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Old 02-26-2021, 11:29 AM   #1
d1999aads
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Trailer GVWR

Hi, I have read so much on this forum and in the net but I still have a GVWR question on my 305rl.... It stated 14270 lbs... Does that include having a full tank of fresh water or empty? I know my basement get about 300lbs of weight , Thanks for any info!!
 
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Old 02-26-2021, 11:54 AM   #2
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Dave,

GVWR is the maximum loaded weight of your rig. It can be as fresh water, other tanks or anything else you put in it.
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Old 02-26-2021, 12:22 PM   #3
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Dave,

GVWR is the maximum loaded weight of your rig. It can be as fresh water, other tanks or anything else you put in it.
Like he said.
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Old 02-26-2021, 02:37 PM   #4
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The placard on the driver side front of your RV will spell out your GVWR, your Cargo Carrying Capacity and the weight of full fresh water which most times is assumed to be carried on board. If you add the CCC number and the weight of the water, you get the total carrying capacity of your RV.

There is no requirement to travel with full water... weight is weight no matter what it consists of.

Where you place it (weight) in your rig does matter though. Fresh water tanks are typically over the axles. Carrying less water and more gear and loading up the front of your RV could present loading issues on the pin, towing vehicle rear axle and drivability.

We rarely carry tank fresh water (except the hot water heater) on moving day unless we are headed into boondocking locations or overnights where hooking up water and sewer is less than desirable and on board water will suffice for a day or two. YMMV as they say.
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Old 02-26-2021, 03:11 PM   #5
d1999aads
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Thanks... we only carry about 20 gallons fresh water when travel far for a bathroom stop.... I guess the best thing to do is find a weigh station with the rig loaded with our normal stuff and see where we are. We want to do cross country next year and we want to be sure we are not over loaded. Does anyone know of a weigh station located in the center of Connecticut?
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Old 02-26-2021, 03:14 PM   #6
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Originally Posted by BiggarView View Post
The placard on the driver side front of your RV will spell out your GVWR, your Cargo Carrying Capacity and the weight of full fresh water which most times is assumed to be carried on board. If you add the CCC number and the weight of the water, you get the total carrying capacity of your RV.
I have to disagree. CCC is the total cargo capacity based on what the Montana weighed at the factory. Any fresh water, grey or black water, propane tanks, batteries reduce the CCC as they were not present at the factory. You would subtract the weight of the fresh water from the CCC not add it.


Quote:
...Fresh water tanks are typically over the axles....
The preponderance of Montanas have their fresh water tank behind the axles at the rear of the trailer. I am unaware of a model where the tank is over or in front of the axles. That doesn't mean there isn't one, I just don't know about it.
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Old 02-26-2021, 05:54 PM   #7
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Montana publishes a shipping (or dry) weight, a CCC weight, and a GVWR. Add the shipping weight and the CCC and it equals the GVWR. Obviously they don’t ship the trailers with water. So if you add water that counts as part of the CCC. Also if you add a washer and dryer that counts as part of the CCC. And anything else aftermarket you add counts as part of the CCC. Subtract all those and that is how much you have left for gear, clothes, food, cookware/dishes, and “stuff”.

Not sure but I believe a generator, even if factory installed, would count against the CCC.
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Old 02-26-2021, 08:13 PM   #8
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I have to disagree. CCC is the total cargo capacity based on what the Montana weighed at the factory. Any fresh water, grey or black water, propane tanks, batteries reduce the CCC as they were not present at the factory. You would subtract the weight of the fresh water from the CCC not add it.


The preponderance of Montanas have their fresh water tank behind the axles at the rear of the trailer. I am unaware of a model where the tank is over or in front of the axles. That doesn't mean there isn't one, I just don't know about it.
3761 FL FW tank near the front. With the huge amout of storage behind the axels it helps. Tows best with 40 plus gallons with my dually
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Old 02-27-2021, 12:09 PM   #9
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Originally Posted by d1999aads View Post
.................GVWR question on my 305rl.... It stated 14270 lbs........
Ditto what has been said plus will add the 305rl has a 66 gallon water tank that weights 550 lbs full of water at 8.34 lb/gal. As a side note we owned a 2014 Montana 305rl............now 3780RL.
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Old 02-27-2021, 05:25 PM   #10
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The '17 305RL was under weight at the weight out at the 2019 Rally. That's was a full water tank located behind the axles. But had too much loaded in nose and basement putting my 3/4 ton 4x4 SB Ram over weight ...
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Old 02-28-2021, 07:41 AM   #11
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On my 3160 the weight of a full tank of fresh water and the water heater also full is considered empty weight. This is according to the sticker on my unit. My unit is rated at 16k GVW. My empty weight somewhere a little above 13k including just the fresh water. That lets me load almost 3k lbs if I wanted to and still be in the rating. Rarely do I have a full tank of freshwater unless heading out boon-docking. Usually I am quite a ways under the 16K GVW. My unit has 7K axles X two =14K plus the weight carried by my hitch equals my 16 GVW plus some safety factor. Scales are your friend, they don’t lie and they let you know exactly what each tire, axle and hitch is carrying if you take the time and effort to do it.
Happy and safe roads to you.

On editing my post I will include that all three of the brands of RV’s that we looked at yesterday at the Glendale Football Stadium had unit stickers that showed freshwater tank and WH included in the base weight. Any black or gray water on board counted against your available cargo weight. Vanleigh, Redwood and Heartland were the units we looked at.


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Old 02-28-2021, 08:40 AM   #12
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Our unit had a Dry Brochure weight of 14K, but weight as it left the Factory of just shy of 16K. So it just goes to prove that those brochure weights are next to worthless.
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Old 02-28-2021, 09:03 AM   #13
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Our unit had a Dry Brochure weight of 14K, but weight as it left the Factory of just shy of 16K. So it just goes to prove that those brochure weights are next to worthless.
That is a really good reason to always look at the sticker, usually found on the front driver’s side. It should be more accurate as it pertains to your specific unit as it was manufactured with any extra options. This is the same reason you need to look at each specific tow vehicle for what weight it is actually rated to tow, carry etc.

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Old 02-28-2021, 09:24 AM   #14
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Interestingly, the Keystone manual says in the US, the CCC weight on the trailer sticker is with water tanks dry. Whereas a Canadian rig, the CCC weight listed on the trailer sticker is with the water tanks full. It is not clear, but appears the Canadian sticker number is lower to reflect that water weight than the US sticker with no water included.


See pages 22 and 23 of the manual.


https://keystone-rv-dealer-app.cdn.p...al_revised.pdf
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Old 03-03-2021, 01:21 PM   #15
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Originally Posted by d1999aads View Post
Hi, I have read so much on this forum and in the net but I still have a GVWR question on my 305rl.... It stated 14270 lbs... Does that include having a full tank of fresh water or empty? I know my basement get about 300lbs of weight , Thanks for any info!!
GVWR stands for Gross Vehicle Weight Rating. Rating means what the RV is engineered to weigh in total. The RV has a dry or empty weight before water, food, clothes etc. The best way to determine your weight is to load it for travel and take it to a scale. Now you will know if you are under or over your GVWR. You will need to weigh it twice, once with the RV and truck together, a second time with just the truck. Subtract those two numbers to determine your RV GVW Gross Vehicle Weight. It legally must be less than the GVWR.
Extra assignment: Weigh just the truck wheels on the scale with RV attached then subtract the truck alone weight to determine your actual pin weight. Compare that to the yellow sticker on drivers side door post.
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Old 03-03-2021, 03:10 PM   #16
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To the extent that anything one finds on the internet is accurate, this might help you find a scale. http://www.coopsareopen.com/connecti...-stations.html
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Old 03-03-2021, 03:39 PM   #17
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If there is a Flying J or a Loves near by, they usually have a scales. They have a microphone you can speak into and they can tell you info needed. I assume they are all the same in that you get a before and after weight (assuming you may be loaded and unloaded, etc) for the same price. Seems like it was $10-15 a few years ago.
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Old 03-03-2021, 09:19 PM   #18
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RV trailers are required to leave the factory with a certified UVW/dry weight established. If the dealer or consumer adds propane to the tank, its weight is already accounted for in the UVW (FMVSS 571.120). Since 2010 NHTSA has applied a lot of pressure with recall actions for improper CCC reporting. Anything the dealer adds to the trailer before first sale must be deducted from the CCC, unless its total weight is less than 100#. If they add a battery they do not have to account for its weigh if less than 100#.

Information on shipping labels are not a requirement or used for anything other than transporter information. They are usually less than UVW.

If everything is correct for first sale, the official CCC weight/corrected CCC weight when added to the UVW will equal GVWR. Water is cargo. Cargo is controlled by trailer owners/users.
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Old 03-04-2021, 09:40 AM   #19
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Dave,

GVWR is the maximum loaded weight of your rig. It can be as fresh water, other tanks or anything else you put in it.
You guys are making this way too complicated. The basic question was what is the GVWR, the answer is above. You can put whatever you want in it, up to the GVWR, what ever it says on the sticker.
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Old 03-04-2021, 11:13 AM   #20
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Most truck stops have a "CAT Scale" that you pull on and weigh your rig. This will give you gross weight and steer axle, drive axle, and trailer weight. Its certified to be accurate.
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