MrTommy
Well-Known Member
Agree. As a retired trucker I can attest to getting a bit 'upset' at RV'ers taking what I thought was too much time fooling around on the scale while I needed to weight before I could even start my trip.
Trouble with towing. Need advice
- Thread starter Quique309
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Agree. As a retired trucker I can attest to getting a bit 'upset' at RV'ers taking what I thought was too much time fooling around on the scale while I needed to weight before I could even start my trip.
Fordalways
Full Access Members
Point well taken. Those folks get paid for driving, not waiting; and I had also suggested in my earlier post to get weighed and move to a spot away from the trucks. Everything we buy it handled by a trucker at some point.
The call button and intercom is usually higher than I can reach from an Expy seat, so I send the wife in with her cell phone before I pull onto the scales and we communicate with the scale operator that way and that makes it easy to pull on, get confirmation and pull off and get out of the way. I've gone mid-afternoon when the scales aren't busy. Only if no one is in line when you get your rig weight, disconnect the spring bars and get a 2nd weight while on the scales before going back around with the solo Expy. Subtracting the solo weight from the F/R axle weights with the spring bars disconnected should give you the tongue weight. The TW plus the trailer axle reading without the spring bars will be your GVW for the trailer. Then you can determine if your TW is 10-15% of your trailer GVW. If not, you will need to figure out how to move the heavier stuff you store in your trailer fore or aft accordingly. Your spouse in the scale office won't significantly alter your scale weights. But it would be good if you moved to the driver's position (stand by the driver's door) when getting the unsprung weight so that your position doesn't color the tongue weight calculations. These scales typically have a 20 lb resolution. That is, the scale readings increment in 20s. Assuming you weigh 200, it makes a difference on which scale section you're standing on.
Once you get all this dialed in, if you still experience a lot of bounce other than concrete highways, shocks may be the next thing to look at.
Hello everyone. I was finally able to take it to the cat scale. I did measure from the ground to the top of the wheel wells and I realized that my Expedition is a little squatted before having any weight on it. The measurements for the Expedition empty are Front Driver: 36 1/8”. Front Pass. 36 1/4”. Rear Driver: 35 3/4”. Rear Pass: 35 7/8”.
Then I hooked up the camper with Only the hitchball (no weight distribution) and my measurements were these. FD: 36 7/8”. FP: 36 7/8”. RD: 33 7/8”. RP: 34 1/8”.
Then I hooked it up with the weight distribution and these were the results. FD: 36 1/4”. FP: 36 1/2”. RD: 35” RP: 34 3/4”.
At the scale the weights were as following. Steer axle: 3100. Drive axle: 4020. Trailer axles: 6400. For a Gross Combined Weight of 13,520. The Expedition weight axles together were 7120. Then I weighed the Expedition alone and the Front axle: 3160 and the Rear Axle was 3260 for a total of 6420. From my understanding there needs to be more weight distributed to the front axle on the Expedition. Judging by the rear shocks being lower than the front I would assume the the shocks are not good right? Sorry for taking so long to get all the information.
Then I hooked up the camper with Only the hitchball (no weight distribution) and my measurements were these. FD: 36 7/8”. FP: 36 7/8”. RD: 33 7/8”. RP: 34 1/8”.
Then I hooked it up with the weight distribution and these were the results. FD: 36 1/4”. FP: 36 1/2”. RD: 35” RP: 34 3/4”.
At the scale the weights were as following. Steer axle: 3100. Drive axle: 4020. Trailer axles: 6400. For a Gross Combined Weight of 13,520. The Expedition weight axles together were 7120. Then I weighed the Expedition alone and the Front axle: 3160 and the Rear Axle was 3260 for a total of 6420. From my understanding there needs to be more weight distributed to the front axle on the Expedition. Judging by the rear shocks being lower than the front I would assume the the shocks are not good right? Sorry for taking so long to get all the information.
chuck s
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You want both suspensions to compress equally. Not sure what FD etc mean in your message. All ya need is to note the amount of compression and since you can't vary it side to side just measure the fender lip height at the front and real loaded and unloaded. If one depresses 1/4" and the other 1" you need to transfer more weight to the 1/4" measured axle.
I'd avoid any WDH using chain links. I've run the same Equalizer (brand) WDH on my former '02 Explorer and '07 Expedition and now on my '17 Expedition. Just takes a coat of paint every couple of years.
Email me and I'll send photos of how it's setup. This will put you very close if not right on as my Roo 23SS hybrid weighs about 6000 pounds.
-- Chuck
I'd avoid any WDH using chain links. I've run the same Equalizer (brand) WDH on my former '02 Explorer and '07 Expedition and now on my '17 Expedition. Just takes a coat of paint every couple of years.
Email me and I'll send photos of how it's setup. This will put you very close if not right on as my Roo 23SS hybrid weighs about 6000 pounds.
-- Chuck
Bedrck47
Full Access Members
Chuck I think FD means Front Drivers side and FP is Front Passenger side R is Rear D&P same as the front D&P
Well anfter having the Expedition inspected, I was told one of the rear shocks was leaking and that the rest were worn out. I will be installing Rancho quicklifts first then adjusting the bars to to distribute more weight to the front axle. I will let you guys know how that goes.
