Jockey wheel will be about 1 ft behind the hitch. It will give different weights. Due to the moment arm from the center between the two axles. It gets complicated.
I’ll feel it in ma bones! 😂
I’ll see how it goes and report back here, depending when I can get a chance to confirm on flat ground
Every weighing device will have some error, and unless you have the device professionally calibrated you have no idea of how big the error of your device actually is.
The Reich unit only states it has no more than a 3% error, but unfortunately that does not really tell you very much becasue does it mean 3% of the reading, or 3% of the capacity.
As Reich do not state which you might find its +/- of its 1000kg (or 1500kg for the orange model) which could be as much as 30 (or 45kg for the orange) which means you might have to consider a1kg load might read as much as -29kg to +31kg. (-44 to +46kg)
But if the manufacture was quoting 3% of the reading that would be a very much better but I cant tell you which method has been applied.
Most manufacturers will tell you that when such limits are given, it represents the manufacturing tolerances of the weighing device. In practice such figure represent the worst possible extreme, and in practice most of the production will be closer to the nominal readings. However that does not mean you can't get a device that does sit at the extreme but still within the limits.
Way too complicated for me to work out. I guess you could weigh both with bathroom scales. First under the jocky wheel, then under the hitch supported on a stick. You'd have to make sure the hitch was exactly the same distance from the ground in both instances, and take into account the weight of the stick.
Would it make a difference if the jockey wheel is pointing backwards or forwards?
Your right, it gets complicated.
Maybe you will now realise why we sent out Reich back as we found it to be too inaccurate and too complicated for my little brain.
Strangely the Reich nose weight gauge was almost spot on by about 1kg.
Thank goodness, I am a Scot and an Engineer, It makes Mechanical things easy. 🙂Maybe you will now realise why we sent out Reich back as we found it to be too inaccurate and too complicated for my little brain.
Negligible difference, maybe an ounce or two so not even worth worrying about.Would it make a difference if the jockey wheel is pointing backwards or forwards?
Way too complicated for me to work out. I guess you could weigh both with bathroom scales. First under the jocky wheel, then under the hitch supported on a stick. You'd have to make sure the hitch was exactly the same distance from the ground in both instances, and take into account the weight of the stick.
Would it make a difference if the jockey wheel is pointing backwards or forwards?
Your right, it gets complicated.
Theoretically yes, but if you have a set of scales that have such a good resolution that the difference is actually measurable then you've got yourself laboratory standard equipment for which you've probably paid a lot more than what you need.
Morning @Hutch
We are leaving the campsite today and will test the device this morning
When you choose the twin axle setting, do you run slowly over the Reich with both wheels and it takes a reading, then do the opposite side….or one wheel, then take that reading, then run under the second wheel at the same side?
I’m just going to use my Nose Weight Gauge for the hitch end
We are leaving the campsite today and will test the device this morning
When you choose the twin axle setting, do you run slowly over the Reich with both wheels and it takes a reading, then do the opposite side….or one wheel, then take that reading, then run under the second wheel at the same side?
I’m just going to use my Nose Weight Gauge for the hitch end
Wow, your getting my Grey cells going early this morning.
Set the unit for "Caravan Twin axle" when the hitch flashes press the center button and the two upper wheels ( left side) will flash, roll both wheels over the unit, it will store the combined weight of that side.
Press the center button again , lower wheels will flash, move the unit to the other set of wheels and roll both wheels over again, it will shown combined weight again.
Press total and it will add left and right side together.
I would take a note of the left and right hand side down on paper just to re assure yourself.
Good luck.
Edit. if all else fails, read the instructions. I might have forgotten something.
Set the unit for "Caravan Twin axle" when the hitch flashes press the center button and the two upper wheels ( left side) will flash, roll both wheels over the unit, it will store the combined weight of that side.
Press the center button again , lower wheels will flash, move the unit to the other set of wheels and roll both wheels over again, it will shown combined weight again.
Press total and it will add left and right side together.
I would take a note of the left and right hand side down on paper just to re assure yourself.
Good luck.
Edit. if all else fails, read the instructions. I might have forgotten something.
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My Reich scale was solely for twin axle? Are the newer ones for both single or twin?
Mine is very old, single axle Twin axle, both with or without nose / hitch and also Motorhome/ car settings.
I think that the one I bought way back in 2012 was twin axle specific, but I am probably wrong. LOL!
Cannot remember, but I thought both wheels on one side went onto the the pad at the same time and then adding the two sets either side together plus the nose weight, it calculated the weight of the caravan. Either way, we found it to be rather inaccurate so sent it back.
The big give away was the nose weight was wildly out and I think the calculated weight was about 100kg out. We had weighed the caravan on a weigh bridge a couple of weeks previous.
I must admit that was the first thought that cross my mind, but after doing it 3 times and every time a different reading I was not impressed. The nose weight on the caravan was reading under 90kg when I knew it was actually over 100kg as I double checked with our Milenco gauge.
It is horrible, when you check things several times and still get the same result, and you then find it is the unit that your using that is wrong.
Done it with a multimeter getting wrong readings, internal battery was duff.
When I get an issue like different readings, after some swearing and cursing, I leave the issue for a short while and do something else. I then go back, re-read the instructions and attempt the solution again as hopefully my head has cleared a bit.
Seems to work most times unless the instrument is faulty. LOL!
Ok everyone, the results are in…and it’s not looking good
Drove to an area within the Caravan park before we left, which had a flat road and we had ample time to weight and test the caravan.
First off we weighed the nose weight with our Milenco Gauge, which came out to 115kg, 15kg over our allowed weight. The weight on the axles is more surprising / shocking. But, the Reich may not be calibrated correctly which is something to think of, I mean it certainly wasn’t giving correct KG with my weight, so whether we believe this or not is questionable.
Also screenshot posted below from latest Towsafe Outfit Match a couple days ago.
Just for ref:
- When we purchased the caravan
MRO: 1683kg
MTPLM: 1863kg
- Plate Upgrade now:
MRO: 1683kg
MTPLM: 2000kg
Caravan
Nose weight 115kg
First attempt
Passenger side 542 582
Drivers side 564 599
Total 2287
Second attempt
Passengers side 1136
Drivers side 1150
Total 2286
Third attempt
Passengers side 1119
Drivers side 1119
Total 2238
Fourth attempt
Passenger side 1132
Drivers side 1114
Total 2276
First attempt on each tyre
Passenger back 619
Passenger front 499
Driver back 599
Driver front 538
Second attempt on each tyre
Passenger back 606
Passenger front 525
Drivers back 598
Drivers front 547
Drove to an area within the Caravan park before we left, which had a flat road and we had ample time to weight and test the caravan.
First off we weighed the nose weight with our Milenco Gauge, which came out to 115kg, 15kg over our allowed weight. The weight on the axles is more surprising / shocking. But, the Reich may not be calibrated correctly which is something to think of, I mean it certainly wasn’t giving correct KG with my weight, so whether we believe this or not is questionable.
Also screenshot posted below from latest Towsafe Outfit Match a couple days ago.
Just for ref:
- When we purchased the caravan
MRO: 1683kg
MTPLM: 1863kg
- Plate Upgrade now:
MRO: 1683kg
MTPLM: 2000kg
Caravan
Nose weight 115kg
First attempt
Passenger side 542 582
Drivers side 564 599
Total 2287
Second attempt
Passengers side 1136
Drivers side 1150
Total 2286
Third attempt
Passengers side 1119
Drivers side 1119
Total 2238
Fourth attempt
Passenger side 1132
Drivers side 1114
Total 2276
First attempt on each tyre
Passenger back 619
Passenger front 499
Driver back 599
Driver front 538
Second attempt on each tyre
Passenger back 606
Passenger front 525
Drivers back 598
Drivers front 547
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