Dry weight published vs real weight

[marcsbigfoot20b]

Found the build sheet to my TT.
I was looking at the brochure that shows a "dry weight base features only" of 4740 lbs.

Well, wow how fast it all adds up. Now I know why people see a brochure and don't have enough truck when they buy a TT. I guess it would be wise to go by the gross weight when matching to a TV, in my case it's 7000.

After the factory installed items it gained almost 1000 lbs. Now add 54 gallons of water (450lbs) plus propane (60). All your personal stuff, food, linens, tools and peripherals I'm right at 7000.

[PAThwacker]

I always look at gross weight and compute hitch weight against my payload sticker. I don't look at tow ratings at all. Exceed payload and its swaying at 45mph.

[hohenwald48]

I don't think the big giant legal post has anything to do with "brochure" weight specs. I doubt there is anything that limits what the manufacturer can say or not say in a brochure. That's just marketing jibber jabber and most brochures have a disclaimer in them stating that basically none of the information contained in the brochure is reliable.

I also doubt the federal weight police spend much time at the local RV dealer weighing the optional stereo or television either.

[wannavolunteerF]

I think the OP was trying to point out the difference between the BROCHURE WEIGHT and the ACTUAL WEIGHT (YELLOW STICKER WEIGHT) and recommended using the GVWR when determining suitability of tow vehicle. This is something I have tried to point out to warn people if weights were close to look at actual weights and stickers to get true carrying capacity. MY TT weighs about 200 pounds more than brochure weight, which means I have 200 lbs less carrying capacity, and if I fill it with water then I am at 1000 lbs less than what the brochure suggests. Some lightweight units only have 1000 to 1200 lbs of carrying capacity, so an extra 200 lbs of accessories could mean not carrying water or not carrying something else. Thank goodness I have about 2000 lbs carrying capacity, so can carry 800 lbs of fresh water if I need/choose to.

[mtofell1]

The yellow sticker on my 35' 5th wheel is 9040#. Loaded up with no water I'm at about 10,500#. Can get as high as 11,000# with water and a week's supply of beer 🙂

My previous trailers have been close to the same increase between yellow sticker and loaded. When shopping and sizing to a vehicle I've always assumed about 2000# as a good ballpark number over the yellow sticker (NOT brochure "dry" weight - those are pretty much useless IMO).

[kedanie]

Once again, none of what was posted applies to the end user. All these threats of enforceable this and that and threatened monetary(check your spelling) threats do not apply to the RV owners out there. Try posting something useable for the RV community.

Keith

[CALandLIN]

rbpru wrote:
Cal and Lin

I have a 1990's vintage PUP that has this information. I believe all recently manufactured TT have this information on the yellow tag on the door. Also the manufacturer is not liable if the dealer decides to add options.

Let's face it, the manufacturer is perfectly willing to tell you what the TT's max cargo capacity is and warn of the weight of water capacity. They do not have the faintest idea nor any control over how much stuff you want to drag along.

If the manufacturers posts the max weight limit on the door his job is done.

S10.5.2 Corrected load carrying capacity weight values or the weight amount the load carrying capacity is reduced, must reflect the total weight added between final vehicle certification and first retail sale.

That's not me just talking, it's an enforceable federal regulation with recall power and monitory penalties.

Final vehicle certification is how it left the factory.

[rbpru]

Cal and Lin

I have a 1990's vintage PUP that has this information. I believe all recently manufactured TT have this information on the yellow tag on the door. Also the manufacturer is not liable if the dealer decides to add options.

Let's face it, the manufacturer is perfectly willing to tell you what the TT's max cargo capacity is and warn of the weight of water capacity. They do not have the faintest idea nor any control over how much stuff you want to drag along.

If the manufacturers posts the max weight limit on the door his job is done.

[kedanie]

All that in the above post applies to the manufacturer and first time selling dealer. It has essentially nothing to do with the private ownership of the RV. There is no rules and regulations police out there. If you modify a RV and make it unsafe, the only thing you have to worry about is that lawyer suing you after an accident.

Keith

[CALandLIN]

Maybe if I print it someone will read it.

It's a safety violation for the vehicle manufacturer to falsely misrepresent anything in this regulation. Any violation is recallable.

This regulation has been in effect since 2007.

S10.4 Each motor home and RV trailer single stage or final stage manufacturer must affix either a motor home occupant and cargo carrying capacity (OCCC) label (Figure 1) or a RV trailer cargo carrying capacity (CCC) label (Figure 2) to its vehicles that meets the following criteria:

S10.4.1 The RV load carrying capacity labels (Figures 1 and 2) must be legible, visible, moisture resistant, presented in the English language, have a minimum print size of 2.4 millimeters (3/32 inches) high and be printed in black print on a yellow background.

S10.4.2 The weight value for load carrying capacity on the RV load carrying capacity labels (Figures 1 and 2) must be displayed to the nearest kilogram with conversion to the nearest pound and must be such that the vehicle's weight does not exceed its GVWR when loaded with the stated load carrying capacity. The UVW and the GVWR used to determine the RV's load carrying capacity must reflect the weights and design of the motor home or RV trailer as configured for delivery to the dealer/service facility. If applicable, the weight of full propane tanks must be included in the RV's UVW and the weight of on-board potable water must be treated as cargo.

S10.4.3 The RV load carrying capacity labels (Figures 1 and 2) must be:

(a) Permanently affixed and must be visibly located on the interior of the forward-most exterior passenger door on the right side of the vehicle; or

(b) If a permanent RV load carrying capacity label (Figure 1 or 2) is affixed in the location specified at S5.3(b), a temporary version of the RV load carrying capacity label (Figure 1 or 2) may be visibly located on the interior of the forward-most exterior passenger door on the right side of the vehicle.

S10.4.4 Permanent and temporary motor home OCCC labels must contain the following information in accordance with Figure 1:

(a) The statement: “MOTOR HOME OCCUPANT AND CARGO CARRYING CAPACITY” in block letters.

(b) The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).

(c) The statement “THE COMBINED WEIGHT OF OCCUPANTS AND CARGO SHOULD NEVER EXCEED: XXX kg or XXX lbs” in block letters with appropriate values included.

(d) The statement “Safety belt equipped seating capacity: XXX” with the appropriate value included. This is the total number of safety belt equipped seating positions.

(e) The statement: “CAUTION: A full load of water equals XXX kg or XXX lbs of cargo @ 1 kg/L (8.3 lb/gal) and the tongue weight of a towed trailer counts as cargo” with appropriate values included.

S10.4.5 Permanent and temporary RV trailer CCC labels must contain the following information in accordance with Figure 2:(a) The statement: “RECREATION VEHICLE TRAILER CARGO CARRYING CAPACITY” in block letters.(b) The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).(c) The statement: “THE WEIGHT OF CARGO SHOULD NEVER EXCEED: XXX kg or XXX lbs” in block letters with appropriate values included.(d) The statement: “CAUTION: A full load of water equals XXX kg or XXX lbs of cargo @ 1 kg/L (8.3 lb/gal)” with appropriate values included.

S10.5 Weight added to motor homes and RV trailers between final vehicle certification and first retail sale of the vehicle.

S10.5.1 If weight exceeding 45.4 kg (100 pounds) is added to a motor home or RV trailer between final vehicle certification and first retail sale of the vehicle, the load carrying capacity values on the RV load carrying capacity labels (Figures 1 and 2) required by S10.4 must be corrected using one or a combination of the following methods:

(a) Permanently affix the load carrying capacity modification label (Figure 3) which displays the amount the load carrying capacity is reduced to the nearest kilogram with conversion to the nearest pound, within 25 millimeters of the original, permanent RV load carrying capacity label (Figure 1 or 2). The load carrying capacity modification label must be legible, visible, permanent, moisture resistant, presented in the English language, have a minimum print size of 2.4 millimeters (3/32 inches) high and be printed in black print on a yellow background. If the manufacturer selects S10.4.3

(b), apply a temporary version of the load carrying capacity modification label (Figure 3) within 25 millimeters of the original, temporary RV load carrying capacity label (Figure 1 or 2) on the interior of the forward-most exterior passenger door on the right side of the vehicle. Both temporary and permanent versions of the load carrying capacity modification label (Figure 3) may be printed without values and values may be legibly applied to the label with a black, fine point, indelible marker. The label must contain the statements “CAUTION—LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY REDUCED” in block letters and “Modifications to this vehicle have reduced the original load carrying capacity by XXX kg or XXX lbs” in accordance with Figure 3 with appropriate values in place of XXX. If two load carrying capacity modification labels are required (one permanent and one temporary), the weight values on each must agree, or

(b) Modify the original permanent RV load carrying capacity label (Figure 1 or 2) with correct load carrying capacity weight values. If the manufacturer selects S10.4.3(b), the temporary RV load carrying capacity label (Figure 1 or 2) must also be modified with correct load carrying capacity weight values. Modification of labels requires a machine printed overlay with printed corrected values or blanks for corrected values that may be entered with a black, fine-point, indelible marker. Crossing out old values and entering corrected values on the original label is not permissible, or

(c) Replace the original, permanent RV load carrying capacity label (Figure 1 or 2) with the same label containing correct load carrying capacity weight values. If the manufacturer selects S10.4.3(b), the temporary RV load carrying capacity label (Figure 1 or 2) must also be replaced with the same label containing correct load carrying capacity weight values.

S10.5.2Corrected load carrying capacity weight values or the weight amount the load carrying capacity is reduced, must reflect the total weight added between final vehicle certification and first retail

[westend]

I'm sure Huntingdog can speak for himself but I could see how just outfitting for a short trip with the Missus could be very different than carrying dogs, food, and water for a show, There are also other items, I'm sure, like kennels and such that add into his weight.

[SoundGuy]

dodge guy wrote:
"Several thousand pounds" come on Huntingdog, that's a bit much. I can see a few hundred pounds....but.

Hard to imagine any trailer's GVW varying by "several thousand pounds" but I guess that's what floats Huntindog's boat. :R At worst, my own trailer's GVW might vary by a few hundred pounds if I'm carrying more content in the tanks for one reason or another than otherwise would be the case. Normally I don't and total weight averages about the same most trips, around 4600 lbs which is ~ 1000 lbs more than it's brochure weight, ~ 800 lbs more than it's actual stickered weight. Geez, there's only 2 of us, we don't need a lot of C*** ! :W

[goducks10]

I'm in the soundguy camp. When cruising the RV shows and looking at trailers I always look for the sticker weights. UVW and CCC. Don't care about the GVWR.
I know what I carry every time. Unless you have a HUGE toy hauler then there's no way you can be carrying 2000 lbs one time and 2000 lbs less another time. If thats the way a person rolls then thats how they should estimate weights when looking to buy.
Each person needs to know what their usage will be to determine what will work best for them.
Ironically I wouldn't be able to tow my current 5th wheel according to some on here. It has a GVWR of 11,500 lbs. I'm towing with a Ram 2500 CTD. Some would say that, that 11,400 lb GVWR will equate to a 2280 lb pin weight. Since I have a diesel 3/4 ton I wouldn't be able to tow it because the pin weight would be over my CCC of the truck.
But if they would actually take the time to do some research they would see that my dry pin is 1385 lbs and the UVW 7185 lbs, leaving me with 4315 lbs of CCC. All loaded my pins only 1800 lbs and the 5th wheel weighs 9000 lbs +/- a few lbs.
With that being said using brochure weights can be tricky. It really depends on how they option them out. My 5th wheel is almost identical to the brochure weights because it has no options. That's why I always use the brochure as a base and then the RV's sticker-ed weight for the final decision.

[dodge_guy]

"Several thousand pounds" come on Huntingdog, that's a bit much. I can see a few hundred pounds....but. I always say to add 12-1500lbs to the dry weight this will get you a pretty good idea as to ready to travel weight.

My trailer weighs in at 2k lbs over its dry weight. I pack exactly the same for every trip. If it varies by 200lbs I`de be surprised.

And the only options that my trailer had were skylights and spare tire. everything else was standard equipment.

[Atlee]

My weights will not vary much. I carry the same cargo in the bed, always. The only variable would be what's in the trailer. Almost always I have the same amount of clothes, food supplies, etc. The number of cans of food may vary by a few cans, and bottles or cans of beverages will vary by 3 or 4. I may through in an extra bag of chips.

The tv, which I take out at the end of the year, weights the same on every trip.

Now, currently, I'm in the planning stages for a big trip out to Utah, Yellowstone, and the Black Hills. For this trip, I will be the heaviest that I ever weight simply because we will be gone so long. But even here, I might weight a couple of hundred pounds heavier than normal.

All that said, once I load it in the spring, I run it across the scales to double check. But I don't continue to cross the scales every trip out.

Huntindog wrote:

SoundGuy wrote:

Camper G wrote:
Good post and makes my point with friends why it's better to go by the GVWR number and not the dry weight.

troubledwaters wrote:
I guess it just depends.

No guessing needed, of course "it just depends" - not on GVWR but on the trailer's CCC. Use GVWR as a guide to what you can tow in a situation where CCC is so great there's no way GVW will come anywhere near to the trailer's GVWR and you could easily fool yourself into believing you need to spend a substantial amount upgrading to a 3/4 ton which in reality you don't need. :M It's not GVWR that matters but anticipated GVW, loaded and ready to camp ... and that can easily be estimated by adding anticipated cargo weight to the trailer's stickered dry weight, the result often being not anywhere near it's GVWR. :R

I am always some what amazed at this thinking.

It seems that there are some here that think they always weigh the same for every trip.. My weight varies. A lot. Probably several thousand pounds depending on what/where I am going and doing.

Of course I may be an extreme case. But I am willing to wager that many peoples weights (that are trying to cut it close with this approach) also vary enough to put them over their TVs ratings at times.

TTs are a lot like people in that they tend to gain weight over time.
The difference is that people try to rationalize their way around the fact.