Anyone seen anything like this?

[85MH325]

Originally posted by darkStar
Shari -

Thanks! I guess my question is, isn't this trailer way over 7300 lbs. wet?

yes... but...

how much depends on how much 'wet' you load it with.

for example, according to the specs, my 34' has a 'dry' weight of around 7100lbs give or take. it's GVWR is 8900lbs. Even calculating the weight of the full propane tanks, and the 6gals of water in the water heater, If I only carry 15 gals of water in the fresh tank on the road, and do the majority of canned goods/liquids shopping locally and carry only that amount of clothing/bedding, etc that I need for the length of time we'll be gone, even with the pots & pans, dishes, etc. I'd be at or under 8000 lbs loaded. 900lbs is a lot of 'dry goods', and that allows nearly 900lbs for margin of error... My 34' has a 45 gallon fresh water tank, a 35 gallon gray water and 30 gallon black water tank. Just having the waste tanks full would add another 520lbs alone, or the 45 gallon fresh tank is 360lbs and with all three full (I can't imagine that anyone would want to do it, but...) would be 880lbs. With that said, some vintage units with the water tank in the front depend on the water weight for the proper tongue weight balance. Anyway...

So, your gallon of milk weighs 8lbs, your king size can of green beens weighs a pound or two... etc. etc. You can control your rolling weight pretty easily by controlling the amount of fluids you carry in the trailer when you're actually on the road.

I've also noticed from the specifications charts on the new trailers that they're a little heavier than the specs for mine. The new 34' Classic has a dry curb weight 970lbs heavier than my '94!

BTW, the according to the specs, the '94 30' Limited and Excella both have a dry curb weight of 6350 with a GVWR of 8300, so that vintage may fit your weight requirements if you can find your floorplan.

Good luck!

Roger

[darkStar]

Roger -

Thanks! Those are excellent points. I'm in heavy duty 'learning mode' here. One of the key things I've taken away from this forum so far is to be really conservative when it comes to tow vehicles. We really want an SUV rather than a pickup, so it seems that GVWR is a KEY concern for us. In general it makes sense to travel with tanks empty or partially full, but our intention is to do a lot of boondocking, and it would seem that at the beginning of a boondocking trip you'd be pretty heavy.

It certainly seems like for the current models, the Safari and CCD lines give you the most living space for the weight. I'll have to look back over the last couple of decades to see which models were the 'lightweights' of their day.

Is there anything I'm missing here?

Thanks!

-Bert

[85MH325]

Bert... there are a LOT of folks here who have this stuff down pat...

The Safari line has always been the 'lightweight' version. They managed to shave a few pounds here and there by using lighter weight materials, and not offering some of the heavier options. They are very nice trailers. I had a '70 Safari for about eight years, and my father-in-law has had it now for almost that long. It was a VERY nice trailer.

I wanted the SUV route rather than the pickup or van as well, as we use our hauler as the 'family car' also. And we live in snow country, so I wanted the 4WD. It's also very handy when hauling the trailer in and out of the soft-earth and grass campsites we typically have around here. The only SUVs that would haul my trailer were the 3/4 Suburban or the Excursion. We just happened to find a really nice Excursion at our price before we found a Suburban... Either would have done nicely.

The only thing that I can recommend is that you get out there and look at trailers. Go for day trips whenever you can and get a couple or three of them in. That's really the only way you'll find out what interior materials and floor plans suit you best.

You're also being wise to investigate the towing issues before you invest in one. You're going to save yourself many dollars (and many headaches) in the long run.

Have a ball. I think that looking is half the fun!

Roger