Got weighed today....

[Davinger]

I have looked at your base floor plan and it is pretty well packed. Normally I would suggest moving some gear about in the lower storage to distribute the weight. I also noticed that from the outside you have a great deal of space behind the rear wheels. From the floor plan I have your fridge, wardrobe and a great deal of your internal storage space is behind the rear axle. Perhaps taking some of the heaver gear and storing it under the dinette may help. Another option would be to but weight in the front bumper. Lead weights or the like. You could try removing the spare tire as most people never look at it anyway and if it is the original from when you got it the tire is at or near the end of it's shelf life. This is the plan I was able to dig up...

[AXG1040]

Good tip. Yep...that is my floor plan. Yesterday I moved all my leveling blocks ( 4 2x6s cut down to 10 in and lynx blocks ) and some heavier items to be front outside storage from the rear ones. I moved the lighter stuff to the rear ones. Not that they weigh a ton but all the bedding and blankets I pulled from the closet and put them in the overhead bunk. I am also thinking I should have just trusted the tire chart and put in the right amount of air and not add 5-8 more psi just in case.

[Davinger]

The tire PSI chart is designed for tires at resting temperature. That means after it has been sitting overnight. Never over inflate tires or under inflate them. Under inflation causes extensive wear to the outer tire and more drag which causes you to burn more gas. Over inflation causes center tire wear and puts undue pressure on the center of the tire and the bead. (The part that attaches to the rim).

I check my tire pressure before every trip and if you install a TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) you will be shocked as to how much more air goes into your tire at working temperature.

If you want to save some time and not have to worry about your tires as much you can get your tires deflated and re-inflated with Nitrogen. This keeps them at an even pressure giving you a more regular pressure but there is the cost to be put in. You can add air into nitrogen but at that point the gas isn't as inert as it once was.

[The Shadow]

Originally Posted by Davinger

I have a 2011 Jayco 31FS on a 2010 Ford E450 and I am afraid to weigh it. I am pretty sure that it is overweight already. The good news it that Ford doesn't want to be sued so they well within the safety ratings at 14500.

How do you know what their factor of safety is? They won't tell you and in this competitive environment they are all trying to outdo each other in their advertising for carrying capacity and towing capacity. Some in the field say it is the factory of safety that is shrinking as the advertising numbers get bumped.

[The Shadow]

Originally Posted by Davinger

If you want to save some time and not have to worry about your tires as much you can get your tires deflated and re-inflated with Nitrogen. This keeps them at an even pressure giving you a more regular pressure but there is the cost to be put in. You can add air into nitrogen but at that point the gas isn't as inert as it once was.

Not true with respect to even pressure if you are referring to changing temperatures. Even as to wheel to wheel - that may be a different story but that depends on which side the sun is on etc. We have nitrogen in our Flex and Escape (green valve caps used to signify nitrogen). The air pressure still has to be adjusted for changes in temperature with the changing seasons. The PITA with nitrogen is getting it. Most people with it, ourselves included) have to adjust pressures as we go to Florida and return 3 times a year. The rule of thumb is 1 psi per 10 degrees F change in temp. As it gets colder we add and as it warms up we let some out. On the two cars and the MH the side facing the sun on a warm day is always one or two lbs higher than the shady side. When travelling with the MH we've found 5 psi differences when the tires were the same without the influence of the sun early in the morning.

We tow the Escape behind our MH. Whenever we stop I jump out and use my infrared thermometer and check the tire temperatures on the MH and the toad - you'd better believe they go up on the toad. If someone has informed you that they stay level that is a bunch of baloney.

My son races and has nitrogen in his racing tires and we check them periodically as soon as a race is over using a pyrometer (sticking it right into the tread) - and they are HOT.

One of the advantages of using almost pur nitrogen (air is 78% nitrogen) is that the molecules are larger and thus it is harder for them to escape from the tire. That means loss is less than it is with air. But again the problem is supply of nitrogen.

We bought our Escape and Flex at the same time. The dealer added $40 to each invoice for the nitrogen. I told him I didn't order it and I wasn't paying for any extras so they should take the nitrogen out and add regular air. Of course they simply removed the $40 x 2 from the invoices.

Don

[ncoonen]

This seems like a good thread to continue rather than start another. We recently got a 2013 Thor Four Winds 28Z and I have been anxious to get it weighed. We've had one weekend trip in it and feel it is pretty well set up for future travel. One major item still to come is a Big Foot EZ Level system to be installed next week. This will add 200# spread around the chassis.

So to start with, the 28Z is 29'11" long overall on a 210" wheelbase E450 chassis. The door sticker said that the maximum cargo capacity of the rig as delivered was #3,120. I am sure this was with dry tanks, no propane, and no fuel.

Today's weight was (including DW and I, full gas tank, full propane, empty fresh, gray, black tanks):

steer: 4,660
drive: 7,720
gross: 12,380

Capacities per Ford sticker:

front: 5,000
rear: 9,600
gross: 14,500

It is very comforting to know that we still have over a ton of capacity and that the capacity is in the rear where the primary storage areas are. I have heard too many stories of class c coaches delivered near the gvwr. I can't imagine how we could add more than 300 pounds of gear and food plus maybe a half tank of water.

...ned.