Help With Weight & Payload Management
One of the questions that drives me crazy is: “How do you manage weight distribution and payload”. While I can take all the “known’s” like, GVWR, GCVWR, GAWR etc. and understand if my tow vehicle can safely tow my trailer. The issue surrounds payload and distribution of weight between the tow vehicle and trailer. Oh sure, you can take the rig to a “weigh scale” and find out what’s what. However, to do that every time we load up – 🤬 – not possible.
On reading the Airstream Forum there was a discussion about a product called “HaulGauge”, which I found intriguing. HaulGauge measures tongue weight, payload, and gross combined weight in real-time with an OBD-II connector that communicates wirelessly via Bluetooth with an app on your Phone.
How It Works
Newton’s Second Law of Motion states: Force equals Mass multiplied by Acceleration. Mass is determined by the amount of force being exerted by the tires and monitoring the vehicle’s acceleration rate.
Force is determined by measuring slip across the torque converter as the vehicle accelerates through 15mph. There is a fixed relationship between wheel rotation and the turbine side of the converter.
Acceleration is determined by an accelerometer built in the HaulGauge device.
About The Author
Brickster
Brick and Mona are avid Boondockers, love "Glamping" but still like to experience the down and dirty off grid camping - look for us and say hi. We are easy to spot just look for 25 feet of shiny Air-Aluminium towed by a Dragon Red F-150HD FX4.