Class C Specifications
We started searching for a new class C as it seems we have outgrown our old one. It seems that manufacturers have started to significantly limit the amount of information that they provide in the spe...
Forum Discussion
IMO, the best way to figure your load carrying capacity is to weigh the unit dry and compare it to the published GVWR. So, . . . . how do you do that if you don't currently own it? Find someone (hopefully with some experience) in a campground (or elsewhere social media, online, etc.) with a similar vehicle to the one you are considering buying (Class, manufacturer, length, slides, engine, etc.) and ask them what their unit weighs empty/dry. If they have been driving it for a while, chances are they will know. It doesn't have to be exact, just being within 300-500 lbs. is good enough for you to decide if the prospective vehicle is right for you. Hopefully that is acceptable to you. Then, if/when you buy your new unit, one of your first stops should be a scale. Now you will KNOW!
IMO, unlike the aviation industry (I'm a pilot) the RV manufacturers do this intentionally so that you WON"T know what your usable load is. Many people buy RV's not realizing their load limitations and find out later, . . . . after the sale. Big surprise/mistake!
For example: My current 30' Class A gasser on a Ford F53 chassis has a GVWR of 18,000 lbs. So. as a new buyer, . . , . as I was driving it home, (for the first time) empty (OK well with a full tank of gas, a full tank of propane, and me, . . . . . at 205 lbs) I stopped by my favorite recycle yard (they know me well) and I asked them to weigh it. Answer: 15,560 lbs. So now I know my usable load. 2,440 lbs. (that's a good number) IMO, in most Class C's, it won't be that much. DON'T DRIVE OVERLOADED!
Chum lee
IMO, unlike the aviation industry (I'm a pilot) the RV manufacturers do this intentionally so that you WON"T know what your usable load is. Many people buy RV's not realizing their load limitations and find out later, . . . . after the sale. Big surprise/mistake!
For example: My current 30' Class A gasser on a Ford F53 chassis has a GVWR of 18,000 lbs. So. as a new buyer, . . , . as I was driving it home, (for the first time) empty (OK well with a full tank of gas, a full tank of propane, and me, . . . . . at 205 lbs) I stopped by my favorite recycle yard (they know me well) and I asked them to weigh it. Answer: 15,560 lbs. So now I know my usable load. 2,440 lbs. (that's a good number) IMO, in most Class C's, it won't be that much. DON'T DRIVE OVERLOADED!
Chum lee
