Homesteading Forum banner

weighing a trailer

2K views 22 replies 13 participants last post by  Darren 
#1 ·
Hi. I have to weigh a homemade trailer to get it licensed. I have an old scale on wheels, good for 1,000 lbs. If I add the weight of the tongue on the scale to the weight of each wheel on the scale, would the three add up to the trailer's total weight ? Thanks for your time !
 
#6 ·
All the above methods will work.
The truck stop scales may be able to give you a certified document for verification.
I'm betting though that if they didn't say you had to show proof, any reasonable guess will serve your purpose
 
#12 ·
As long as each part is the same distance off the ground when weighed, the weight will be accurate. If you get two identical scales and weigh yourself simultaneously with one foot on each, the two indicated scale weights will add to your total weight.

You can also use the same basic physics to determine tongue weight when it's greater than the scale capacity. In that case you use something for a beam. If the tongue weight is no more than half the scale weight or less, the tongue will rest on the midpoint of the beam. One end will rest on the scale. The other end should rest on a shim the thickness of the scale. Similarly you can offset, move from the center point of the beam, to use the same scale for a tongue weight much heavier than the scale capacity. You can use a 300 lb scale to weigh a tongue weight of over 1,000 lbs with a long enough beam.
 
#13 · (Edited)
As in the states, it's usually better to go to a gov't weigh station (for free) and have them give you the "official" weight.

https://www.ontario.ca/page/register-trailer#section-5


I know you're in Quebec, but my French is getting rusty. The PDF is only available in Francais, lol.
It said if it was older 900kg, it didn't need a "mechanical" inspection, but I'm not sure how you could prove it other than having an official weigh ticket or getting a DMV official who happened to be in a generous mood that day.
 
#15 ·
Darren you are right! And I even tried this out with my bathroom scale, putting one foot on the scale and the other on a surface at exactly the same height. I weighed exactly half my weight! But if one foot was lower, not so.

So for the trailer, would the three weights each be 1/3 of the total weight?
 
#16 ·
Darren you are right! And I even tried this out with my bathroom scale, putting one foot on the scale and the other on a surface at exactly the same height. I weighed exactly half my weight! But if one foot was lower, not so.

So for the trailer, would the three weights each be 1/3 of the total weight?
I wouldn't expect it to be divided evenly three ways.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top