2014 3400RL at home and weights - Montana Owners Club

CruzerDoc · 05-14-2013, 03:13 PM

After waiting for three months, the new Monty is home. There are a few changes from the 2013 model but nothing we didn't like that wasn't fixed. For those of you who are wondering, here are the weights on her:
Tongue: 2280lbs
Trailer axles: 10960lbs
Trailer weight: 13120lbs
This was with full tank of gas in the truck and about 20 gallons of water in the fresh water tank (didn't know that until I got it home). We take her out Memorial Day weekend for a week long trip and are really excited about it. I've been a MOC member for about 4 months and ordered the Monty based on your thoughts and insights. I think we all did pretty good!

**DQDick** · 05-14-2013, 03:17 PM

Glad to hear it! May your new rig help you make many wonderful memories.

bethandkevin · 05-14-2013, 03:23 PM

Enjoy. I'll bet you can find many a picture perfect view to frame in that back window in your neck of the woods.

mail2us · 05-14-2013, 03:58 PM

Don, Congrats on your new rig and thanks for your Naval service. If I read correctly you are a retired Command Master Chief, something you no doubt are very proud of. Let's see your handle is CruiserDoc...maybe a Corpsman on cruisers or am I just guessing. Good Luck and enjoy the MOC.

Hooker · 05-14-2013, 05:08 PM

Your tongue weight will increase greatly when you are loaded.

RJI47 · 05-14-2013, 05:17 PM

Congrats on your new rig. The 3400 is a great floor plan.

CruzerDoc · 05-15-2013, 07:46 AM

Thanks Dennis. I was an Independent Duty Corpsman on board the cruiser ANZIO. I take it you were a Navy man yourself at one time. That's my guess anyway.
Thanks everyone and enjoy the spring weather.

snfexpress · 05-15-2013, 11:24 AM

Congrats on your new rig!

HOOK · 05-15-2013, 11:39 AM

Congrats on your new rig . Hope it brings many happy times. Thanks for your service from an old Vietnam era vet.

Irlpguy · 05-15-2013, 04:56 PM

Congratulations Don and Rita on the new 3400RL, we have the 2012 3402RL and are very pleased with the floor plan and the roominess of the unit and all the cupboard and storage space.

DISCLAIMER: I am not the weight police...

I am curious to know how you determined the weights you have listed. The pin weight plus the trailer axle weight should be equal to the full trailer weight.
The Keystone website lists your unit with a shipping weight of 12,533 and a pin weight of 2,360 and yet you are showing a pin weight of only 2,280.

The empty weight of the units are not that important, what is important is the weight when you are loaded and ready to go.

Here is an easy way to determine your complete weight picture.

1) weigh the truck full of fuel, loaded with all you will carry in it, including yourself and wife. I weigh the front axle, then the rear axle so I can see the weight distribution, but still get the total weight.
2) Weigh the truck as above but hooked to the RV which is loaded with all or most of what you intend to carry with you. Again weigh the truck front axle, then the rear axle and finally the trailer axles.

This will give you a very accurate pin weight, trailer axle weight and overall weight of truck and trailer. This does not give you weights per wheel or per axle but is about the best you can do without weighing each wheel independently.

You will likely find you are overweight on the GVWR of your 2500, as I think it is only 10,000. What you do about that is up to you.

Enjoy your first vacation in your new unit.

Mudchief · 05-15-2013, 04:57 PM

Congratulations and enjoy your new unit.

mail2us · 05-16-2013, 04:04 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by CruzerDoc

Thanks Dennis. I was an Independent Duty Corpsman on board the cruiser ANZIO. I take it you were a Navy man yourself at one time. That's my guess anyway.
Thanks everyone and enjoy the spring weather.

I was an RM in the Navy, in Vietnam, and other low places!

Art-n-Marge · 05-16-2013, 06:23 AM

Are those the unladen weights? Or the weights with everything in it (including food and gear in trailer). Then loading up the trailer with the fluids and such is gonna increase that weight and I fear it might exceed the truck's 3/4 ton ratings. Don't forget to get the weights with the truck and trailer. Please be careful with that.

May your maiden voyage for Memorial Day weekend be the best! This is the first major Holiday weekend for RVers after the Winter and there will be many on the road. If you see another Montana don't forget to flash your lights and see if you get a response. Then you can post (I forget the topic) and find out if you met another MOCer. We're looking forward to hearing of your adventures.

CruzerDoc · 05-16-2013, 07:50 AM

Thanks for everyone's input. On the tongue weight and trailer weight those were empty weights with the exception of about 20 gallons of water in the fresh water tank. That's a total of about 160lbs of water and could be part of the difference on weight totals but in the grand scheme of things that is pretty insignificant for a rig that big. The truck was weighed with full tank, wife and two dogs both times so gross trailer weight is accurate. Could also be some scale irregularity but i think we are talking about 120lbs or so difference. There could be some manufacturing differences on the unit which may change the published weights with what I found but don't know on that. Some on smarter then me may be able to answer that.
I pulled the book out on the weight for the truck and they are:
max trailer weight: 16,700lbs
Max GCWR: 24,500Lbs
Max tongue weight: 3500Lbs
Should be good on weights. Thanks for the heads up though!

twindman · 05-18-2013, 07:05 AM

I believe the tongue weight is totally wrong. I have a 2012 2500hd and the total truck wieght allowed is 10,000 lb. It weighs 7900 with just the hitch in the back, fuel and 2 people. So I only have about 2100 lb I can have from the trailer hitch weight. Assuming around 250lb for fuel, 400 lb for us, and 150 for the hitch, we get up to 2900 lb.

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by CruzerDoc

Thanks for everyone's input. On the tongue weight and trailer weight those were empty weights with the exception of about 20 gallons of water in the fresh water tank. That's a total of about 160lbs of water and could be part of the difference on weight totals but in the grand scheme of things that is pretty insignificant for a rig that big. The truck was weighed with full tank, wife and two dogs both times so gross trailer weight is accurate. Could also be some scale irregularity but i think we are talking about 120lbs or so difference. There could be some manufacturing differences on the unit which may change the published weights with what I found but don't know on that. Some on smarter then me may be able to answer that.
I pulled the book out on the weight for the truck and they are:
max trailer weight: 16,700lbs
Max GCWR: 24,500Lbs
Max tongue weight: 3500Lbs
Should be good on weights. Thanks for the heads up though!

jlb27537 · 05-19-2013, 03:09 PM

Doc, you need to do some more research. Your truck GVWR is probably 10,000lbs or less......

So, take your truck to the scales. Get the front and rear axle weights. Now subtract the truck total from the truck GVWR. Be sure you have the truck loaded with all the folks, full fuel, what you normally have in the bed. It will for sure weigh at least 7,500lbs.

That will give you tongue weight capacity. Your truck loaded with the trailer attached should not weigh more than the GVWR on the plate in the drivers door jam.

If it weighs 13,120 empty, when you add 2,000lbs of clothes and other stuff, a 15K trailer will put your pin weight at 3,000lbs or more.

You really need to look at your weights again.

Jim

Irlpguy · 05-19-2013, 05:02 PM

There is no doubt in my mind that your weights are incorrect somewhere. I researched the truck and the Crew Cab LB GVWR is listed at 10,000lbs. The dry weight is 7387 lbs, if you add 300 lbs for 2 people and that is generous and low, plus 200 lbs for hitch and other things you might carry in the box, plus 300 lbs for a full fuel tank, you are now up to 8187 lbs. Subtract that from the 10,000 lb GVWR and you are left with a max pin weight or carry capacity of only 1,819 lbs.

If your empty trailer is currently 2280 at the pin, then you have already exceeded the GVWR of the Truck.

As was said in another recent post, check the GVWR on the drivers side door post to confirm your GVWR, it will likely also give you the front axle weight rating as well as the RAWR. (rear axle).

It will always be the owners decision as to what to tow their trailer with, I just think it is wise to know exactly what you are dealing with in regard to the capacity of the truck and trailer. If you follow my suggestion as to how to determine your weights in my previous post, you will know exactly what your units weigh as well as your pin weight.

Good luck and happy trails.

CruzerDoc · 05-20-2013, 10:20 AM

Again, thanks for everyone's input. It's good to know folks out there care.
Actually, the numbers I posted are correct; straight from the book. Those are the max weights. And, yes, the GVWR is 10,000lbs. Will I be over that some; obviously (notice I didn't get into that in earlier posts

). Am I willing to live with that: only to a point. I have airlift airbags which will help and also much better tires than the stock Goodyear Wranglers. Would a DRW hold the weight better; yes. Do I want a DRW; nope. Had one and it was nearly worthless in snow and it loved to water ski. I personally feel safer in a SRW than a DRW.
Again, thank you.

Have a great one.

Rspradling · 06-05-2013, 03:37 PM

Not sure about chevrolet 2500 and 3500, but dodge, 2500 and 3500 srw add a leaf in the rear to the 2500 and you are same as 3500.

richfaa · 06-06-2013, 04:07 AM

The actual pin weight on our 06 3400 ready to travel was 2915 lbs which we managed to reduce to 2800 lbs between weigh ins. Book weight does not mean much when you get a chance weigh the rig ready to travel/

Note .. We also did not want a dually they are IMO a PITA however the numbers said we needed one so we have one. In fact we have had two. Such is life.
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