Tow/haul Instant Weight Scale

[Cabose-1]

I have an idea on how to get instant weight reading on our Ford Rangers. I do a lot of towing and hauling, and I never know how much i am carrying. It is alway a wild guess unless a known weight is being carried.
My idea came after arguing how to load a trailer properly. I was arguing with a boomer because as time goes on we become better educated on how to do things.
What I have in mind is a very rough scale on how to measure squat for measuring weight. This would only work if you kept all things constant. For me that would be an all stock truck.
You would paint numbers on the tire well of the truck. As the truck squats, the scale shows numbers. This area in the photo is where i see the squat the most. So...depending on tongue weight, and depending on load.
I am going to paint this on the truck, then buy cement bags, 1500lbs worth, and properly load the bags on the truck, mark or record on a ledger the weight till i reach 1500 lbs. My truck has 1700lb pay load so i would be the extra 200. The put my hitch on and load it 100lbs at a time untill i hit 800 lbs. Yes 800 so i you know once you hit that number you are overweight. I could also add numbers to the left to show weight with inches on the right.
Is this too much work? Or is there an easier solution.
This is a very rough scale, but it is there to be a rough guide for weight. Ideas?

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[Grumpaw]

Ow....my widdle head hurts.....
Before each loading of the truck, you would have to check the tire pressure, all tires. During cold spells, you would have to adjust for temp changes, and again during hotter spells.
Also have to take into consideration the amount of gas in tank, and measure when tank is at same level every time.....
Also, tire compound gets harder in cold temps, and won't flex as much as warm/hot tire compound, so your measurements will be off depending on time of year.
Have to start all over again with new measurements when you get new tires.
Too muck work for some info that really dosen't make much difference as to what your gonna carry....
Just load it and forgettaboutit !!!

For a less than 1500 lbs of bags of cement you can buy a tongue weight scale on Amazon. Good one is around $150, and you don't have to worry about what your gonna do with 1500 lbs of cement.

 

[yamahaSHO]

For towing, that'll give you rough tongue weight... Not total weight being pulled. You can get a Weigh Safe hitch for that.

 

[yamahaSHO]

Ow....my widdle head hurts.....
Before each loading of the truck, you would have to check the tire pressure, all tires. During cold spells, you would have to adjust for temp changes, and again during hotter spells.
Also have to take into consideration the amount of gas in tank, and measure when tank is at same level every time.....
Also, tire compound gets harder in cold temps, and won't flex as much as warm/hot tire compound, so your measurements will be off depending on time of year.
Have to start all over again with new measurements when you get new tires.
Too muck work for some info that really dosen't make much difference as to what your gonna carry....
Just load it and forgettaboutit !!!

For a less than 1500 lbs of bags of cement you can buy a tongue weight scale on Amazon. Good one is around $150, and you don't have to worry about what your gonna do with 1500 lbs of cement.

As long as the tire doesn't lose height on top, it won't have much effect on reading the line since it's basically hub to marker (via the top of the tire).

 

[Grumpaw]

As long as the tire doesn't lose height on top, it won't have much effect on reading the line since it's basically hub to marker (via the top of the tire).

True !!! But, I forgot....think about tire wear...as tire wears down, measurements will change....may take time, but it will happen. Then, springs "flattening" out over time, shocks getting worn and "squatting".....too many variables and wear items to take into consideration.
Also, when the frame hits the bump stop, as you load, no more squat......
Cheaper and less trouble to use a simple bathroom scale for in bed "stuff" and tongue weight scale for trailer.

Cabose....if it's something you want to do, go for it....just seems easier to accomplish with a simple bathroom scale.

 

[yamahaSHO]

True !!! But, I forgot....think about tire wear...as tire wears down, measurements will change....may take time, but it will happen. Then, springs "flattening" out over time, shocks getting worn and "squatting".....too many variables and wear items to take into consideration.
Also, when the frame hits the bump stop, as you load, no more squat......
Cheaper and less trouble to use a simple bathroom scale for in bed "stuff" and tongue weight scale for trailer.

Cabose....if it's something you want to do, go for it....just seems easier to accomplish with a simple bathroom scale.

Agreed, I don't think it's a great option.

 

[mtbikernate]

I bought a bathroom scale to check the tongue weight on my little utility trailer. cheap and easy. won't work on something big enough to max the ranger, but I could find something that would if I needed to. or, just get a ball mount with a built-in scale to tell me tongue weight.

 

[Cabose-1]

Okay, i see lots of other options i did not think about out there. For purposeful towing i use cat scales. I see the point of just load it and go. I understand tire wear summer winter pressures, but it is not nascar, to much wedge on the front right tire. Flat tires are only flat on the bottom. Lol. It is meant to be a very rough guide. But i do see all the better alternatives.

 

[DukeCanBuildit]

Okay, i see lots of other options i did not think about out there. For purposeful towing i use cat scales. I see the point of just load it and go. I understand tire wear summer winter pressures, but it is not nascar, to much wedge on the front right tire. Flat tires are only flat on the bottom. Lol. It is meant to be a very rough guide. But i do see all the better alternatives.

I’m glad you came around to that conclusion because I was envisioning you loading 25 bags of Quickrete onto carts at Home Depot, loading them on your truck, setting your marks, unloading them at the store to return them, and then realizing you only needed to load half that many bags because the 800 lbs of tongue weight plus the weight of the hitch should have been included in your total payload figure. ?

 

[rydfree]

So the boomer was probably the correct one in the argument , lol.

 

[Cabose-1]

So the boomer was probably the correct one in the argument , lol.

Well, he wanted to put all of the load of the trailer on the axle wheels more towards the rear. 30/70, i wanted to load the trailer 60/40 load more over the front axle with weight on the tounge. He was a truck driver, but 18 wheeler fifth wheels are not bumper pull tandem dual axle trailers. Or goosenecks. We had the payload over the axles we had trailer sway at 40 mph. Did it my way we cruised down the road at 70mph. He is old school i get it. So am i, back in the 80s like everything else a pickup was a work truck, and they all carried 4 yards of dirt regardless of pickup size and we all towed houses literally off the bumper. Times change and we become smarter, dont put lead in paint or use abestos anymore. We used chains and ball hitches for offroad recovery. We know better now. So anyway, thanks for the input, seemed like a good idea. Still will put the numbers, but not do anything more.

Thank you one thank you all

 

[Grandaccess]

scale at truck stop or scrap yard?
will tell you over all weight, so far I have had 1200 in the bed and 5200 behind
these trucks kick ass

 

[subquark]

Not to speak for @Grumpaw but I believe he's talking about this type of scale. $99 for this one: https://www.fastwaytrailer.com/simple-weigh-tongue-scale

I see that some Aussies use this type of scale. Aussies seem to be hardcore into trailering with Rangers from the YouTubes I've watched.

 

[Grumpaw]

That or something similar...bunch of different styles.
Even make your own.....Google up "home made trailer tongue weight scale"....lots of sites come up showing how to make one using some 2x4's, piece of pipe, and a regular bathroom scale...

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