part three of the broken frame saga.

JimK-NY wrote:

StirCrazy wrote:

Bedlam wrote:
It is obvious all us camp differently. Some are happy wiith 500 lbs of gear while other campers are pushing 7000 lbs.

I have a 10.5 foot camper that weighs 2600lbs wet, and loard for camping I am right at 3000lbs.. I have a hard time understanding what people take to make it weight that much haha.. now my 5th wheel I probably do have 1500lbs of "stuff" but where would you put all that in a truck camper.

I can give you a list. Heaviest would be food. I travel usually for several weeks or months in remote areas and try to keep at least 2 weeks of food on hand. My foam mattress probably added 50# over the cheap OEM mattress. Next would be a generator and fuel, air compressor, tools, extension cords, bedding/blankets, pots/pans/plates/etc, camera gear, computer, travel guides and reading materials, 3 seasons worth of clothing, cleaning/laundry supplies, lawn chairs, folding table, water and sewer hoses, extra blankets, water pitcher with filters, toiletries, towels, small electric heater, 12v fan, cpap and DI water jug, black water chemicals, flashlights/lantern/batteries, day pack and hydration pack, water bottles, medications and emergency first aid kit, rope/cord/duct tape, levelling blocks..... I am sure there is a lot more but those are what I could think of quickly as I typed.

There are also a couple of heavy items I added as accessories including 2 solar panels and 2 very oversized AGM batteries. I would guess those added 300# by themselves. You also need to be sure that the accessories that came with the RV are also included in the wet weight specs from manufacturer. Mine left off some important items such as awning, A/C, microwave and several hundred more pounds for the "extended" over cab option to accommodate a north south mattress.

With all of that the two thousand plus wet weigh spec from the manufacturer topped out at over 4000# when loaded for travel and that does not include passengers.

ya I go for weeks and longer at a time, but I only carry a weeks worth of food at best as I know my tanks will fill up by then and I'll have to dump and I can get food when I go to do that, or if I am close to a place where I am camping I'll walk into town and shop and sightsee.

I only take two lawn chairs in the camper as it is usaly just me or the wife and myself, but I am looking for a small folding table.. just havent found one I like yet. I have no genny as I only have 12V so no 120 appliances either, the computer stays at home, but I do take my camera and my go pro stuff. Even when I get a new camper, if it has a generator, I will have it taken out and repourpose the space for storage.

Solar is all I need. plus that and the absence of gas is probably about a 300lb savings in weight on thoes built in gennys.

I got light weight dishes, I usaly have cloths for where I am going so some times three season but thats just adding a pair of hiking boots and a heavier jackteet to go from 2 to 3 season haha. and ya my camper is a 1991 so I don't even know if north south was invented then haha plus alumium siding and roof so that makes it lighter also. no ac no microwave, no tv, just a fridge, stove, furnace, wet bath, and water heater and only about 30 to 35 gal of fresh water. it is a big camper but surprisingly light.

I don't have a generator, but I do have two big CG2 Batteries and a large solar panel so about 200 lbs there, corection that is probably lighter now as I upgraded to LiFePO4 batteris last season and havent weighed it yet, but I can assume the old CG2 batteries were 80ish lbs each so 160 and the new one is about 46lbs so I shaved 114lbs off now. but I did buy two blow up paddle boards that I take with me now and that probably adds back a little over half the weight I lost with the battery change.

the new battery will give me a 10 day reserve if there is no solar power at all and I camp like normal.

and like you said it realy depends how you camp as to what you need, when I am in the 5th wheel I have all the toys, even the ice maker and margaritaville, 8 lawn chairs (zero g and director style) the big carpet for the pattio side tables and so on. with the camper I do more rustic camping in places I can get to, so I have my two lawn chairs if I need more I use a wood stump or a picknick table, I use the camp fire instead of the BBQ