Weighting Tow Ball Weight of Caravan on a sloping driveway
Pradokakadudavid said
02:38 PM Nov 29, 2019
Just curious about the most accurate way to weight Tow Ball Weight (I have one of those Towsafe TBW scales that go under the hitch) when my caravan is sitting on a sloping driveway? I am assuming that if the caravan is sloping forward down the driveway, this may place additional weight on the towball and give an inaccurate reading. So what is the best way to level the caravan in my driveway and then when it is level, weight the TBW? I am hoping to be able to do this as I load the caravan so I can monitor the TBW as I load the caravan.
Or any other methods to address this issue would be appreciated.
Apologies for my continued ignorance but if I don't ask these banal questions, I will never learn the correct way to do things.
-- Edited by Pradokakadudavid on Friday 29th of November 2019 02:39:46 PM
Dougwe said
03:57 PM Nov 29, 2019
Take the van out front onto road or go to the back of a shopping centre or similar. Unhitch, and lower van onto scales. I did it that way and when I was pulled over two years ago my weight was the same as the boys and girls with the pen and paper ready to book you.
I drove away with a smile on my face.
I have 250kg on the tow ball and a 350kg allowable so all good. I also have extra 200kg spare but not legal due to extra leaf each spring. It's sits there for bumpy roads or similar.
Radar said
08:32 PM Nov 29, 2019
Pradokakadudavid wrote:
Just curious about the most accurate way to weight Tow Ball Weight (I have one of those Towsafe TBW scales that go under the hitch) when my caravan is sitting on a sloping driveway? I am assuming that if the caravan is sloping forward down the driveway, this may place additional weight on the towball and give an inaccurate reading. So what is the best way to level the caravan in my driveway and then when it is level, weight the TBW? I am hoping to be able to do this as I load the caravan so I can monitor the TBW as I load the caravan.
Or any other methods to address this issue would be appreciated.
Apologies for my continued ignorance but if I don't ask these banal questions, I will never learn the correct way to do things.
-
Hi, like Dougwe said and from me who has been involved in road transport for well over 45 years, been across weigh bridges thousands of times, the weighbridge must be level.
Iva Biggen said
08:37 PM Nov 29, 2019
I will add
+ 2 to the above.
Whenarewethere said
01:30 AM Nov 30, 2019
If scales are not level they will not function correctly. It will be near impossible to calculate the load allowing for all the variables if the load is not level. Safety maybe of some importance, sounds like an accident waiting to happen measuring things on a slope!
Tinggu said
04:54 PM Nov 30, 2019
In Victoria VicRoads have made available and free their roadside weighbridges 24/7. They are level with no ramp. Very handy and sensible. Makes it very easy to check axle loadings and ball weight etc.
-- Edited by Tinggu on Saturday 30th of November 2019 04:55:39 PM
-- Edited by Tinggu on Saturday 30th of November 2019 04:56:22 PM
Just curious about the most accurate way to weight Tow Ball Weight (I have one of those Towsafe TBW scales that go under the hitch) when my caravan is sitting on a sloping driveway? I am assuming that if the caravan is sloping forward down the driveway, this may place additional weight on the towball and give an inaccurate reading. So what is the best way to level the caravan in my driveway and then when it is level, weight the TBW? I am hoping to be able to do this as I load the caravan so I can monitor the TBW as I load the caravan.
Or any other methods to address this issue would be appreciated.
Apologies for my continued ignorance but if I don't ask these banal questions, I will never learn the correct way to do things.
-- Edited by Pradokakadudavid on Friday 29th of November 2019 02:39:46 PM
I drove away with a smile on my face.
I have 250kg on the tow ball and a 350kg allowable so all good. I also have extra 200kg spare but not legal due to extra leaf each spring. It's sits there for bumpy roads or similar.
Hi, like Dougwe said and from me who has been involved in road transport for well over 45 years, been across weigh bridges thousands of times, the weighbridge must be level.
+ 2 to the above.
If scales are not level they will not function correctly. It will be near impossible to calculate the load allowing for all the variables if the load is not level. Safety maybe of some importance, sounds like an accident waiting to happen measuring things on a slope!
In Victoria VicRoads have made available and free their roadside weighbridges 24/7. They are level with no ramp. Very handy and sensible. Makes it very easy to check axle loadings and ball weight etc.
-- Edited by Tinggu on Saturday 30th of November 2019 04:55:39 PM
-- Edited by Tinggu on Saturday 30th of November 2019 04:56:22 PM