maillemaker wrote:
What isn't helpful are posts questioning why I would have our tanks fully loaded, suggesting that I don't know how much our personal items weigh, or assuming we're rookies.
I'm not sure why people automatically make these assumptions when they add nothing to the conversation.
Welcome to rv.net. I have said many times before this forum is one of the most hostile "help" forums I have ever encountered.
It seems like half the replies want to tell you why you're an idiot.
Anyway, I'd believe the scale. If you really want to know how much your rig weighed when you bought it, take everything out of it and go weigh it. Then compare that with what the dealer said it weighed.
Steve
To be fair, this forum has been extremely helpful in the past. There have been some really helpful answers/suggestions in this thread too.
I might just be over-sensitive since we deal with unsolicited advice so much with our vlog :).
Anyway, good news and bad news, then more bad news and more good news.
The first bit of bad news is that I still don't know why we're 1,000 pounds overweight. At this point I think the weight on the sticker by the propane door is wrong. I explain why below.
Here's some good news, though. I called Grand Design and the dealer and got some definite answers.
First, Grand Design says that the weight on the sticker by the propane door is the weight as it rolls off the line AFTER all the dealer options are added. If the dealer ordered a generator then the weight on the sticker includes that. Same for an additional A/C, etc.
So I called the dealer and he said he didn't add anything after he ordered it.
According to the sticker by the propane door, the weight when it rolled off the line was 13,461. That gives us 3,039 pounds of cargo to work with.
So here are my calculations. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong:
- 1303: 157 gallons of water
- 378: 60 gallons of gasoline
- 60: 14 gallons of propane
- = 1,741 pounds
- 148: Washer/dryer
- 200: After market cabinet
- Mattress: 150
- = 498 pounds
Total = 2,239 pounds
13,461 + 2,239 = 15,700
16,500 (GVWR) - 15,700 = 800
So, we have 800 pounds left over for clothes, food, and miscellaneous items. Incidentally, that's exactly what I said I thought the upper limit of our cargo was in my OP. I based that off the cargo in our last 2 rigs.
However, the scales how us at 17,500, so we're still 1,000 pounds off somewhere. I've gone through our rig at least 5 times these last few days, and I just can't come up with that much weight. We've got 1 closet of clothes, 1 cabinet of baby clothes and associated items, some baby toys, 2 pairs of alpine skis, a propane firepit, a few tools, a small bin of camping gear, a small bin of winter clothes, food, and kitchen items. That's it.
The only thing I can figure is that the weight Grand Design put on the sticker by the propane door is incorrect.
That's the second bit of bad news.
Now for the second bit of good news...Grand Design said that the weak point on the rig is the axles, and if we need to be over the GVWR then we can upgrade them.
So I called the dealer (he's a friend and I trust him to do us right) and he said he can't imagine spending more than $1,000 to upgrade the axles. He is going to do a little research and see if any other components need to be upgraded, like the tires and springs. He's going to write us up a quote.
Until then, we just won't fill up our fresh water tank. That won't be a problem since we won't be boondocking a lot for the next couple of months.
I might eventually empty out the rig just to see if the scales match the weight on the sticker. However, even if it doesn't, I think I'll upgrade the axles anyway. Grand Design tries to go with twin axles when possible on their Momentum 5th wheels, which I like. However, the flip side is that you're putting a lot of weight on two axles. Upgrading them will give me more peace of mind, especially when we tackle the Alcan.
So, I think I have the answers I need and a plan of action. Thank you guys for all the help :)
