Our First TC Outing Starts Tomorrow. Woohooo!

[Victory402]

We recently picked up this 1994 Coachmen 070-SD and we are heading to the Smokey Mountains (Bryson city, NC) for a few days on our very first TC outing in the morning. I have been searching the forum here for 6 weeks in preparation and I think we got it all figured out (fingers crossed). It's a 4 1/2 hour drive from Durham, NC and I plan to take it real easy on the road. Wish us luck and I will be away from the computer for a few days so forgive me for not responding to your comments. Yep, that's a 904lb camper on a 2009 Ford Ranger (with tow package). I plan to stop by the local gravel pit and weigh it on the way out, should be well under the 4,761 gvwr total weight limit. My best estimate is I'm about 400lbs under. I hope the pics post??

[bigfootford]

Victory402 wrote:

Sure like that roller pad for your camper.. Was that something you made or from the original owner?

Yes, I made it myself and thank you for your help and encouragement.

My front axle weighed 2240 and the rear was 3020 and my total was 5320.

Looks to me that tire wise you are good!

1745lb rating so X2 = 3490lbs... You measured 3020...

Funny, you were hoping you were 400 under and in fact you are!

So it's a matter of what you can live with.. Sway= sway bar...

Tires bulge too much and you feel uncomfortable... Rims and higher load rated tires...

I think you and your family/wife are in for a great adventure....

Jim

[Victory402]

Sure like that roller pad for your camper.. Was that something you made or from the original owner?

Yes, I made it myself and thank you for your help and encouragement.

My front axle weighed 2240 and the rear was 3020 and my total was 5320.

[bigfootford]

Victory402 wrote:
Jim,
When you break it down that way, perhaps the extra weight is manageable . The truck handled amazingly well and It feels a bit under powered. On one particular stretch of highway it felt like it was bucking so i slowed down to 55 and it got better. It was a bit concerning.

My tires are rated at 1745 lbs each at 40 psi, but I like the idea of an upgrade.

Haw, even us big guys will buck on some roadways..

When you get time go get the rear and front weighed. That will tell you where you are at. Fully loaded, water, beer food, propane, clothes.

Sure like that roller pad for your camper.. Was that something you made or from the original owner?

Jim

[Victory402]

Jim,
When you break it down that way, perhaps the extra weight is manageable . The truck handled amazingly well and It feels a bit under powered. On one particular stretch of highway it felt like it was bucking so i slowed down to 55 and it got better. It was a bit concerning.

My tires are rated at 1745 lbs each at 40 psi, but I like the idea of an upgrade.

[bigfootford]

Sure sounds like you had a great time. Thanks for posting that all went well!

As for over weight. If you get a chance try to weigh the front wheels and then the rear.

You may find that of the 480 lbs over it might be split front and rear.

Like 25% to the front and 75% to the rear...

So your rear increased 360 lbs and the front 120...

Then the overload to the rear tires would be about 180lbs each. I would not get excited about doing much except if the rear tires were overloaded... Wider White spoke rims and higher load limit tires would work well.

How did the truck handle going down the road?

In the 70's we had a 73 chevy Love with a Perris Valley hard side camper like yours.
I added a sway bar and air shocks and bigger tires/rims on the rear... It handled good.. We put lots of miles on the rig...
Just way underpowered but we sure had fun.

Jim

[Victory402]

Well, we are back home and all went well. The weather was awesome and the views breathtaking. I was able to weigh the rig and it turns out I'm over 480 lbs. That was with full tanks (gas, water & propane). I drained the water tank and 1/2 tanked it on the gas the rest of the trip, which helped. I think I can get a smaller propane tank and replace the mattress with something lighter, but I may just get a bigger truck in the spring...not sure. Here's a few pictures for ya...

The campground was nice, we were the only ones there:


Campfire:


Great Smokey Mountain Railway:


Unloaded and ready to roll into carport:


Home for the winter:

[dakonthemountai]

What a great rig! I'll bet it's really nice to drive and very "manageable" ! Here's to many miles and nights of fun with it! Cheers!

Dak

[rickeoni]

Brings back memories of my S10 and northern lite. That first camper led to 24 years of TC ownership and a lifetime of memories.

[Glacier_D]

Nice looking rig, enjoy your camping trip.

[Driftwood132]

Guess you won't see this , I'm close to Bryson City ,come share a cup of coffee . I used to have a truck just like yours, dident have a tc then .
The leaves are beautiful in some places . I just got back on a 3 day run to Iowa to pick up a small class C . Boy what a trip. You guys enjoy your stay here in the mountains!

[billyg]

Hi we are thirteen months with our small 5.7 camplite all aluminum no wood tc and we love it. We carry it on a toyota toco. Our weight sticker said 900lbs dry. After two trips to the scales with & without camper she came in at 1100lbs. Don't be shocked if yours tips the scales. There is just two of us and the small size is no problem. As yourselves we didn't invest alot money up front. You will find little things to buy that add to the tc experience. Just watch the weight. Our small trucks payload can be maxed out quickly. We would enjoy hearing about your adventures. Bill & Liz

[spacedoutbob]

Congratulations on your New Camper! Have a Great Trip! and Welcome to the Forum.

Bob in Calif.

[Sheriffdoug]

Great looking Ride & TC, polished & clean, I love shiny things, Enjoy!

[bigfootford]

Congrats! Great starting point to see if you guys are going to like TC'ing. Instead of spending 60,000+ for a truck and camper to see if you will like it.

Please keep us posted.

Jim