I think that the GM chassis GVWR was only around 12,000 pounds, while the Ford E-450 is GVWR of 14,050 pounds.
So when it left the factory, if it was 'legal' weight, then it must have been below 12,000 pounds. Or it might be that the chassis was over it's GVWR, leading Cruise America to change the box over to a higher GVWR chassis - kinda expensive option, but I guess it can be done.
Cruise America might have been having problems with the GM chassis and it's loaded GVW. If it exceeds the GVWR when passengers are on board, then that can cause legal problems.
Again I have no way to tell you what it should have been as it left the factory. I do know that my buddy bought a Fleetwood in 2004, and the brochure stated that the RV dry weight was about 12,950 pounds and GVWR 14,050 pounds. So his total cargo rating was only 1,100 pounds. It was a 31' class C with a slideout. And because Fleetwood built it on the 14,050 pound rated chassis, they did not need to skimp on weight like they would have on a lighter weight chassis.
Also the GM chassis seems to be about 500 pounds lighter weight than a 1997 Ford F-53 chassis of the same length. Probably similar condition in the class C chassis of the era. Ford used a thicker steel in the chassis that is not heat treated. By using tempered steel, the GM chassis can be just as strong, but thinner steel, and thus lighter weight. However it is easier to damage with stress cracks, and difficult to repair, due to being heat treated, you loose that strength if you weld on it.
Good luck!
Perhaps you can find someone who had a brochure on the 1994 Fleetwoods someplace, and can look up the information for you. It should give you a base weight for a 1994 model, and it's trailer weight capacity from the factory.
Fred.
