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Old 02-23-2015, 04:37 AM   #1
TLightning
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Weight Letter

It seems to me it's time to drag out the letter a lawyer wrote and posted about weight issues. Every couple of years we need to pull that thing out and post it for the newer members.

The letter is excellent...but I can't find it...anybody else have any luck?
 
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Old 02-23-2015, 09:55 AM   #2
Tom S.
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I can't [s]weight[/s] wait to read it.
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Old 02-23-2015, 12:46 PM   #3
TLightning
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Still looking...I know it's on this computer some place...haven't found it yet.
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Old 02-23-2015, 12:50 PM   #4
jcurtis934
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Lawyers are about the last people that I would consider as offering definative analysis based totally on facts. In fact...I would surely trust moc'rs a lot more...unless of course they were lawyers or members of the house or senate. Having said that...who could understand "lawyerize" excepting lawyers...so I default 100% to moc members. Bad john
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Old 02-23-2015, 01:19 PM   #5
TLightning
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The letter to which I am referring is very well researched and written. He definitely knows his stuff. Naturally, everybody using a truck that is clearly too small to be hauling a Montana will not like it and bad mouth him.
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Old 02-23-2015, 02:43 PM   #6
dieselguy
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I do remember the letter concerning weights penned by a lawyer. As mentioned it was full of attention to detail and eluded to the what if's. I also remember as a kid reading Chicken Little proclaiming the sky is falling. I fully agree that it's a wise move for full timers to be aware of just how much stuff they haul around ... for the much larger group of us that fall outside that category, why resurrect a tizzy for those of us that probably are thousands of pounds away from GVWR fully loaded and ready for the weekend? Why can't posters be more selective in their application of fearing the dreaded GWVR. You make it sound as if GWVR is what all RV's actually weigh. So what if you're borderline on an RV/truck combo that you'll spend at most a couple of weeks a year with friends and family. I agree that there are some pulling spectacles out on the roads, but why do we not see article after article about some RV setup in a wreck that had overloaded stamped all over the bylines? I'm way more worried about the individual in front of me texting away at 65 mph with merging traffic.
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Old 02-23-2015, 02:57 PM   #7
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Old 02-23-2015, 03:06 PM   #8
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If it was this one, it was not well received at the time. And probably nothing has changed to make it more acceptable now.
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Old 02-23-2015, 03:26 PM   #9
jhudson
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TLightning,

I am not trying to start anything here but gain more understanding, since I am a new member, on my small truck (SRW 3500). Here are my numbers as they stand now and I would like some insight where I am going wrong.

2012 3500 Duramax SRW

GCWR is 24500#
GVWR is 11600#
Rear axle rating is 7050#
Front axle rating is 6000#

My weights on 9/13/2013
Steer axle 4760#
Drive axle 3460#
Total truck weight of 8220#

3725 and truck together
Steer axle 4800#
Drive axle 6620#
Trailer axles 11260#
Gross weight combined 22680#

Now using your math, GCVW minus total weight of truck with gear and pin weight equals maximum trailer weight.
24500 minus 11420 equals 13080# my trailer axles are at 11260# thereby leaving 1820#. I did not add the pin weight of 3200# as that was already included in the truck weight.

So......where is my setup inadequate?

Doing some research on older DRW, I found that the GVWR for 2007 and 2008 DRW with the Duramax is 11400# and the GCWR is 23500#. Now the only advantage I can find is a the rear axle rating is higher as it should be. There are two more tires on the ground in the rear.

GM upgraded their line of HD trucks in 2011. They really cannot be compared to the older units, and as I stated in another post, the newer 3500 SRW vehicles should not be automatically counted as undered sized or inadequate in towing the larger Montanas......or am I missing something???

Regards,

Jay





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Old 02-23-2015, 04:54 PM   #10
Artemus Gordon
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It was very simple and sage advice. Know your TV weight restrictions, and never..ever go over that number, or the one on RV's stickers!
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Old 02-23-2015, 06:17 PM   #11
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by jhudson

TLightning,

I am not trying to start anything here but gain more understanding, since I am a new member, on my small truck (SRW 3500). Here are my numbers as they stand now and I would like some insight where I am going wrong.

2012 3500 Duramax SRW

GCWR is 24500#
GVWR is 11600#
Rear axle rating is 7050#
Front axle rating is 6000#

My weights on 9/13/2013
Steer axle 4760#
Drive axle 3460#
Total truck weight of 8220#

3725 and truck together
Steer axle 4800#
Drive axle 6620#
Trailer axles 11260#
Gross weight combined 22680#

Now using your math, GCVW minus total weight of truck with gear and pin weight equals maximum trailer weight.
24500 minus 11420 equals 13080# my trailer axles are at 11260# thereby leaving 1820#. I did not add the pin weight of 3200# as that was already included in the truck weight.

So......where is my setup inadequate?

Doing some research on older DRW, I found that the GVWR for 2007 and 2008 DRW with the Duramax is 11400# and the GCWR is 23500#. Now the only advantage I can find is a the rear axle rating is higher as it should be. There are two more tires on the ground in the rear.

GM upgraded their line of HD trucks in 2011. They really cannot be compared to the older units, and as I stated in another post, the newer 3500 SRW vehicles should not be automatically counted as undered sized or inadequate in towing the larger Montanas......or am I missing something???

Regards,

Jay
Jay the only thing you have not shown here is the GVWR of your 3725 which is on the sticker on the unit usually on the road side near the propane tank compartment, also listed there is your GAWR. I would expect your GVWR to be around 15,500 lbs or thereabouts and the GAWR is likely 6750 lbs each. (de-rated from 7k axles due to tire capacity)

The GVWR of your TV is 11,600 lbs and your loaded weight 11,420 (steer axle 4760 + drive axle 6620) So you are just under in that category.

Your pin weight is 3200 lbs (truck hooked up 11,420 - truck alone 8220 = 3200), if you add the pin weight to the trailer axle weight 3200 + 11,260 your total weight of the RV is 14,460.

So if the GVWR of the trailer is for argument sake 15,000 lbs minus the actual weight 15,000 - 14,460 = 540 lbs, again you are just under the GVWR of the trailer and ok in that category as well.

If you take the total weight of the TV @ 11,420 + the total weight of the trailer @ 11,260 = 22,680 (pin weight included in TV) subtract that from the GCWR of 24,500 = 1820. Again you are under the GCWR.

You do not have a bunch of wiggle room on either the TV or RV GVWR's although I used a unknown GVWR for the RV, but you are under and you are under on the GCWR as well so I see no large "inadequacy" anywhere.

Whether it is right or not I find if you are under the GVWR of both the TV and the RV you will be within the GCWR of the TV as well.

Assuming all your weights are correct you would be legal in every category, I would not loose any sleep over those figures.


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Old 02-24-2015, 12:51 AM   #12
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jhudson, if you weighed your combination "ready for camping" then congratulations, because you are traveling much lighter than I am able to with my 3725RL. I have made some recent changes which I suspect may have taken some weight off, but I am not going to know for sure until I actually weigh again. I would love to get down to your numbers because I know I am slightly over right now.

I weigh 120 more on my steer
I weigh 400 more on my drive axles
I weigh 380 more on my trailer axles
My total combination weighs 900 more

Do you have washer/dryer and a second air?
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Old 02-24-2015, 01:21 AM   #13
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Thanks Ed for the reply. I didn't think I was missing anything. But I got the feeling I was missing something.

As for the GVWR for the RV is 16000 pounds. I have a little more wiggle room on the RV. You are correct that the truck doesn't have much room, as I have already found out and had to unload a bunch of extra stuff from the truck and RV to keep the trucks GVWR in check. I could not find my last weigh in, but have got my diet under control to keep my numbers where they should be. It is somewhere on this forum but last night I could find it. If I remember correctly I was over my GVWR for truck by 260 pounds.

Again as stated in another post, if I could do it over again, I would have ordered the DRW. That is not going to happen with the cost of these vehicles and I will continue to weigh yearly to make sure that I am okay.

Yes it does take extra work to keep my setup in check, but currently it is what I have and I have to deal with it. It will not change anytime soon.

And yes I do feel better, because I have always been very cognitive of my vehicle weights and value the information offered from this forum.

Jay

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Old 02-24-2015, 01:52 AM   #14
jhudson
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by JandC

jhudson, if you weighed your combination "ready for camping" then congratulations, because you are traveling much lighter than I am able to with my 3725RL. I have made some recent changes which I suspect may have taken some weight off, but I am not going to know for sure until I actually weigh again. I would love to get down to your numbers because I know I am slightly over right now.

I weigh 120 more on my steer
I weigh 400 more on my drive axles
I weigh 380 more on my trailer axles
My total combination weighs 900 more

Do you have washer/dryer and a second air?
JandC,

I do not have the washer and dryer, but do have the second AC . After my travel this past summer I was over my trucks GVWR and I do not have that number handy. It is somewhere on this forum.

I have removed my extra weight gain and trimmed up back down to my 2013 weights. It was not easy as you know the 3725 has a lot of room to put stuff. All that just in case stuff was removed. Extra stuff that was in the truck was removed. I had a lot of hitching stuff as I sometimes tow a boat with the truck. The compartments up front I had placed a lot of extra cords and tools that in that I rarely used if ever were removed. The funny thing is, I never had the space to carry these items in my last SOB, so why did I get the idea it was okay to carry them in the 3725? Because I had the space.

Lastly my wife was guilty too, but to a lesser amount. Extra bedding, towels and clothing added to the list. We had enough towels on board to have a clean one each day for two weeks. Didn't ask why, I didn't want to cause friction as we will now use the Landry mat more. Can goods, we were stocked like our house. No need to do that either. So with a little work, we are back down what we carried in the last rig and it is amazing how much all that stuff can add up to be. It is very easy to just put stuff on just because you have the room.

Jay
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Old 02-25-2015, 01:22 AM   #15
JandC
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With the recent purchase of a home, we will be taking more weight off Montana prior to towing it back north. You are correct jhudson, if you have the room you will naturally fill it up. Everything from my favorite fish fryer to about 500 rounds of extra ammo needs to be removed. My mission is to get at least 500 pounds off this fat lady before leaving Florida!
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