help with cat scale readings please.

THE BIGPUNN · May 26, 2003

need help analyzing these readings i got this weekend after hooking up to go camping.

steer axle 3380

drive axle 3320

trailer axle 6480

gross weight 13180

thanks

k1500chevy97 · May 26, 2003

your front tires on the truck = "steer axle"

Your rear tires on the truck = "drive axle"

And trailer is well trailer thats a lot of weight that has to be a tandem axle trailer

Shaners · May 26, 2003

I'd have to say you are running a little heavy, and pushing the limits of the truck... The GVWR on your truck should be around 6400 lbs, and weights from the scales add to 6700.

I don't understand the problem here, because I'm guessing the GVW of your 26 foot camper is well within the capacity of your truck. Did you have alot of people/ beer/ firewood in your truck?

Your max combined weight is 14400 lbs. , (which is alot for a 1/2 ton) and you were OK at approx., 13200.

I think if you move some stuff around, you'll be legal (you're within 5% over on the pickup, so I don't think the cops would bother you).

The big question is? How did your truck handle the load? And did you max out the tire pressure?

THE BIGPUNN · May 27, 2003

tire pressure is 45psi, i had the truck and camper loaded for camping this past weekend. firewood, bikes fishing gear, the kids, food....beer!, and about 20gals of water. i wanted to fit everything in so i could get a weight reading of the heaviest i'd ever be loaded up. the trucks performance isnt bad. i keep up on the highway, hills can be a chore.

so shaners, your saying my truck is a little heavy, but my the gross and camper weights are okay. so i should transfer some stuff from the bed of the truck and put it in the camper?

Shaners · May 27, 2003

so shaners, your saying my truck is a little heavy, but my the gross and camper weights are okay. so i should transfer some stuff from the bed of the truck and put it in the camper?

That's the way I interpret your scale readings... I think moving a little weight to the camper would make everything legal..

Check the placard inside the drivers door, and compare it to the weights that you got from the scale for your steer/drive axles.

THE BIGPUNN · May 27, 2003

looking at my little book here, it says gvwr is 6400, front axle capacity is 3925 and torsion bar capacity is 3600. rear axle 3750 and spring is 3750.

Shaners · May 27, 2003

looking at my little book here, it says gvwr is 6400, front axle capacity is 3925 and torsion bar capacity is 3600. rear axle 3750 and spring is 3750.

According to those numbers your truck was not overweight on either axle, but it was over on the GVW by a few hundred pounds.

It's pretty obvious that you had your weight distributing hitch set-up well because the truck was well balanced.

You were so close to being within the GVW on the truck that I wouldn't really worry about it that much. I'd just take a cooler full of beer out of the bed of the truck and set it on the floor inside the rear of the trailer. That will act as a counter weight and will take some weight off the tounge and the rear of the truck.

One other thing you could do, is try to go one more link tighter on the chain for your Weight distribution bars. That will put a little more weight on the steering axle and on the trailer axles while removing some from the rear of the truck. Just be careful, because if you go too tight the truck will get a little squirrly.