This week, we weighed our little rig on a CAT scale.
Taking our little Chevy Bolt EV and the tiny Aliner popup trailer to be weighed on a scale designed for big rigs was a bit of an adventure.
We felt like we should get the trailer weighed so we could be confident about safety, to better understand the effect of weight on efficiency and because we were curious.
You may recall that we determined after doing lots of research that we would feel comfortable towing 1,600 founds. (If you drive a Bolt, we encourage you to check with someone smarter than us before towing.)
The trailer we bought has a dry weight of 1,174 pounds officially. We think the trailer has no upgrades or add-ons, except perhaps a small refrigerator.
So, we were a bit surprised to see the trailer weigh-in at 1,420 pounds. We’re not sure why it weighs more than listed. It has no tanks, so there is no water on-board. If you have any ideas for where that weight came from, let us know in the comments.
Having driven the trailer over 200 miles with the trailer, we’ve seen that the car is comfortable with the weight.
Having the trailer weighed with the car and then weighing the car alone gave us a clear indication not only of the weight of the trailer but also the weight of the trailer on the vehicle, that is, the tongue weight. It is, as expected, about 10 percent of the trailer’s weight at 140 pounds.
It turns out that weighing your rig is simple and cheap. The folks who work at the weigh station were kind and helpful and happy to collect $12.50 for the first weight and just $3.00 for the second.
Because weight is such an important factor in efficiency, regardless of your fuel, we encourage you to have your rig weighed before your next trip.
We’re putting together a safety checklist for our use and sharing on a future episode. If you have any suggestions for us, please let them in the comments.
Next week, we’ll be in the Florida Everglades with our son Dayton and daughter-in-law Kelsey. We won’t post from our trip, but we expect to have a lot to share the following week. Please stay tuned.
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