Which scale for tongue weight?

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athearn2
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To Wheel or Not to Wheel

The tongue weight of our 2015 13 Scamp standard no bath right from the factory was #255. That was before adding our stuff! I'm not lifting that. We ordered a wheel and are glad we did. We don't use it often but it is great to have once in a while. I have seen the jack wheels at Tractor Supply so you could buy one later.

RamRod
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Wheel and Pad

When we picked up our 16' Std. in November, the wheel we ordered was inside the trailer and the pad was on the jack.  The pad has the means to be fastened to the jack, but the wheel we got just slides onto the jack when you need it.  You couldn't leave it on while traveling as it wouldn't be there when you did!  We do use the wheel as we have to turn the Scamp 180 degrees to put it on our driveway (otherwise we couldn't open the door), and the wheel is handy for "pavement".  I did take it off and return the pad when I set it up for Winter storage.

mk evenson
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Wheel

RamRod, thanks for that info. It is all making sense now. I had no idea that the wheel was not pinned to the Jack. This may change things in my endeavor to weigh the tongue. From what I understand you to say, when the jack is up the wheel will fall off on it's own, so when the jack is down, raising, leveling, the trailer, the wheel will most likely be put away. Interesting!

Mark

 

 

Thanks for making us feel so welcome.
If you have a choice, Please buy, "Made in America"

Old Man in the Cave
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Tongue Weight vs Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW)

Hello, I see the last post on this thread was almost 2 months ago, and being new to this forum, I'm not sure how old a thread should be before you should not post. Please forgive me if I should have started a new thread.

I've read all the posts and there seems to be a bit if confusion where the original poster was talking about tongue weight, and a few posts responded with info about gross vehicle weight.

I was taught a long time ago that the tongue weight for a trailer should be about 200 pounds regardless of the trailer weight when towing with a passenger car or pick-up truck. (I don't know about tractor trailers.) It's about balance. If your tongue weight is too light, move some cargo forward past the axle. If it's too heavy, move cargo to the back. Proper tongue weight steadies the trailer. Improper tongue weight can make the trailer unstable, usually resulting in fishtailing. Fishtailing is very dangerous, as you probably know.

Any scale such as a bathroom scale is sufficient for measuring tongue weight as long as it measure over 200 pounds, and most bathroom scales I've seen go up to 350 pounds.

Gross vehicle weight (GVW) is the total weight of your trailer (or truck, or motorcycle, or whatever) fully loaded. The higher GVW you have, the more horsepower your tow vehicle needs to tow efficiently. This might matter a lot if you install large water tanks or a machine shop in your Scamp and want to tow it with a 1967 Volkswagen Beetle. If you decide to do something like that, you might want to have your frame and floorboards reinforced. smiley

Measuring GVW can be done by putting a scale under each wheel and the tongue, and adding the totals. The combined capacity of the scales has to be more than the weight of the trailer, so if your trailer is a thousand pounds, each scale should be able to weigh at least 500 pounds so you can take into account the balance of the trailer. Do that, or make it easy on yourself and go to the truck stop as one poster suggested. (Of course, you have to disconnect the trailer from the tow vehicle to get a correct weight.) If your trailer weighs a thousand pounds, and later you add equipment or supplies, weigh the additional stuff and add it to the original weight. No need to reweigh the trailer unless you want better accuracy.

I hope this clears up any confusion, happy Scamping!!

Harold

PS: I found a review on the web of a 2015 Scamp that says the tongue weight should be 100 pounds. (http://roamingtimes.com/2015/12/20/2015-scamp-13ft-standard-travel-trailer/) -HR

PPS: I've seen wheels pinned to jack tubes. If yours is not, you should be able to drill a hole through the tube and the part that inserts into it and put in a self-threading screw. Most wheels swivel at the joint just above the caster and below the tube, make sure yours does and it will work great. -HR

PPPS: I found a wheel in my scamp and it has a hitch pin to retain it in the trailer jack tube. - HR

1975 13ft Scamp purchased April 2017
Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys.

mk evenson
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Tongue scale

Harold, welcome to the forum. I am the original poster and there have been many thoughtful replies. We live in Santa Rosa, stayed in Redding a couple weeks ago on our way to Bend. Glad you have joined the forum and look forward to your input.

Happy Scamping!

 

Mark

Thanks for making us feel so welcome.
If you have a choice, Please buy, "Made in America"

Old Man in the Cave
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Thanks for the Welcome!

Hi Mark, thanks so much for the welcome. I ran a gas station in Ukiah in the dark ages (about 1971) and have been to Santa Rosa several times. It's a beautiful city! I've lived in Redding most of my life, so my roots are pretty deep. I also ran a service station in the early 1980s (I'm a certified mechanic) and when people visiting here in the summer heat - as high as 120 degrees - would ask about temp, I'd tell them we'd all feel better when the cold snap ended. The nice thing about the heat is that it keeps the LA inhabitants in LA. wink

I wasn't actually thinking about buying a trailer, but I was lucky to stumble on the Scamp. I've only had it for a week, and I'm liking it better and better. It looks like you've been waiting a long time for your Scamp. I hope you get it soon, and it's everything you desire.

Thanks again,

Harold

1975 13ft Scamp purchased April 2017
Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys.

athearn2
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Jack Wheel Pinning

The jack pad is pinned to the jack. My wheel has a hole for a pin and could be pinned the same as the pad. I think pinning the wheel is not encouraged because you should not travel with the wheel on. The wheel is too low, hangs down too far. The jack that came with our 2015 13 Scamp has stamped in the metal cover of the jack "Remove caster for towing".

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