Ridiculous lack of payload....
The new {March}, issue of Motorhome magazine hit our mailbox yesterday. The cover story is on the Fleetwood Jamboree 30D and as always Motorhome gushes {they never reviewed an RV they didn't love}. ...
Forum Discussion
Rick, you're SO right. The Wheelbase on subject coach is 214. Some of the newer (Coachmen, I think...) models are over 220. Ours is 218, and that WB allows enough weight on the FRONT axle to keep the rear from being overloaded at GVWR.
Unless and Until, the MFR publishes what the new coach weighs FRONT and REAR, a buyer who wants to see what's actually going on, cannot. Saying "it shipped at 2500 less than GVWR" doesn't address Front/Rear weight distribution.
Four Corner Weights would be even better. I think MFRs would be even more reluctant to show those. The big Class A's aren't exempt either. I think it was some popular diesel pusher that showed a pattern of blowing the left front tire. Turned out to be weight of slides on driver side.
I remain convinced the Stylists, not the Engineers, control the Wheelbase!!! Even a "basement" model Class C, with its "house" up on a metal "slab" has Rear Wheel Wells. Coach has to be styled attractively, and those wheel wells hidden under a shower pan, a bath vanity, the fridge, the sink, someplace the Buyer won't trip over it. So it's "I want the axle here" and that "here" isn't likely to be where the weight distributes right.
For me, the "offending designs" are:
1. Mid-sized C's 27-28 ft with a walkaround queen bedroom
2. Long C's 30-32 ft with rear queen bedroom on a slide
Only answers I can think of
1. Read the label
2. Think weight distribution
3. Don't let sales people tell you the label's all you need to know
4. Drive it to a CAT Scale and get the Front/Rear weights
5. Check and adjust Tire Pressure while you're at the Scales - Give the coach a fair chance to handle right
Unless and Until, the MFR publishes what the new coach weighs FRONT and REAR, a buyer who wants to see what's actually going on, cannot. Saying "it shipped at 2500 less than GVWR" doesn't address Front/Rear weight distribution.
Four Corner Weights would be even better. I think MFRs would be even more reluctant to show those. The big Class A's aren't exempt either. I think it was some popular diesel pusher that showed a pattern of blowing the left front tire. Turned out to be weight of slides on driver side.
I remain convinced the Stylists, not the Engineers, control the Wheelbase!!! Even a "basement" model Class C, with its "house" up on a metal "slab" has Rear Wheel Wells. Coach has to be styled attractively, and those wheel wells hidden under a shower pan, a bath vanity, the fridge, the sink, someplace the Buyer won't trip over it. So it's "I want the axle here" and that "here" isn't likely to be where the weight distributes right.
For me, the "offending designs" are:
1. Mid-sized C's 27-28 ft with a walkaround queen bedroom
2. Long C's 30-32 ft with rear queen bedroom on a slide
Only answers I can think of
1. Read the label
2. Think weight distribution
3. Don't let sales people tell you the label's all you need to know
4. Drive it to a CAT Scale and get the Front/Rear weights
5. Check and adjust Tire Pressure while you're at the Scales - Give the coach a fair chance to handle right
