Weight question

We weighed our Rockwood 2604 last March for our FL trip, loaded as heavy as it would ever be since DS#1, his wheelchair, extra food and who knows what else was in it. Don't remember the numbers, but we were close to max that trip. Normally it's just DH and myself + 1 medium size pooch. After realizing how close we were, I took a long, hard look at where Rocky could lose some weight. Our dishes, glasses and cookware are pretty minimal, bedding and linens are ok although we have a few extra bath towels that stay onboard. Where I found the biggest weight gain is in the pantry items that stay in the trailer for "those times". I hadn't considered canned vs boxed items. When we got home I swapped out a LOT of things that could be replaced with a similar but lighter item. Weekend trips are not a problem with frig loading, but on an earlier long trip I tried to shop for too many days and the frig was FULL. Lesson learned is that the frig and freezer don't work as effectively when packed to the gills....just plan to resupply more often. For 2 of us on a longer trip, I only buy for 4 or 5 days max and you know there is a Walmart just a few miles down the road anyway. We hauled around a Dutch Oven for 6 years in our HTT when we only use it once or twice a year, so that now lives in the garage with the other camping misc until we need it. We pack clothes for about the same # of days as for food. That's why campgrounds have laundry facilities....besides, you meet some great folks and chat while the laundry is doing its thing. It adds up really quickly. I've often thought I should bring the bathroom scale out and when the grocery bags go into Rocky I should weigh them to see what it really is.

DH had a cabinet in our ROO designated for tools and misc for whatever. When we moved things into Rocky, he found stuff he'd been looking for forever....he lightened up considerably.

We pull out of the driveway with maybe 5 gallons of water in the black tank and close to nothing in the FW, with the grey empty. We always camp with hookups, so why haul around 300# or so for nothing? And, contrary to many, we dump after every trip even if it's just a weekend. Longer trips, we dump every 3 - 4 days.

I have to admit that I have a small handful of "stuff" that I could take out, but it all doesn't even weigh 10#....seriously. A couple of plastic trays, a wine decanter that was a gift (also plastic), some very cool seasonal napkins. But Rocky is on a long term Weight Watchers because it does sneak up on you.

Family of 4 easy 1000lbs for a weekend. Scale verified!

There was 30 lbs of Tupperware...

I hope there's a bit of sarcasm in this :E
I'm just trying to envision how many pieces of tupperware it would take to reach 30 lbs LOL

I'm one of those that has actually taken everything out and weighed it. I'm an engineer (it's a curse) and even though we were new I just couldn't believe we put 1200 lbs in that trailer. There was 30 lbs of Tupperware (that was not negotiable), and 40 lbs of a new dish/glass set bought just for the trailer. I was able to win the dishes debate and move us to paper the first time the grey tank reached its limit and backed up while she was in the shower. Paper doesn't use up grey water space.

Our trailer came with a fold-down cargo deck on the back that weighed 70 lbs which I replaced with an 8 lb spare tire carrier.

I drain the water heater before we pull out each time (50 lbs). Our fresh water tank/pump loses prime at 4 gallons, so that's 32 lbs I was carrying that I could not ever use. I now carry 2.5 gallons in a jug in the coach for needs in transit.

I created a spreadsheet model based on scale weights that calculates wheel wt, tongue wt, and both axle wts on the truck based on the weight and location of items added or removed. I update this for each trip because different destinations require different stuff. The sheet compares all those weights to the weight limits for tires, axles, chassis, % tongue wt, etc., so I don't accidentally tip over a limit somewhere.

I watch the trailer limits very carefully because that chassis is built to a price point and I consider it the weak link. I don't have that worry on the truck as long as I stay inside all the engineering limits for the components.

For those of you that are looking up the number of a mental health professional to forward to me, and to quote a post earlier this year, there is no D in OC. Working this puzzle is part of the fun/challenge of camping for me.

Oaklevel wrote:
While it may not be a lot or seem that way, but your water hose, clean out hose, leveling blocks, sewer hose, extra power cord(s) brooms/mop, stabilizers (ones not added at the factory), cable TV cord, jack, (spare tire if you added one), emergency flares or triangles, awning lights, campsite signs (if you have one), the list goes on all add weight.

:) our heaviest add on is the Golf Car that we use at a 300 acre camp ground we go to in Myrtle Beach.

I guess you have a toy hauler??? Cause I was wondering how you get that in the trailer otherwise

While it may not be a lot or seem that way, but your water hose, clean out hose, leveling blocks, sewer hose, extra power cord(s) brooms/mop, stabilizers (ones not added at the factory), cable TV cord, jack, (spare tire if you added one), emergency flares or triangles, awning lights, campsite signs (if you have one), the list goes on all add weight.

:) our heaviest add on is the Golf Car that we use at a 300 acre camp ground we go to in Myrtle Beach.

Our trailer has only 950 lbs available between dry weight and max gross weight. For me and my wife, that isn't enough.

As I understand it, the battery and LP tanks and certainly water are not included in your dry weight rating, and 2 LP tanks and one battery is about 125 lbs. and water (and any wastewater) is 8.34 lbs/gallon.

We drain the water heater, travel with no water in the tanks, and still have to carry some stuff in the tow vehicle (would rather overload it than that trailer chassis made to a price point). But, we're both recovering pack-rats as well.

I did, and it's 190 lbs heavier than what the sticker inside our TT says the UVW is, which is what it is supposed to be what it weighs on the way out of the factory. I contacted the factory and they verified the weight shown on the sticker. The propane and single battery can account for some of this, but not exactly sure about the balance unless it doesn't include some things like spare tire and shore power cord

Unusable water in the tanks and whatever is in the lines plus the hot water heater, will add weight after it leaves the factory if the dealer does a PDI. That can easily add 50lbs. Another 50lbs for the propane, 50lbs for the battery......and you're there before you know it.

One of our moderators, Kusani, purchased a new trailer about 10 years ago. He weighed every single item he put into the trailer on a bathroom scale. He posted about it here in August of 2004. Seems he put in 1225 lbs of "stuff" for himself, his wife and two dogs.

By the way, I agree with LarryJM's comment about most newcomers to the RV way of life usually being very surprised when they actually visit a scale and find out their real overall weight, tongue weight, or axle weights.
Barney

majorgator wrote:
Has anyone bothered to weigh their trailer unloaded in order to verify the factory labeled UVW?

I did, and it's 190 lbs heavier than what the sticker inside our TT says the UVW is, which is what it is supposed to be what it weighs on the way out of the factory. I contacted the factory and they verified the weight shown on the sticker. The propane and single battery can account for some of this, but not exactly sure about the balance unless it doesn't include some things like spare tire and shore power cord.

I can't imagine many taking their brand new TT through a scale on the way home before they've added a single item. I think weighing your TT before and after loading it all up is a good idea for your records and to know where you stand on actual weight vs the GVWR. Our last TT was approx. 200 lbs under the GVWR fully loaded up. Just one full holding tank would have put it over the GVWR, and if we were ever to have had frame issues, the frame manufacturer could have blamed us for overloading the frame. And they would have been correct if we had towed a full tank of fresh water around, which a lot of TT owners do (we don't).