Rear Tire 1625 lbs + Right Front Tire 1750 lbs = 3375 lbs Axle Weight. 
925 lbs under the GAWR.

Trailer GVWR = 9632 lbs. Measured Trailer Weight = 7725 lbs.  1907 lbs under the trailer's GVWR.

An unknown amount of hitch weight is distributed between the truck and trailer tires, it is included in the individual axle weights.

Total GCWR = 20,000 lbs.  Truck Weight 8925 lbs. plus Trailer Weight 7725 lbs = 16650 lbs.
3350 lbs under GCWR.

The one problem is the 800 lb. bars on the equalizing hitch (the hitch came with the trailer) so the bars do not supply enough lift to throw the hitch weight forward to the front axle.  It's 200 lbs lighter with the trailer attached than when it's not, but the heavy diesel engine keeps this from being a major problem.  This also accounts for the higher weight on the trailer's front axle, as the truck and trailer have a slight sag in the middle.

I have a hitch with 1200 lb. bars waiting for me back in Nevada and this should solve the problem.

It does not seem that 800# bars would be insufficient for that trailer, which should have a tongue weight in the 800-1000 lb range. The F350 ought to be able to carry several hundred pounds easily, even without WD, so an extra 800 lbs of lift should be plenty.  Are you sure the hitch is adjusted properly, both ball angle and bar tension?  I'm assuming you have the 800# bars tightened to the max already.
In any event, all those numbers look great!

That?s awesome Lou!  Isn?t it great to have all those weights and know just how your rig measures up to the ratings. When I was in FL last winter I went to the Bushnell smart weigh location. I was very pleased to also find I was well under all the ratings.

I wonder why there is such a large difference in weight between the front trailer axle and the rear trailer axle.
500 lbs.

The trailer is slightly nose down due to all of the stuff I have in the truck bed, which increases the load on the trailer's front axle. I'm going to a Habitat For Humanity build or two later in this trip so I threw everything I had back there ... tools, generator, air compressor, extension cords, etc.

Even with the extra loading, I'm still 450 lbs below the axle rating and more than that below the tire ratings.

I could raise the hitch head another inch or two, but then I'd have to put it back when I unload the truck.

Debra17 said:

That?s awesome Lou!  Isn?t it great to have all those weights and know just how your rig measures up to the ratings. When I was in FL last winter I went to the Bushnell smart weigh location. I was very pleased to also find I was well under all the ratings.

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The Escapade SmartWeigh operation was really something.  They pool people and equipment from all of the SmartWeigh locations so they have 8 wheel scales and can weigh all of the truck and trailer wheels at once.  They have rigs moving through all day long over several days, it looked like a McDonald's drive thru line.