Tuesday, April 19, 2016

So... How Did Our Motorhome Do, Weight Wise?


Escapees RV Club has a program called SmartWeigh. It is a run by a group of people who travel to rallies to weigh RVs for a fee, $45. Each of the four corners of the RV is weighed. The totals of the front and rear are compared to the RV's GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating).

Knowledge is power. RV owners need to know the front and rear weights to ensure that the RV is not over the maximum allowed by the manufacturer.  Over-weighed tires are more likely to fail.  An overweight RV has a longer stopping distance... which can be hazardous.  An overweight RV adds to wear and tear on chassis components, like springs and shocks.

We had our motorhome weighted twice before and while we were not over by much, the rear passenger corner was overweight.  This is the side where we store six 90 pound AGM batteries that store electricity collected by our solar panels.  The Splendide Washer/Dryer, that weighs about 150 pounds, is also in that corner. We removed it in February and turned the space into storage. Ginny and I are curious to see what the motorhome weighs in at now.  

Our 2004 Winnebago Vectra had a successful weigh in.... All four corners
are under the maximum weight allowed by the manufacturer's GVWR... 


Getting the RV weighed and talking with the SmartWeigh staff is a good start for owners. The accompanying paperwork helps owners learn about safety issues and includes recommendations to assist them in reducing weight or redistributing weight within an RV. 

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