Weight August 17, 2016, 06:43:12 pm Someone suggested I empty my rig, weigh it, reload and weigh again to figure out my load.Instead, I weighed it fully loaded with gear and subtracted the wet weight shown in the original manual. Weighed in at 12,520 less published wet weight of 11,536 '99 RB gives me a load of 984.Any problem with my methodology? (The only change I am aware of that would affect weight from the original rig is the swap out of the doorstop TV for an LED.)(I then added a missing passenger, 2 dogs, and food estimate to get expected actual load anticipated. )Todd
Re: Weight Reply #1 – August 17, 2016, 08:14:30 pm Hi Todd, I think I made that suggestion in the "Wandering Eyes" thread. I would agree with your methodology for the purpose of getting in the ballpark to qualify new RVs. Of course, I would round 984# up to 1200, just because I never know when I will need to add some tools or toys to the load. I find my payload, fluids, people, supplies, etc runs between 900 and 1300 pounds, so far. I do weigh on every trip at the local Washington DOT scale. I don't know if LD wet weights include full fresh water tanks, but a 50 gallon tank may be a lot bigger that one on another brand, so keep that in mind. My manual for the '92 MB shows dry weights, not wet weights. When I weighed empty, no water, no sewage, no LP, without me and with a full tank of gas (36x8=288#), my rig weighed 1042# more than their dry weight. So the number was about 754 pounds too light. I can't think of anything that was added to the coach, but there may be something I was missing, as I am the third owner and it is old. In my experience published weights, even from the Mothership, may be wrong. YMMV!
Re: Weight Reply #2 – August 17, 2016, 08:31:42 pm Todd, my 2009 LD spec sheet included the following definitions.G.V.W.R. (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating). Maximum designed motorhome weight when “FullyLoaded”.W.W.V. – (Wet Weight of Vehicle) No Passengers or supplies. Gas tank, fresh water tank, andLP-Gas tank all full. Some weights are estimated.U.V.W. – (Unloaded Vehicle Weight). The weight of the motorhome as built at the factory with fullfuel, oil, and coolant. Some weights are estimated.C.C.C. – (Cargo Carrying Capacity) (Derived by subtracting U.V.W. from G.V.W.R.) Allowableweight available for designated seat belted positions, fresh water, LP-Gas, food, personal items,supplies etc. NOTE: Installed accessories and towed vehicle tongue weight will reduce C.C.C.So IMO, if your LD had a full gas tank, full fresh water, and full LP AND if the factory's weights are accurate for your LD, then I think your math works. But if we're both wrong, "Katie bar the door" because someone is going to help us! LOL
Re: Weight Reply #3 – August 18, 2016, 06:23:10 am I confess to being too lazy to unload and reload my rig!Tried to take prospective new rig to scale on test drive but dealer said it was too far away. I've learned alot here.
Re: Weight Reply #4 – August 18, 2016, 07:16:00 am Quote from: Todd - August 18, 2016, 06:23:10 amTried to take prospective new rig to scale on test drive but dealer said it was too far away. Or they don't want you to know?
Re: Weight Reply #5 – August 18, 2016, 10:57:47 am Quote from: Todd - August 18, 2016, 06:23:10 amI confess to being too lazy to unload and reload my rig!Tried to take prospective new rig to scale on test drive but dealer said it was too far away. I've learned alot here.At this point I'd be walking toward the door. IMHO weight is a safety issue. When I was in college , oh those so many years ago, I worked a part time job selling heavy duty trucks. Weight and size of load is the number one concern of commercial truck owners. An overweight vehicle is a hazard to the driver and all other vehicles on the road. Driving a 7 ton medium truck is not a small issue. We could easily take out small cars and light duty trucks.
Re: Weight Reply #6 – August 18, 2016, 11:08:55 am Todd, good on you for sticking with this topic. It can seem like chasing unicorns to get accurate weights for RVs. And I agree wholeheartedly, it is an important safety issue. Not only does no one want to cause an accident, It can impact liability in case of an accident. I would be dubious about the CCC of any brand's 30 foot class C. We know the GVWR of the E450 chassis. The 30 footers are heavy, and their space encourages carrying more cargo. Good luck with your pursuit of true weights!
Re: Weight Reply #7 – August 18, 2016, 11:36:07 am I hadn't had an RV in a LONG time. Thanks to this forum, I learned very quickly how important it is to balance the load.The first item I placed in my New LD was the bathroom scale.I then loaded my daughters arms with the predetermined items that would take residence in the rig...she entered and stepped on the scale. Note pad in hand, I wrote it all down. Pillow: 1 pound...the list went on. Eventually I determined what would go where to keep the load balanced. "Keep it simple, stupid". Works for me.Over the past 9 months of travel, I have tried to keep it that way. Perhaps I'll catch up the Cunninghams of RV Weigh again and see how well I've done.Keeping my fingers crossed.Kent 2 Likes
Re: Weight Reply #8 – August 18, 2016, 11:54:43 am Kent you have my admiration for devotion to detail. But you had me going when you wrote "I then loaded my daughters arms..." 1 Likes
Re: Weight Reply #9 – August 18, 2016, 12:17:30 pm Don't sell the lower CCC weight of a 30' short. I'm well under my limit and have been since delivery in Oct 2004. Just last week a weigh-in at Henderson's confirmed that fact.Yes, I do have storage space that is unused! But why fill it up if it's not needed? And yes, I am carrying more 'stuff' than I need... I have a folding table, an awning sun shade, Lynx Levelers and an assortment of other items that haven't seen the light of day for nearly 12 years.The 30' is ideal for a couple or, as in my case, a single. Do I worry about not enough space to park it? Not in this lifetime, I go where I want... the possibilities are endless. 4 Likes
Re: Weight Reply #10 – August 18, 2016, 11:54:48 pm Quote from: Lazy Bones - August 18, 2016, 12:17:30 pmDon't sell the lower CCC weight of a 30' short. I'm well under my limit and have been since delivery in Oct 2004. Just last week a weigh-in at Henderson's confirmed that fact.Yes, I do have storage space that is unused! But why fill it up if it's not needed? And yes, I am carrying more 'stuff' than I need... I have a folding table, an awning sun shade, Lynx Levelers and an assortment of other items that haven't seen the light of day for nearly 12 years.The 30' is ideal for a couple or, as in my case, a single. Do I worry about not enough space to park it? Not in this lifetime, I go where I want... the possibilities are endless.There's Even room on the couch For me when traveling together and over the years I've learned to pack light. 1 Likes
Re: Weight Reply #11 – August 19, 2016, 04:56:05 am I'm amazed at how little we need to travel comfortably. Our 2 month East Coast trip (that's a long time to be gone from S+B for anyone) ended with me realizing we didn't lack for anything and in fact didn't use about 1/4th of the stuff in our rig. One of the things I look forward to when I get older is a major downsizing. Too much stuff!(I may just bite the bullet and completely unload my rig, I really want to know the true wet weight.) 1 Likes
Re: Weight Reply #12 – August 19, 2016, 04:12:14 pm Quote from: Todd - August 19, 2016, 04:56:05 amOne of the things I look forward to when I get older is a major downsizing. Too much stuff!Todd, It's never too early to start downsizing.... No need to wait. I have to say that we've needed less than we thought while traveling in our LD. When we went to pick up our rig, we mailed sleeping bags and our camping cookware/dishes set. We brought two weeks worth of clothes with us. Other than food and misc plugs, levelers, tools etc we really haven't needed much more. We are going to add our bikes to the back (instead of a tow vehicle) and of course I will need my golf clubs. We aren't full time yet, but so far we still have unused drawers and bins. I haven't weighed my LD yet, but will soon. -Rebecca 1 Likes
Re: Weight Reply #13 – August 19, 2016, 05:10:48 pm So far I have managed to keep it down to the basics...almost.Aside from the Camp Chef gas BBQ, the Eco-Que, the Bernies and their fire ring I think I have the outdoor cooking equipment pared down pretty well. Really.So let's not look in the gaming cabinet above the couch and please ignore the grand assortment of snack treats taking up their mandatory space. Oh and the extra jackets in case it rains and the three umbrellas and the parkas if there's a cold snap (in the middle of summer). Oh and please ignore the entertainment cabinet with its assorted DVD's and blu-Rays. They really are an important essential. So too are ALL my maps and travel guides. Indispensable every one.I truly have it trimmed down to the bare minimum. And oh yeah, the camera gear and those extra shoes when I need them. But that's ok...they are all necessary to my survival and well being. But that's about it...except for the...Kent 5 Likes
Re: Weight Reply #14 – August 19, 2016, 05:26:30 pm Kudos to you Kent... it sure sounds like you have left nothing but the essentials! But how often do you use them? I went to the trouble of constructing a nice support for my sewer hose out of PVC piping... it was even adjustable with lengths of plastic rain gutter to support the gaps. One day I said to myself: "Self, how often do you use that contraption?" It now resides on my back patio, covered with dust and forgotten. 2 Likes
Re: Weight Reply #15 – August 19, 2016, 07:27:21 pm Actually, while home bound I often sneak out to the coach to sneak a snack or two. Happens on movie night too. If I eat up enough snacks this way, I may be able to free up enough space in the LD to plug in one of my vintage Laser Disc (LD) players. And a select handful of Lasers.Balance...it's all about balance. Hmmm...this could be interesting.Kent
Re: Weight Reply #16 – August 19, 2016, 07:40:39 pm "If I eat up enough snacks this way, I may be able to free up enough space in the LD to plug in one of my vintage Laser Disc (LD) players."Nice to know there's another LD aficionado in the group. At one time I had a library of hundreds of laserdiscs, some dating back as far as 1981, when I bought my first (Pioneer VP-1000) player. Back then, laserdisc audio and video made VHS look like garbage.When I became a full-timer, of course I couldn't bring all those 12" laserdiscs with me--those things are bulky and heavy! So I replaced as many as I could with DVDs, then put the rest in storage along with my two LD players. (Why two? Because I figured if one went bad some years down the road, I'd be unlikely to be able to find anybody who could fix it.)I carried around the DVDs and Blu-Ray discs for many years, but finally digitized all of them onto a pair of 6 TB hard drives, which take up a fraction of the space and weight. (No recompression, no menus or extras left out--the files are exactly as good as the DVDs I imported them from.) I still have about seventy laserdisc titles in climate-controlled storage--movies that have not yet been issued as DVDs, dang it. One of these years I'll get around to digitizing them as well. 1 Likes
Re: Weight Reply #17 – August 19, 2016, 08:12:36 pm Oh yes the simple pleasures in life.Andy, I currently have over 1500 titles in laser discs (don't think they'd fit in the coach). Just picked up the 6 disc LD set of the Thin Man movies. Popcorn anyone?Players? Currently 2 CLD 95's, 3 CLD 79's, 1 CLD 97 and my pride and joy my McIntosh MLD 7020. Working? Yes each and everyone except one CLD 79. Currently it is set to be a parts machine. I also have a spare spindle motor and Laser for the Mac. I'm like you...parts are getting hard to find, but I do have a tech in Santa Monica who is very adept at everything LD.I wish I was more techno savy. Digitizing the collection, however, could take some serious time.Maybe I could tow a small home theatre. I wonder how that would effect my over all CCC?Kent
Re: Weight Reply #18 – August 19, 2016, 08:18:00 pm Oh Laser Disc. I love those things. I worked with a fellow in LA who claimed to have every one ever recorded. His collection was vast, and he an eccentric. He used them to set scenes for architectural mood and set design. He could pull a scene from his collection to illustrate a place or a feel you described to him. But I digress, we only carry a few hundred videos, migrating from DVD to .avi Such a wonderful world. Who has a projector? Drive-in movie night?
Re: Weight Reply #19 – August 19, 2016, 09:30:49 pm [Moderators: we're pretty far off-topic here, so feel free to move this home-entertainment thread to a new topic.]"Digitizing the collection, however, could take some serious time."Yup. DVDs are easy: launch the RipIt (macOS) app, shove a disc into the optical drive, and it goes to work... spits the disc out when finished, ready for another. This way you automatically get everything that's on the DVD: menus, soundtracks, extras, the works.But for laserdiscs, you need a video-to-USB converter (I use Elgato's Video Capture pod), you need to somehow deal with the gap that occurs at turnover (assuming you have a double-sided player)... and you have to start and stop recording manually--nothing is automatic. Yes, it would take a long time to import 1,500 LD titles! And without a considerable amount of extra work, you wouldn't get the alternate soundtracks and other extras.That's why I replaced as many of my laserdiscs as possible with DVDs. Sure, it was annoying to buy titles twice (and in some cases three times, if I later bought Blu-Ray versions), but it was worth it to me, because it made digitizing them so easy. (And good as laserdiscs were, DVD image quality was almost always better.)But there's one title I'll never be able to get on DVD: Pioneer's VP-1000 demo disc, "Laserdisc: What It Is and How It Works," featuring Don "Mr. Wizard" Herbert explaining how it all works. Love it!
Re: Weight Reply #20 – August 19, 2016, 09:50:53 pm Laserdiscs? Really, why have I never heard of them? Guess I was off somewhere fighting a war when all that happened!I'm still wondering what I can do with the hundreds of open reel tapes I recorded while stationed in Germany for four years. 2 Likes
Re: Weight Reply #21 – August 19, 2016, 09:53:44 pm To stay on the "weight" theme. Yes, Mr. Wizard was a true "heavy" hitter. Never missed a show. And your right even with a two sided player, the "gap" is tricky. You really have to be on point. But at over 35 pounds for my Mac, I suppose it better just stay at home.Thanks for the tip. I suppose I was destined to own a LD in more ways than one.Kent
Re: Weight Reply #22 – August 19, 2016, 10:07:05 pm Oh my, look who I found. The "heavy" hitter himself, Mr. Wizard.https://youtu.be/PfTaH13zAUAEnjoy,Kent
Re: Weight Reply #23 – August 20, 2016, 02:41:23 am Wow, that was a blast! I watched the whole thing and was fascinated. Thank you, Kent!
Re: Weight Reply #24 – August 20, 2016, 12:23:57 pm Andy,My pleasure. Back in the day TV was actually educational.Now bring on Gillian's Island. The professor was amazing... Kent 1 Likes
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