can't get the gvwr math to work
I want to buy a Bigfoot 25C9.4SB and a short bed srw crew cab diesel to match. Everything I read says "gvwr gvwr gvwr - never violate your trucks gvwr!". ok. So, Bigfoot says their camper is 3K ...
Forum Discussion
1000lbs for Water and Gear is all dependent on yourself and camping style. The easiest way to save significant weight is to not fill the water tanks until you reach that last mile to your campsite. Bit more of work but you can save several hundred pounds right there (and get that Diesel). Propane as well, you don't have to go with two tanks filled if you limit your hot water and heat needs. For clothes, just as a guesstimate, maybe one person will have 50lbs of clothes, shoes and jackets and that is probably being generous. Food for a week for one person is maybe 20 to 30 lbs. Dishes, utensils, pots and pans, maybe another 20 lbs. Basically, if it is just you and you are not hauling kids or a wife, I think it is easy to keep your weight to a minimal amount to stay close to your GVWR.
In addition to truck camping, I'm an avid backpacker and one of the tricks of the trade is to get a digital postal scale and just weigh everything on your packing list and keep tabs of those weights. When your planning a trip, go through that list and check off the items you know you will need for that particular environment (hot weather gear, cold weather gear, etc...). I've never done this for the camper but it is one way to be able to objectively look at your gear and figure out where you can save weight if you need too.
That being said, GVWR is a topic of much heated discussion in the Truck Camper forums. Some swear to never exceed while others feel they are more like guidelines that can be tweaked with the appropriate modifications. I believe the truth is somewhere in the middle, as long as your reasonably close to your GVWR, your going to be fine. If you exceed it by significant percent (I'll let you decide what significant translates to) that you can start asking for trouble.
In addition to truck camping, I'm an avid backpacker and one of the tricks of the trade is to get a digital postal scale and just weigh everything on your packing list and keep tabs of those weights. When your planning a trip, go through that list and check off the items you know you will need for that particular environment (hot weather gear, cold weather gear, etc...). I've never done this for the camper but it is one way to be able to objectively look at your gear and figure out where you can save weight if you need too.
That being said, GVWR is a topic of much heated discussion in the Truck Camper forums. Some swear to never exceed while others feel they are more like guidelines that can be tweaked with the appropriate modifications. I believe the truth is somewhere in the middle, as long as your reasonably close to your GVWR, your going to be fine. If you exceed it by significant percent (I'll let you decide what significant translates to) that you can start asking for trouble.
