Possible CCC Upgrade

I would send the request for modification to Newmar. They built the RV and they would be the best resource for a safe correct answer. Make sure you include the chassis VIN and the Newmar 6 digit unit number. Doug

What is really going down here is that our old coach, the 35ft Dolphin, legitimately had about a full 2,000 lb. more CCC than our new 37ft Baystar. I weighed the Dolphin fully loaded several times and was really never close to its full CCC capacity whether we were loaded for a 10 week trip to Alaska or loaded with all the tailgating gear and planning on taking 7 full size adults to a football game.

With the new coach, I do have to be very careful on how it is loaded for each trip. As I said, the sticker says the 80 gallon water capacity is 664 lbs. and is to be subtracted from the CCC leaving only 1,300 pounds for occupants and other cargo.

Also, the frame section and steel strength is exactly the same. Everything is exactly the same on the spec sheets except for the capacity of the rear leaf springs. The raw curb weight of the stripped chassis is 7,381 lbs for the 24K frame and 7,394 lbs for the 26K frame with the same 252" wheelbase.

I know manufacturers constantly struggle with cost creep on every design they put forward to build and sell to the public and chassis manufacturers, in this case Ford, offers a pretty wide varied of chassis capacities and wheel base lengths to accommodate desires of their manufacturing customers, but if the difference in cost is for 13 more pounds of steel in the springs to get another ton of CCC, why not. But my original post is not to be critical of manufacturers about this CCC topic or to disregard the need for any one to not fully understand the loading of front and rear axles for any type of trip one is packing for. Those are both topics for another post.

I just want to know what am I missing in considering replacing the rear leaf springs?

Do you really need 75 gallons of water for a football game?

I agree your math and numbers aren't making sense! I'm seeing a 3400lb CCC. Minus 673lbs, leaves you with 2700lbs for people and cargo. That's less, it not enough to worry about and certainly not enough to start changing springs.

Your numbers aren't making sense. Is the CCC 3300lb or 1974? (I looked up online and it shows 3400lb CCC)
Are you really taking 7 200lb people?

A couple thoughts:
- you mention the steel strength that they use in the frame but is the frame the exact same dimensions?
- It might just be the springs that are different and functionally, you can carry more weight but the sticker doesn't change. I can all but guarantee the manufacturer won't sign off on it no matter what the real situation is.

don 't know but i'd talk to the mfg. before i did anything. regarding your axle weights...you really should care as it is possible to be overweight on one axle and still weigh less than the GVWR. i know from personal experience.

good luck.

Rich

The new coach has a posted 1,974 pound CCC less 673 pounds for the water load (also posted) leaving the actual CCC for people and cargo of 1,301 pounds. I have weighed our new coach and it was pretty close to listed dry weight.

I am not really interested in individual wheel or axle weights in my post. The coach has seat belts for 7. That alone is 7 X 200 lb per person is 1,400 pounds.

Will replacing the rear springs increase the capacity by 2,000 more pounds? Seems to me that it would, but what else might I be missing since everything else; axles, brakes, etc. are all the same as the 26K chassis. Will handling or ride quality be adversely effected?

you can carry 240-gal of water?

what does your coach weigh on each axle as it is loaded for travel? you need to know the actual weight on each axle and then compare them to the published gross axle weight rating for your coach.