I had suspected that my tongue weight was too heavy so I finally got around to measuring it today. (I have an older H216 with one of the original Venture trailers.) I figure my boat/trailer/crap-in-boat/motor runs around 2000#. Tongue weight is supposed to be 10-15% of the total weight which means I should have 200-300# on my tongue. The good news is I have 216# on my tongue so no adjustment was needed and my head feels a lot better. Measuring it was a cake walk. I found an old chunk of 4x4 about 4' long. I placed a piece of masking tape in the middle. I build platforms 2' out from each side of the tongue, placed small chunks of 2x2 I had laying around on one platform and on top of a bathroom scale on the other platform. I then placed the 4x4 over the platforms and lowered the trailer tongue on the masking tape on the 4x4. That is, one end of the 4x4 was supported on a chunk of 2x2 on one platform, the middle supported the trailer tongue (and, yes, I disconnected the trailer tongue from the truck ;-)), and the other end was on the bathroom scale. The 2x2's made sure the weight was basically on one point. The scale measured a net weight of 108#. Because the tongue was in the middle of the 4x4, the total tongue weight is 216". Viola!
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Another Trick
If you placed the trailer tongue at the first third of the 4X4 next to the scale then multiplied by three you can weigh tongues up to #600 on a #200 scale. It will also work at fourths, fifths etc... Or if you really get desperate you can weigh your car with a tire gauge. Drive the wheels onto a sheet of paper and trace the outline of the tire. Now take the tire pressure of each wheel. Remove the paper and calculate the area that each tire occupied on the paper. Multiply the tire pressure (PSI) by the area footprint for that tire this gives you the weight on that tire add them all and you have the total weight for the vehicle. Use both tricks and you can measure the weight of the trailer right in your driveway. Next week I'll tell you how to calculate the center of balance for the trailer.
If you placed the trailer tongue at the first third of the 4X4 next to the scale then multiplied by three you can weigh tongues up to #600 on a #200 scale. It will also work at fourths, fifths etc... Or if you really get desperate you can weigh your car with a tire gauge. Drive the wheels onto a sheet of paper and trace the outline of the tire. Now take the tire pressure of each wheel. Remove the paper and calculate the area that each tire occupied on the paper. Multiply the tire pressure (PSI) by the area footprint for that tire this gives you the weight on that tire add them all and you have the total weight for the vehicle. Use both tricks and you can measure the weight of the trailer right in your driveway. Next week I'll tell you how to calculate the center of balance for the trailer.
Or...
Go to a freeking roadside weight scale and weigh it with the tongue jack on the scale. I know, the weight at the jack would be slightly diffent than at the hitch, but close enough.
Go to a freeking roadside weight scale and weigh it with the tongue jack on the scale. I know, the weight at the jack would be slightly diffent than at the hitch, but close enough.
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