Lite or Light?

jalichty wrote:
Our weight sticker showed a delivered weight of 7,200+ pounds giving us a total weight of around 2,700 pounds. We have never even come close to that total weight and don't tow with a full fresh water tank. Looking at the Jayco site the other day, it appeared to me that most of the HT line had a CCC of 1,750 to over 2,000 pounds.

The brochure weights are notoriously inaccurate and are based on basic units with no options that in many cases don't exist.
The sticker which are now required by law show the actual capacities based on vin. number. The capacities on the actual stickers seldom reflect the weights from the brochure.

jalichty wrote:
Our weight sticker showed a delivered weight of 7,200+ pounds giving us a total weight of around 2,700 pounds. We have never even come close to that total weight and don't tow with a full fresh water tank. Looking at the Jayco site the other day, it appeared to me that most of the HT line had a CCC of 1,750 to over 2,000 pounds.

Specs from Jayco 28.5RSTS I was referring to below, factory stated CCC is 1530 lbs.
As I said, a 2017 of this model on a dealer lot had a yellow sticker showing a CCC of a bare 735 lbs:

28.5RSTS | 2018 EAGLE HT FIFTH WHEEL
Weights & Measures
WEIGHTS
Unloaded Vehicle Weight (lbs) View Definition 8600
Dry Hitch Weight (lbs) View Definition 1490
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (lbs) View Definition 10130
Cargo Carrying Capacity (lbs) View Definition 1530
MEASUREMENTS
Exterior Travel Length (Pin box to bumper) 31' 11"
Total Exterior Length 33'
Exterior Width 96"
Exterior Height with A/C 143"
Interior Height 95"
Interior Height (Bedroom) 74 1/2"
Wheel Base 236 1/8"
TANK CAPACITIES
Fresh Water Capacity (gals) 43
Water Heater 6
Gray Waste Water Capacity (gals) 32.5
Gray Waste Water Capacity - 2nd Tank (gals) 32.5
Black Waste Water Capacity (gals) 32.5
OTHER
Sleeping Capacity 4-6

Our weight sticker showed a delivered weight of 7,200+ pounds giving us a total weight of around 2,700 pounds. We have never even come close to that total weight and don't tow with a full fresh water tank. Looking at the Jayco site the other day, it appeared to me that most of the HT line had a CCC of 1,750 to over 2,000 pounds.

In the next couple of years, we plan to purchase a fifth wheel. We have owned a Jayco Eagle TT for several years and have had good luck with it, plus we like the two year Jayco warranty. In online research, I spotted a floorplan we really liked. The model is in the Jayco Eagle HT ("half ton towable") line, and the tech specs show a CCC of 1530 lbs.

We found a year old used one of that model on a local dealer's lot and were checking it out. The yellow sticker on that unit showed a CCC of only 700+ lbs, I think it was about 735 lbs!! This unit did have an auto leveler system, probably OEM, but still, that low of a CCC is shameful!

We have a 3/4 ton diesel and plan to trade for a 1 ton diesel, so the weight isn't much of an issue in the length of fifth wheel we want, so I will avoid even looking at "half ton towables" in future. This experience also showed me that the listed CCC's are pretty meaningless compared to the CCC's of delivered units, except in the sense that I will avoid even considering any model whose specs doesn't show a substantial CCC, say at least in the 2000 - 3000 lb range (we're shopping for a 31-33.5' fifth).

Light vs standard 5ers. We have a 2014 Montana High Country which we bought new and have about 50,000 miles on and have used for month long trips several times. We really enjoy it and are very pleased with the construction and reliability. At the Montana Owners Club rallies I don't see HC owners having a lot more problems or complaints than the heavier Montanas. If you will take the time to get a Montana brochure and a Montana High Country brochure and compare the two you can easily see the differences in construction, appliances,etc. Yes, the HC has a smaller frame and a different floor construction but the wall thicknesses, cabinet materials, counter tops, bath fittings, furniture, roofing, insulation values, tank sizes, AC wiring for 2, ready for W/D, water htr. size,5er height and width, slide activation {HC all cable-Montana some cable), tank sizes, appliances, electronics, leveling systems, etc. are pretty much equivalent if not the same. I'm not saying that they are the same level for full time use but for 100 -150 nites a year use I don't believe the additional $20,000 would be worth it to me. I don't believe that you can do a visual inspection of my HC and the closest equivalent Montana and say that the regular Montana looks to be a much higher quality build. I think that a lot of the responses here are peoples suppositions not that they have really fairly compared "light" vs regular. I don't think a "highly elited" RV would make me any more elite.

And now I have to admit that after just checking them out, they do have some models that would work nicely. Still not as small/light as before, but doable.

Probably in conjunction with the increase in towing and carrying capabilities of 1/2 ton trucks on the market today. My 26.5 RLS makes my 3/4 ton GMC squat a grand total of one inch when I drop the FW down and pull up the legs. It has a total weight capacity of 9,950 pounds which I believe most 1/2 tons could capably carry.

I guess what I really meant was their lightest current model would be pushing even the most robust half ton truck (specification wise). A few years ago they had models that were very half ton towable. Like their conventional trailer lines, all their models seem to be getting larger and heavier.

TurnThePage, I find your comment about the Jayco "lite" line a bit confusing. I bought a Jayco Eagle HT 26.5 RLS, 30' long, in 2012 and follow the Jayco on their site as well as on a owners' site as well and it seems to me that Jayco is still selling the HT line, so what do you mean by "that lite line has dried up now"? Maybe I am misunderstanding what you are saying and I am talking about "light" and Jayco previously has "lite" line.

A few years ago I was looking at Jaycos. They had a lite line that was half ton towable. I was interested but concerned too. After extensive research, I found they had the same frames and running gear. The walls were the same. The appliances were the same. They did have cheaper counter tops and other touches, along with a sleeker design (low bedroom ceiling), and shorter overall lengths. Otherwise, the hardware that counted was identical to their "non-lite" line. That lite line has dried up now.