First time using Cat Scales...anything I need to know?

[pourme]

I'm leaving Monday for a 1300 mile round trip On the way I'm going to the local Cat Scales, for the first time. Is there anything I need to be aware of before going? (they only charge $9.00 here, what do you pay?)

I will be loaded ready to camp for a week water and all!

Thanks! ;D

 

[BernieD]

When you have your RV weighed, it should be in normal travel mode with all passengers on board; full fuel, propane,water, empty holding tanks. If you have room to weigh with one side off the scale (CAT scales usually have rails preventing this), make 2 passes, one with all wheels on and one only weighing one side. This will permit you to calculate individual corner weights. If you only make one pass and just get total axle weights, add about 500 pounds per axle to allow for potential side to side variances, which are normal. Use these figures to calculate your recommended tire pressures.

 

[powderman]

I just did mine at the local coal tipple.  They charged me $5, but let me do the truck first, and then the truck with 5er with just truck on the scale, and finally truck & trailer.  That way I got the truck weight, pin weight, and total.  ;D

 

[pourme]

I just did mine at the local coal tipple.  They charged me $5, but let me do the truck first, and then the truck with 5er with just truck on the scale, and finally truck & trailer.  That way I got the truck weight, pin weight, and total.  ;D

That's one thing I was wondering about. Weather they would let me weigh them all together then seperately....disconnected from each other. Will I know the tounge weight?
It's going to be interesting!

 

[Carl L]

I'm leaving Monday for a 1300 mile round trip On the way I'm going to the local Cat Scales, for the first time. Is there anything I need to be aware of before going? (they only charge $9.00 here, what do you pay?)

I will be loaded ready to camp for a week water and all!

Thanks! ;D

Read this Library article on trailer weighing.  http://www.rvforum.net/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=186:weighing-travel-and-fifth-wheel-trailers&catid=26:towing-and-towables&Itemid=45

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Most truck stop scales are in 3 or more segments, so they can weigh each axle separately (trailer axles can be done as  a pair). Make sure you position the rig such that one axle is on each scale. Get out and look if you have to before you tell the weighmaster you are ready to take the weight.  You will have to run the truck though a second time by itself to get the truck rear axle weight without the trailer. That allows you to compute the tongue weight.  You may have to pay for a second weigh.

If the scale has 4 segments, you can unhook the rig while on the scale and have trailer axles on one, tongue jack  on another, and each truck axle on a segment. That gives you all 4 numbers at once.

 

[Kevin]

good luck on un-hooking on a set of scales first driver waiting on you is gonna let you have it.

 

[pourme]

good luck on un-hooking on a set of scales first driver waiting on you is gonna let you have it.

I know!...I thought about that also!.....One thing on my side is the fact that this location is not in a very busy location...Not a Interstate. Off a 4 lane and looks kinda out of place there....Maybe I'll luck up!

 

[rbell]

Before you go on the scale go in and ask tell the operator what you would like to find out. He can be very helpful and offer suggestions on the best way to do it. If you need to unhook he'll show you where you can drop the trailer for a few minutes. The scale I used was like Gary described. They had a camera so he could see me and helped get the position correct.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Many scale locations are not busy at all, or are not busy at certain times of the day. Obviously if there is a waiting line, you can't take a lot of time fiddling around.

 

[Orick]

Before you go on the scale go in and ask tell the operator what you would like to find out. He can be very helpful and offer suggestions on the best way to do it. If you need to unhook he'll show you where you can drop the trailer for a few minutes. The scale I used was like Gary described. They had a camera so he could see me and helped get the position correct.

This is the best advice yet.  It was sure intimidating for me the first (and second and third) time I used Cat scales at a truck stop.  Maybe it's just my aging ears but I can't make out a single word they say over the speaker box so it's good to have spoken to them first so you know what to expect.  Using the intercom from a pick up might be a stretch too.

Good luck...

rick

 

[Joezeppy]

The first (well, the only) time I weighed in I was nervous, worried about holding up trucks, etc. I pulled in and there were no trucks! I parked off to the side and walked into the store to talk to the clerk - she was very helpful and gave me guidance. Once I did pull up on the scale, I could not reach the call box (too high) so I had to walk in several times (probably about 200' each way!). I never did get a tongue weight but overall I was happy with the experience.

I stopped at the same place a year later and the scale was shut down for service - talk about bad timing. Oh well.

 

[Carl L]

I know!...I thought about that also!.....One thing on my side is the fact that this location is not in a very busy location...Not a Interstate. Off a 4 lane and looks kinda out of place there....Maybe I'll luck up!

You are not "unhooking".  You have a TT with a Reese Dual Cam.  All you need do is lower the jack to raise the coupler enough to take all the tongue weight of the trailer off the truck's suspension -- about a 30 sec. task.

 

[Alfa38User]

I have noted that many state weigh stations leave the scales on, or at least the weight numbers are still lit up, when closed. You might be able to drive up and weigh to your hearts content if the scales are still working...

 

[therealsimpsons]

[size=12pt]We just made a round trip to Boston and back. I weighed the coach on the way out because we just installed a TPMS and I wanted to make sure I knew the weight all loaded. I even put a full tank of water from home in on purpose.  I went thru a CAT scale...side rails and all. I could only get a weight of each axle. Thanks for the tip about adding an additional 500 lbs when unable to do each corner. The operator was very helpful (I was at a Flying J) and the cost was $9 cash money.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I have noted that many state weigh stations leave the scales on...

Washington and Oregon do. Any others?

 

[pourme]

You are not "unhooking".  You have a TT with a Reese Dual Cam.  All you need do is lower the jack to raise the coupler enough to take all the tongue weight of the trailer off the truck's suspension -- about a 30 sec. task.

Thanks for that tip!.........

 

[wa0elm]

Has anyone used their local Co-Op to weigh?  Generally if you're not trying to weigh during wheat/corn/bean season, they're pretty helpful.  And if you go in and talk to the operator before you want to weigh, chances are you can do it without charge.

Just another option for those that have it available.

 

[JST4FUN]

On one of our early loaded runs several months ago, we stopped at a weigh station at the state border. They were very helpful and gave me a complete printout showing front and rear weights and combined weight. I had pulled on a CAT scale earlier but couldn't reach the talk box! I will say the weigh station wasn't busy when we stopped!

 

[Bob Buchanan]

Note the direction you are asked to enter. 

Have weighed my rigs many times over the past 15 years-- all on Cat scales. Each time I would exit whatever road I was on, then onto the scales. And would pull forward so as to place my front axles on one plate, rear on the next, and finally my Jeep on the third.

That's what I did about 2 years ago in Gila Bend, AZ returning from Texas. When I got and paid for my weights, they looked a bit weird. It appeared my Jeep weighed more than either MH axle - so I asked the operator what was wrong. She looked out the window and began to smile - but before she could tell me why, several truckers told me I had driven on the scales backwards.  For some reason, at that truck stop, one drives to the back of the scales and then onto the scales.

The price there was $7.00 and she didn't charge for me to drive back on the scales in the correct direction.

I recall paying $7.50 to weigh at the Boomtown truck stop in Verdi West of Reno when I was pulling pulling a TT. They only charged me a buck more to weigh the truck separately.