Community Forums

MSGDLD · 04-03-2023, 08:19 AM

To know how to load your RV, most people don't realize that the first step is you're going to have to weigh your coach empty.

A great example is my 2000 Euroliner with a 1998 P30 chassis which I got from my Dad. He ran it through the scale as soon as he bought it. As you can see, the front axle is 500lbs overloaded when EMPTY!
Dad full timed in it, it was stuffed to the gills (much they didn't need) and it was always overloaded.

Chassis Plate: Frt: 5500; Rear: 11000 = total:16500
Dad's EMPTY: Frt: 5940; Rear: 10340 = total: 16280
Dad's LOADED: Frt: 5920; Rear: 11760 = total: 17680
Our LOADED Frt: 5520; Rear: 11060 = total 16580

We reduced it considerably, and it's still a little overloaded. But because I knew the empty weight, I knew I had to put some heavy items behind the rear axle to unload the front axle.
I can't completely fix the issue because it has very little capacity.

Gas Motorhomes in particular, because of their limited weight capacity, are notorious for being poorly engineered for weight distribution.

Our weight was done in 2013, a few years after we got it, I know that we're going to have to put it on a "diet" before this season's camping. I wouldn't be surprised that it's close to 1000lbs overweight now. It's easy to do!

To reiterate; You're in the dark until you know the empty weight.

LargeMarge · 04-03-2023, 08:20 AM

After a half-century of make-do camping in lesser rigs, in 2003, we converted a 1996 Ford CF8000 commercial truck to our concept of an ExpeditionVehicle.
GVWR -- 29,000#.
Weight across the scale -- 14,000#.
Cargo capacity -- about seven ton.
GCWR -- around 60,000#.
.
We boondock exclusively, so we load with fresh water, food, and enough tools to build another rig.
We also carry a Craftsman 20v chain-saw with extra full batteries.
.
An aside:
On those rough logger tracks to remote mountain lakes or isolated Baja beaches, we forage downed wood for camp-fires.
With our rear entry and permanent rear porch, we have plenty of temporary space for plenty of wood, secured with rat-sh*t straps.

Dougsee3 · 04-03-2023, 02:52 PM

US1

On your spare tire is it aluminum or steel. On my Fleetwood workhorse, the inner rear dual is steel the rest are aluminum. As a spare, the axle studs might be too long and or not enough threads to mount a spare in all locations. Spacers or special axle studs might be needed???

It seems like the manufactures have crept back up at pushing the over weight thing again like the pre 2000 units.

My 33 ft like your old one has lots of room for more weight on the axles (22000gvw) I am usually 1200 to 800lbs light with full fresh water.

Even with removing spare, switching to flat tow., and mounting bikes to the toad. I do not know how you could put more than 8000lbs on the front axle. It would seem that you only have a 23000 GVW. Motorhome.

I have always liked Fleetwood but they are pushing it. There were Motorhomes and trailers in the pre 2000 that had no cargo capacity but they did manage for the most part get down the road.