I've UNDERweight!!

[dakonthemountai]

Or at least my Truck/camper combo is! Just before I left for my recent FIRST adventure in my new to me Lance 1055 into the Lassen and Sierra National Forests I went to a certified scale and got my rig weighed. the totals include 32 gallons of fuel, me at 185lbs, my dog at 65lbs plus all her food/supplies, 2 full propane tanks, 30 gallons of fresh water, 5 gallons bottled water, full food and supplies for 17 days (including some fresh produce) including frozen pork, beef, chicken, etc. 2 six packs of beer, 4 bottles of wine and gin for my martinis, . 😄 tools and the BBQ (that quick connects directly into the camper propane) In other words, everything and completely loaded to the max. No firewood though, as I always purchase it where I burn it if possible.


Here are the numbers:

Front axle is rated for 3,800lbs

No camper at the scales with me, tools, and 32gal fuel: 3,460lbs

Weight at scales with camper: 3,600lbs.

Rear axle is rated for 7,500 lbs

No camper at the scales with me, tools and 32gal fuel: 2,820

Weight at scales with camper: 7,120 lbs.

So, total camper weight is totally loaded for 17 days is 4,440lbs, and I'm under my GVAR by 580lbs! Yahooo!!! 🙂


Tire rating is not a concern either as I've got a dually with E rated tires.

I'm so happy! I absolutely LOVE my new to me camper and feel very confident in it's performance and the safety factor. I have Rancho 9000 on the back but no other suspension modifications. Drives like a dream at 65-70mph with no sway issues in the wind either.

Now, I have to gather all the photos, read my daily trip journal and post a trip report!


Happy camping everybody!! 🙂

Dak

[sandblast]

whizbang

Not to hi-jack the thread,would you please give me the measurement from the top
of your camper to the ground.
Thank you E.P.

[whizbang]

Simply amazing unloaded weight.

My Super Cab Short Bed F150 weighs 6000# unloaded.

[Buzzcut1]

Going to be nicely under in my new truck. 2003 with everything including the kitchen sink loaded in all propane tanks full, fresh water full 6 gallons of gas for the honda 2 kayaks and on and on I was 5000 front and 8000 rear

new truck axle ratings 5940 front 9000 rear and GVWR 13,300

[bcbigfoot]

Reddog1 wrote:
My 1996 Dodge 2500 2WD dsl ext Cab with 8-foot bed weight is 6200 pounds. I think if it were a dually, it would be about 6400 pounds.

Wayne

My 2wd dually weights 6800 lbs with 1/4 tank of fuel, 3/4 inch plywood and tie down brackets, mine are homemade and likely weight 60-80 lbs. I believe the dually wheels are a little heavier as well the G80 rear axle is pretty beefy. My 02 has a little larger brakes as well.

My old 93 Chev 2500 extended cab 2wd diesel only weighted 5700 lbs.

[dakonthemountai]

twodownzero wrote:

dakonthemountain wrote:

twodownzero wrote:
What is GVAR? And what is your GVWR?

GVAR is Gross vehicle axle rating and it's 11,300 on my truck

GVWR is Gross vehicle weight rating, and standard for a 1996 3500 Chevy dually like mine is 10,000lbs, which would normally bring me 720lbs OVER my GVWR. However, I'm the second owner of my truck and it apparently was a special order. It has some sort of factory commercial add ons with bigger brakes, a thicker sway bar and an additional leaf spring, with a sticker that says the new GVWR from the factory is 10,800lbs. I'm no expert, but I do know from my research and my 28 years of RV/truck experience that it's the axles, brakes and shocks that mostly still make the difference in safety. So with the factory add ons it's still 80lbs under the listed GVWR. The weights I reported in my original post are referring to the Gross axle ratings though...

Hope this helps. Like I said. I'm happy.

Dak

So there's no such thing as GVAR, you just made it up. You're right at GVWR, which will be safe indefinitely. Great job!

For reference, my 4 door, 1 ton, 4wd, diesel, manual truck weighs ~7200 empty. Being lighter empty definitely helps; it took the manufacturers forever to realize that the increase in weight of the empty trucks killed the payload pretty good.

Kinda harsh man...! No I didn't make it up, I wrote the wrong letters....though I referred to it correctly in my post. So shoot me. You ever make a mistake?.. It should be GAWR... Gross Axle Weight Rating, as jimh425 wrote... and it IS a real thing and an important calculation in the mix. Geesh!

Dak

[jimh406]

GAWR is a real thing. My F450 lists both GAWR and GVWR on the door sticker.

[twodownzero]

dakonthemountain wrote:

twodownzero wrote:
What is GVAR? And what is your GVWR?

GVAR is Gross vehicle axle rating and it's 11,300 on my truck

GVWR is Gross vehicle weight rating, and standard for a 1996 3500 Chevy dually like mine is 10,000lbs, which would normally bring me 720lbs OVER my GVWR. However, I'm the second owner of my truck and it apparently was a special order. It has some sort of factory commercial add ons with bigger brakes, a thicker sway bar and an additional leaf spring, with a sticker that says the new GVWR from the factory is 10,800lbs. I'm no expert, but I do know from my research and my 28 years of RV/truck experience that it's the axles, brakes and shocks that mostly still make the difference in safety. So with the factory add ons it's still 80lbs under the listed GVWR. The weights I reported in my original post are referring to the Gross axle ratings though...

Hope this helps. Like I said. I'm happy.

Dak

So there's no such thing as GVAR, you just made it up. You're right at GVWR, which will be safe indefinitely. Great job!

For reference, my 4 door, 1 ton, 4wd, diesel, manual truck weighs ~7200 empty. Being lighter empty definitely helps; it took the manufacturers forever to realize that the increase in weight of the empty trucks killed the payload pretty good.

[mkirsch]

Ace! wrote:
You would think with mileage ratings being so important that manufacturers would have worked hard to keep the weight lower.

You would, but you can only cut so much weight before you start to compromise structure, and by extension, the safety of the occupants.

[languiduck]

dakonthemountain wrote:

languiduck wrote:
My 06 diesel F250 crew cab short bed weighs 7900# empty. I don't carry anything in it, except for a tool kit, a pair of boots, and an umbrella. That difference in weight is crazy!

Is it 2WD?

Yup. 2WD. I know! who would think that a 10 year newer truck w/diesel (yours) would weigh over 1,000lbs more! Yours is also 4WD?...

Dak

Yep, 4WD. You have about a 1500# head start on many, if not most, of us!

[Ace_]

You would think with mileage ratings being so important that manufacturers would have worked hard to keep the weight lower.

[mkirsch]

Between the weight of the Powerstroke engine, and all the additional computer and safety equipment that has gone into the average vehicle between 1996 and 2006, it's not hard to find where the bloat is.

They had to thin down the body or else the truck would be that much heavier.

[dakonthemountai]

languiduck wrote:
My 06 diesel F250 crew cab short bed weighs 7900# empty. I don't carry anything in it, except for a tool kit, a pair of boots, and an umbrella. That difference in weight is crazy!

Is it 2WD?

Yup. 2WD. I know! who would think that a 10 year newer truck w/diesel (yours) would weigh over 1,000lbs more! Yours is also 4WD?...

Dak

[Reddog1]

My 1996 Dodge 2500 2WD dsl ext Cab with 8-foot bed weight is 6200 pounds. I think if it were a dually, it would be about 6400 pounds.

Wayne

[languiduck]

My 06 diesel F250 crew cab short bed weighs 7900# empty. I don't carry anything in it, except for a tool kit, a pair of boots, and an umbrella. That difference in weight is crazy!

Is it 2WD?