A house inspection before closing is common-so- Have the RV WEIGHED 4 corners.
They are both big investments, but an unsafe RV can kill you.
RV weighing sorry-- this is out of date, I'm trying to get up date and will post . note In Ontario, government weigh stations will display readings after hours. Apparently true in some states. If you weigh during business hours, you may need to unload to continue.
60 % of RV's are overweight - either axle or tires.
Problem 1
Many manufacturers are purposely misleading with their weights and capacities. (Thanks Blue Bird )
It would be logical for the manufacturers and especially FMCA to use the standard "CCC" Other terms are used to confuse the issue and hide the facts.
Manufacturers have no legal responsibility to provide a reasonable CCC. If it's legal; ie not overweight on any axle, when you drive it off the lot, any accident or failure caused by overweight is YOUR problem. NHTSA can do nothing.
Actually - if you drive it off the lot empty and overweight, you're still on the hook.- unless you like big lawsuits!
Overweight is a huge problem and unfortunately it may take a prominent name getting injured to change things.
Problem 2 The axle may safely carry the load, but it is illegal.
A single axle can have any rating but, by DOT rules ,cannot be loaded above 20,000lbs (some states 22,000lbs)DOT axle loading
In many coaches look at drive axle loading and remember that the maximum allowed for any single axle in all states is 20,000 to 22,000 pounds. Having a larger than required capacity (GAWR) is good but when it is required for normal loading, it is useless.
Newell has a 28,000 GAWR on the drive axle. It runs ~24,000 with no cargo. That is safe so NHTSA can't touch it. Just can't drive it anywhere legally. (good thing enforcement is weak --so far. You will not be going on the OHIO or PA turnpikes)
Consider your re-sale as this becomes more understood.
* This post was
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I went with a tag axle DP because I've been fined for being over 20K lbs - not in my MH. I've said many times I'm not sure what's so special about us RVer's that we think the weight laws do not apply to us. Granted I've never been stopped and weighed by DOT and I glad there is weak enforcement but that does not make it legal. Hopefully when I am stopped he will not look up and see that I am 9.4' wide because of the slide out awning covers on both sides. Hard to say they are safety items, but maybe they will break away.
It took repeated weighings and shifting of cargo to get my drive axle at 20K without overloading the front axle. Still have plenty of CCC but would have to hang it off the back to use all of the CCC.
I've asked dealers about this and they usually pretend ignorance. I've paid to weigh a couple of coaches I was looking at and the salesmen were polite about it, but you could tell that they just knew they were dealing with a nutcase.
I've weighed my coach both empty and loaded for travel (everything, full water, propane, fuel, food, beer...) and am under my axle ratings by more than 1000lbs front and rear.
I do have a more specific question though, is there anywhere in southern Ontario were I can get the coach weighed left and right. I know what my distribution is fore and aft, but not each corner.
See if there is a moving van company in your area. They frequently have surface level scales so that you can line up the center of your coach with the edge of the scale and get weights on one side only. If they are not busy, most moving van lines will gladly let you get weights on each wheel.
Michael Day
Newell Coach
PT Cruiser Turbo
Patrick the Irish Wolfhound
Native Texans
In another bunch of threads I point out that there are three tire pressures that are all but guaranteed to be WRONG for your rig (one of 'em happens to be right on mine though)
1: The pressure stamped on the sidewall of the tire.. READ the dang tire it says:
Maximum load xxxxx at yyy PSI
If you do not have the tires loaded to the max you need LESS THAN yyy PSI
The second one is on a sticker inside the motor home or trailer.
The third is what the dealer put in the tire when new or when replacing the tire
To find the proper pressure go to the original post in this thread, Click on the link, Set up an appointment and ... They will tell you
NOTE: Proper inflation on trailer tires is just as important Here is why
Tires which are over inflated wear faster since only the center of the tread is in contact with the road, also control is reduced as only part of the tire is gripping the road
Tires which are UNDER inflated wear faster because only the outer edges of the tread are pressing against the road, also control is lost for the same reason plus excessive sidewall flex adds to loss of control and excess heat which can damage the tire
Tires which are properly inflated last longer since the load is properly distributed across the tread and also give the greatest amount of control.
Nothin adds excitment like something that is none of your business
Kenwood TS-2000 housed in a 2005 Damon Intruder 377
Your link to the schedule of events where weighing can be done is 100% out of date. But thanks for the thoughts.
I have found many roadside scales here in Oregon which are most often not being used for commercial weighing (not OPEN). These scales have outside readouts. I asked an attendant recently if the use of these scales was permissable when they were closed, and he said yes.
I've weighed my four corners several times. What a great state Oregon is. My front corners are even steven. My rear corners are a couple hundred pounds off from each other, but well within my comfort zone and the whole coach is well underweight.
We are working on our 2009 schedule.
We have a set of scales in the office and can meet you locally to Merritt
Island. I will probably have a team in Lazy Days RV park early in the year
but do not have that schedule as yet.
Hope this helps.
Walter C. Cannon
Executive Director
RV Safety & Education Foundation
www.rvsafety.com
Ph. 321-453-7673
Fax 321-453-3853
* This post was
edited 10/06/08 12:17pm by dentmac *
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