Looking to determine my boat's true weight. There are a couple of local, CAT certified scales that I can use. I pulled up to one the other day and read the sign next to it. Appears the scales are broken up into sections as the sign said to make sure only one set of axles are on a section. So, with my boat off the trailer, I plan to pull up and set the axles on one section and unhook and place the tongue on another section. Correct? The repeat the procedure with the boat on the trailer and subtract the two numbers. Am I missing anything obvious for those that have done this? Thanks.

You got it.

I'd call ahead and find out what they think the best time to go would be. You wouldn't want to hold up a string of truckers during prime time.

I have my stuff weighed at a local sand & gravel. They do trailer weighing for registrations. I found them years ago on a suggestion from my local licence bureau.

The sand/gravel pits are often a mess with dust and crap. You might be able to use your local trash/refuse/recycle place as well.

Thanks guys. Chris, good suggestion on calling ahead.

scrap metal yards also have scales but I have never seen one with more than one weigh station

I would think you would want to make sure your tongue was on the same section as your axles, unless you are trying to find your tongue weight seperately. But I suppose you could just take the weight readings from the two and add them together for total weight if you did axles on one, tongue on the other.

That's how I did mine, with axles/tongue on the same section. Did it the same way with the boat on too, just unhooked the tongue from the ball, but left the chains hooked to the truck just in case something started rolling.

I can't remember how long each section is. If I can get it all on one section, then I will do so. I really don't need to know the tongue weight, though it wouldn't hurt. Thanks!

I went through the local scales, truck boat and trailer, then went home, parked the trailer and came back and wieghed the truck alone......I could have went and dropped the boat in the lake and came back and wieghed the truck and the trailer alone.......

pull my trigger has the right way to measure it. quick and easy. some scales are one big platform and others like the cat scales have 3 sections. 1st sec is for the steer tire. 2nd is for the drive and the 3rd is for the trailer. Thats so that you can get your different axel weights.

Thought I would take the truck out of the equation but you guys are right in that I could just leave the whole rig hooked up both times and therefore not take up too much time on the scales. Thanks for all the suggestions.