How to deal with 1997 Tioga Walkabout above GVWR

[walkabout1997]

I recently purchased a 1997 Tioga 23' Walkabout. The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) is 10500 lbs. The vehicle weight unloaded, but with no water or propane gas is 9640 lbs. So that leaves a carrying capacity of 860 lbs. My wife weighs 120 lbs and I weigh 150 lbs which gets the gross vehicle weight up to 9910 lbs when we're in it and leaves 590 lbs of carrying capacity before the Walkabout is over its GVWR.
My guess is our tools, water, propane, bikes, kites, surfboards, a stand up paddleboard, etc. will add about 850-1000 lbs, so the gross vehicle weight might be as high as 11000 lbs, 500 lbs above the GVWR. The front axle gross vehicle weight rating of the Walkabout is 3700 lbs and the rear axle weight rating is 7500 lbs for a total of 11200 lbs.
There have been a lot of these small motorhomes sold and my guess is that many of them, if not most, are operating above their Gross Vehicle Weight Ratings. I'm interested in suggestions about how to deal with my over GVWR Walkabout, any real world information about how people have dealt with C Classes that are over the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and if I'm correct that many or most operate above the GVWR.
Thanks for your help.

[poloTurbo]

I have the same problem on a K2500 class c 4x4. I will be at least 500lbs over gvwr.
I change my rear tires for real load E 3100lbs capacity.
Put 100 lbs in the rear airbags.

I guess time will tell but in 25 years it never broke with quite a few hard roads with the last owner. Pretty tough.

[TyroneandGladys]

Any weight behind the rear axle takes weight off of the front axle and transfers that weight to the rear axle. The farther back from the axel the greater the effect,

[carringb]

Mich F wrote:


Are you sure that applied to '96, '97 E 350s ?
My 1997 E 350 also has a 10,500# GVWR, which was pretty much the norm for the dually E 350 back then.

Something else that I just thought of, that Load Range D tires were pretty much the norm back then.

I'm not sure which years the bulletin applied to. Good point on the tires also.

Really though, the E350 chassis hasn't changed much from 1992. Front axles are all the same (except springs) until '08, and the rear axles haven't changed either, except that somewhere mid-'00s they also added an upgraded 8500# Dana 70 vs the standard 7800# version, along with upgraded spring packs.

[Mich_F]

carringb wrote:


The E350 is capable of up to 12,300 GVWR. Ford actually had a bulletin allowing final stage upfitters to uprate the GVWR, and many did.

Are you sure that applied to '96, '97 E 350s ?
My 1997 E 350 also has a 10,500# GVWR, which was pretty much the norm for the dually E 350 back then.

Something else that I just thought of, that Load Range D tires were pretty much the norm back then. Taking the 225 75 16 LRD tire of 2,335# per tire at 65 psi gave you 4,670# carrying capacity on the steer axle. On the drive axle 2,150# per tire gave you a 8,600# carrying capacity.
The newer norm is the Load range E tire. The same size at max. pressure (80#) looks like 2,680# per tire or 5,360# drive axle and 2,470# or a total of 9,880# on the drive axle.
http://www.goodyeartrucktires.com/pdf/resources/service-manual/Retread_S14_V.pdf

[Mich_F]

Mike Leslie wrote:
I'm interested too. We are 5000 under GCWR but we are 1100# over on the drive rear axle. Under 600 on the steer axle. How (where?) do we move the bedding, clothes, bag chairs and leveling wood forward???

Therefore, we are interested in the answers to walkabout1997 questions.
Mike Leslie
29B Minnie 2003

I'm not sure why you're bringing GCWR into this discussion. This only involves GVWR. :h

[walkabout1997]

Carrinb,

You made my day with the information regarding the update of the e350 GVWR. Can you tell me how to find that bulletin? I can't find it on the internet.

On closer inspection my vehicle is a 1996 e350 cutaway with a ford rv prep package manufactured in september, 1996. The 1997 date must be when Tioga completed the upfit.

Thanks for your help!

[carringb]

Mike Leslie wrote:
I'm interested too. We are 5000 under GCWR but we are 1100# over on the drive rear axle. Under 600 on the steer axle. How (where?) do we move the bedding, clothes, bag chairs and leveling wood forward???

Therefore, we are interested in the answers to walkabout1997 questions.
Mike Leslie
29B Minnie 2003

Do you have an E350 or E450/E-Superduty? Big difference, main one being the E350 has a 7800# RAWR and the E450 is ~9400. That also means one is axle limited, the other is tire limited.

The light front end is your biggest problem. I've seen some folks install a front hitch receiver, and carry a pickup bed box up front for their heavy stuff like wood and extra water.

[carringb]

walkabout1997 wrote:
My chassis is a 1997 ford e350 cutaway dually.

The E350 is capable of up to 12,300 GVWR. Ford actually had a bulletin allowing final stage upfitters to uprate the GVWR, and many did.

I would recommend re-weighing. The max RAWR is for that chassis is 7,800 pounds and FAWR is 4,600 pounds. If you are under those numbers, I wouldn't worry too much about it, other that maybe consider upgrading to the max spring rate, which is really the only substantial change between the various axle weight ratings.

[BobandShaz]

Mike Leslie wrote:
I'm interested too. We are 5000 under GCWR but we are 1100# over on the drive rear axle. Under 600 on the steer axle. How (where?) do we move the bedding, clothes, bag chairs and leveling wood forward???

Therefore, we are interested in the answers to walkabout1997 questions.
Mike Leslie
29B Minnie 2003

GCVW Includes weight of what you are towing. It will be more than GVWW.

Sorry should read GCWR and GVWR. Typo SORRY

[walkabout1997]

My chassis is a 1997 ford e350 cutaway dually.

[j-d]

What chassis is this on?
And, have you actually weighed it?
Or, are you working off of specifications?
Over the years, the Ford E350 (just as an example) has gone from a GVWR of about 11000 to the current model at 12500. You can see why. Still, we had a 1984 24-ft Holiday Rambler (built solidly which means heavy) on a 1983 E350. Weighed all four corners and they added up to just a hair below GVWR once we loaded our travel stuff.
FYI, I think you're right. The net capacity of many RV's is really thin, so many probably ARE running above max. And most likely loaded lopsided too. Which is why Michelin has an "RV" version of their tire load/pressure chart. It's set up with Corner Weights. The "Light Truck" version of the chart is set up with Axle weights. At least get Axle Weights if you don't already have them. $10 to use the CAT scale at any Travel Center (politically correct term for Truck Stop).

[Mike_Leslie]

I'm interested too. We are 5000 under GCWR but we are 1100# over on the drive rear axle. Under 600 on the steer axle. How (where?) do we move the bedding, clothes, bag chairs and leveling wood forward???

Therefore, we are interested in the answers to walkabout1997 questions.
Mike Leslie
29B Minnie 2003