We are now on our 3rd TT - 29' and 6800 lb GVWR. After having read a lot of threads and discussions on TT weights and what your TT ends up weighing after you have it all loaded up for camping, I decided it would be an interesting exercise to weigh everything to see what happens from the time it left the factory to when it is fully loaded for camping. Interesting results...
I have weighed each and every item that is going into our unit as a mod or upgrade, light to heavy - weighed it all. From roof vent covers to Dexter EZ-Flex upgrade. Weights show to the nearest pound because of kg to lb conversion and because of things I weighed on a scale at home. Actual net item weights were used and did not include anything else such as packaging.
I weighed our TT on the way home from the dealer. I actually went through 2 scales and both sets of weights are essentially the same so there is no error in the scaled weights. After getting home I discovered that the fresh water holding tank was partially full. I emptied the tank using a 2 quart container and it came to 194 lbs so I deducted that weight. I deducted 2 propane tanks at 55 lbs each and 1 battery at 56 lbs. I also deducted any mods/upgrades the dealer did for us (I turned over parts to them and already had the weights).
After accounting for the water and mods/upgrades, the TT is 190 lbs heavier than when it left the factory. I also confirmed the actual weight as it left the factory via email to them and it's the same figure as I found on the sticker inside our TT (took a while to find it and it's not yellow).
I am not sure where the extra weight has come from. I can't think of anything the dealer would have added other than propane tanks and the battery. Do they possibly add anything else to a TT after it gets weighed at the factory? Spare tire maybe? 190 lbs is a lot more than a weighing error. If it was 19 lbs, I'd ignore it.
The total weight of ALL modifications and upgrades is 119 lbs. That includes a few heavier things like water filtration, EZ-Flex equalizers, shock absorbers and also the WDH snap-up brackets + cam arms.
On our first camping trip out this year, we loaded everything into it that we would for any normal camping weekend. The pass-through has all the usual stuff like BBQ, outdoor carpet, folding chairs, wheel chocks, sewer fittings, leveling blocks, etc., etc. The kitchen was loaded with all the usual things like coffee maker, toaster, dishes, cutlery, food, pots, etc., etc. The rest of the interior was loaded with clothes, bathroom stuff (towels, toiletries), some books, DVDs, toolbox, etc., etc. The loaded weight could be a little higher if loaded for a longer trip, but I doubt by very much especially when you consider that you typically grocery shop along the way.
The total weight of ALL cargo loaded into our TT came to 555 lbs.
The total weight of all modifications and upgrades is 119 lbs.
TOTAL additional weight of top of the factory UVW is 674 lbs.
People frequently say that the weight of your TT is in the order of 1500 lbs added on top of the factory UVW. I have to say that I disagree and that for the "average" 28-30'-ish TT, the additional weight above your UVW after fully loaded for camping is more likely to be in the order of 700 lbs (cargo + allowance for some mods/upgrades) which is about 1/2 of the often quoted 1500 lb figure. Water in holding tanks and anything above the norm that you'd carry like say bikes, generator, etc. would of course be on top of that. Perhaps for some, additional weight of 1500 lbs is due to factory options that did not get included in a final weighing before it left the factory or for reasons similar to why we have an unaccounted for 190 lbs?
Another thing of note is that sometimes people say that you can shift cargo around in your TT to adjust tongue wt. If we're only talking about 600 lbs, I'm not so sure that's really feasible. You'd have to relocate a lot of items from the pass-through to the rear or a lot of interior things to the pass-through, neither of which are practical in my eyes.
In summary, it was an interesting exercise.
