Community Forums

jim22 · 12-12-2010, 03:02 PM

I am new to the game of travel trailers so i just bought a 2005, 25ft starcraft with a weight of 5300 pounds but i saw a 32ft starcraft with a weight of 4700 pounds, how does a 5 or 6 ft shorter travel trailer weigh more? Just a note i have seen many longer travel trailers with less weight, what gives?

TXiceman · 12-12-2010, 03:24 PM

The 4700# is most likely a dream world DRY WEIGHT.

Welcome to iRV2.

The truck and RV manufacturers both use a lot of imagination in the ratings and data they publish...So Buyer Beware....

The trucks tow ratings have lots of fine print. It is based on a base model truck with no cargo, no options no accessories, no passengers other than a 150# driver and no hitch. You add up all of the missing items and you will have a considerably less towing and payload capacity than the stripped truck.

Trailers are treated the same way. Any item listed as an option is not included in the dry weight. On entry level trailers, this will include any items such as, awnings, microwave, A/C, batteries, television, etc. So a real world trailer will be well over the dry weight.

Hope you enjoy the RV world.

Ken

adehaan86 · 12-12-2010, 03:33 PM

Another reason is the thickness of the panelling. How many shelves? It's easy to make it lighter but it will fill cheaper.

Superslif · 12-12-2010, 04:23 PM

Quote:

I am new to the game of travel trailers so i just bought a 2005, 25ft starcraft with a weight of 5300 pounds but i saw a 32ft starcraft with a weight of 4700 pounds, how does a 5 or 6 ft shorter travel trailer weigh more? Just a note i have seen many longer travel trailers with less weight, what gives?

All depends, do they both have slides?. Like my hybrid, which has a small slide for just the coach, it is only 3900lbs dry for a 24.5' trailer. The frame and floor structure on mine is very light weight. The ultra light trailers have a floor structure of 5/16" wood / 2" of foam / 5/16" wood sandwich. The heavier trailers use a "I" beam frame and maybe 1/2" or 5/8" plywood floor.

unit · 12-13-2010, 07:56 PM

I'm thinking that a 32 ft. trailer that weights less than 5,000 lbs. is going to be very flimsy. I wouldn't count on many years of use from it.

Mopar1973Man · 12-15-2010, 10:09 AM

Like during my time of looking through the lots of use trailer with the dealer I notice the feel of walking on some of the cheaper floors that seemed to bow or flex but the TT weight was less...

Like the dealer mention that yes they can build very light TT but usually the life span suffers because its built to cheap...

shipwreck1 · 12-16-2010, 06:41 PM

5300 on a 25ft sounds a little like the gvwr, not the dry weight, starcraft made a few different types of trailers, which one are you referring to?

jim22 · 12-17-2010, 11:01 AM

I am still a little confused about the weight of the TT i have it is a starcraft "Tahiti" 25 ft travel trailer with the small slide (couch) and it is rated at 5300 lbs. Another starcraft which was 32 ft with slide the weight was 4800 lbs i do not understand that the one i have is shorter but the weight is more. The only thing i can think of is i have 2 grey water tanks, maybe that is it for being more heavy. Also any hints on towing, i have a sway bar but only towed it home and it seems to me you have to be very careful of the TT and swaying. Do you tow with the fresh water at half full or just empty it complety? As i said i am new at this game.

Mopar1973Man · 12-17-2010, 05:50 PM

When I worked for the local fire dept and drove large 1,000 and 2,000 gallon water tenders it was insane to drive a fire truck on a mountain road with a half filled tank it would slosh so bad and rock...

So if your smart run either empty or full water tank and keep the holding tanks empty... (If possible) but if not be aware of sloshing of the liquids... I know the travel trailer is going to be a completely different deal compared to 1,000-2,000 gallon water tender...

Randy the sly old fox · 12-18-2010, 12:56 AM

Jim22 - to answer your question about how a bigger TT can weigh less than yours is simply a matter of construction techniques. There are TTs out there with no studs in sidewalls - they simply bond the Filon, foam, and luan together to make a wall sandwich. TTs with full wall framing (alum or wood) weigh more - and will probably out last them as well. If your 5300 lbs is listed as the GVWR then your TT with all necessary camping gear, LPG, batteries, and water (opt) can not weigh any more that 5300 lbs - now if that is the dry wt then it usually does not include any optional equipment, batteries, LPG etc. Starcraft, like most Mfgs include a weight sticker somewhere inside the unit - usually on the inside of a cabinet door in the galley area (although mine is on the wardrobe door) Here the dry wt is listed along with the GVWR and the water capacity and weight. Since the Tahiti model is no longer made it may be hard to find detailed info - unless you can find a brouchure from that era. I would reccommed taking your entire rig to a CAT scale and getting it weighed so you know exactly what you are dealing with. BTW grey and black water are not included in any weight figures and usually the freshwater tank is listed seperately. Also when comparing wts compare dry wt to dry wt as the GVWR is based on the total hauling capacity - which is based more on the axles and frame than anything else.

GPW · 12-18-2010, 06:15 AM

Why haul water around??? Unless of course you're a Fire Truck ... I'm on a campaign to save weight , since I did the calculations on my option equipped Jayco 20' TT and found we could only add a soda and a bag of potato chips before it was over the GVW...

Just removing the factory supplied (Heavy) folding table saved me 35 lbs. So now I can bring the dog along too ...

CD · 12-18-2010, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jim22

I am still a little confused about the weight of the TT i have it is a starcraft "Tahiti" 25 ft travel trailer with the small slide (couch) and it is rated at 5300 lbs. Another starcraft which was 32 ft with slide the weight was 4800 lbs i do not understand that the one i have is shorter but the weight is more. The only thing i can think of is i have 2 grey water tanks, maybe that is it for being more heavy. Also any hints on towing, i have a sway bar but only towed it home and it seems to me you have to be very careful of the TT and swaying. Do you tow with the fresh water at half full or just empty it complety? As i said i am new at this game.

Jim22
What are you towing with? Sounds like you may be undersized if you need to be careful towing empty. I am assuming it was empty if you only towed it home. The TV size, weight, suspension, tires and wheel base length make a BIG difference in handling. Notice I didn't say anything about power. That only gets you going.

Randy the sly old fox · 12-18-2010, 12:10 PM

GPW - I usually do not haul water either - unless I am camping where there is no water - like forest service campgrounds and boondocking on BLM land.

CD - JIM22 did not even hint that he was having towing issues - not that he doesn't. He was just confused as to how TTs weights relate to size - or not. It is hard for a newbie to understand how a 30'TT can weigh less than a 24' TT even from the same MFG - let alone different MFGs. It used to be everybody (with a few exceptions) built a TT like a house - wood framing, alum skinning, panelboard interior, fiberglass insulation. Now we have sidewalls with no framing - Filon exterior, foam insulation, and now even composites as well as alum framing. Not all mfgs have endorsed the new building techniques so we have a very wide range of units out there with different sizes and weights.

If he does have a towing issue - I hope he does respond with his tow vehicle (TV) information.

CD · 12-18-2010, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Randy the sly old fox

GPW - I usually do not haul water either - unless I am camping where there is no water - like forest service campgrounds and boondocking on BLM land.

CD - JIM22 did not even hint that he was having towing issues - not that he doesn't. He was just confused as to how TTs weights relate to size - or not. It is hard for a newbie to understand how a 30'TT can weigh less than a 24' TT even from the same MFG - let alone different MFGs. It used to be everybody (with a few exceptions) built a TT like a house - wood framing, alum skinning, panelboard interior, fiberglass insulation. Now we have sidewalls with no framing - Filon exterior, foam insulation, and now even composites as well as alum framing. Not all mfgs have endorsed the new building techniques so we have a very wide range of units out there with different sizes and weights.
If he does have a towing issue - I hope he does respond with his tow vehicle (TV) information.

I was refering to this comment in his second post (Also any hints on towing, i have a sway bar but only towed it home and it seems to me you have to be very careful of the TT and swaying).