Rear-end closet...concerned about weight?

[twm]

hi all. I am new to A/S forum. I am planning on purchasing a 31' Airstream to live in full time in the coming year. My interior design plans are coming together. I want to gut a 1984??? Sovereign. I would like to have a Closet & Drawer unit covering the entire back end of the trailer (Floor to Ceiling and wall to wall). Question: does anyone know if this could be a weight issue for the trailer frame? Is there any useful data source to tell me if the trailer end has a weight limit? Any response welcome. Thanks. twm Danville, CA

[SteveSueMac]

You can find some info on Airstream's archives here: http://www.airstream.com/wp-content/...dacd35e8bf.jpg

GVWR will be dependent largely on the axles - if they're 3600# each, your max weight is 7200# (the information should be on the sticker on the trailer).

Putting all that weight (assuming you fill it with clothes) in the very rear could be problematic in terms of balanced weight for the tongue (you could conceivably lift too much weight off the tongue which you want to be 10-15% of the weight of the loaded trailer (e.g. - if 6,000# loaded for camping, you want 600-900# of tongue weight).

Others here will have lots more info - hope that's a helpful start....

[dkottum]

Unusually heavy weight at the rear (or front) will make it very difficult to control any sway movements. When swinging out, the weight makes the rear of the trailer move farther to the side than normal before controlled, then even farther to the side in the other direction. The heavy weight is increasingly more difficult to stop. A dangerous sway condition is much more likely.

Our Airstream Owners Manual warns agains heady loads on the rear of front of the trailer. They build them with the heavy appliances, kitchens, and storage tanks over on near the trailer axles.