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Old 05-29-2013, 12:06 AM   #21
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The problem is Mary Ann that no two trailers are going to weigh the same amount. All depends on what options the trailer has on it. Ie some may have AC and awnings, dual propane tanks, heater, hot water tank, screen door, rock guard - amongst other things- some may only have a few of those items, or none at all. Scamp list the dry weight at 1200LBS which includes none of the items I listed or the battery, fridge, store, potty or any other options.
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Old 05-29-2013, 08:47 AM   #22
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The problem is Mary Ann that no two trailers are going to weigh the same amount.

Exactly! Even two trailers, exact same models, same options, same year, will not weigh the exact same amount! Crazy, I know but just a fact.......
Personally, this is one of my issues with all manufactures! They post dry weights that are misleading! Or should I say they don't clarify that dry weights are before things such as AC, toilets, fridge, etc etc etc!

Mary, I would bet there are several scales near you who allow the public to use for a small fee. I think I paid $8 the first time. I know scales are not something we use often or even notice, but they are around. Even the local dump should have one. The first time I weighted my trailer, I took it to the sugar beat mill. I would have never even known they weighted any thing, until someone directed me there. You might ask your local DMV, they should know of several weigh options in your area.


I think my local dump charges $15
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Old 05-29-2013, 09:06 AM   #23
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Originally Posted by Mary Ann in MN View Post
Robin, I know that would be the way to do it, but I have no way of doing that where I'm at, That's why I asked. I thought someone may have weighed a deluxe model.
If you look at catscale dot com, it shows all their locations. Could be one is close by, or perhaps along your route as you journey.
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Old 05-29-2013, 09:14 AM   #24
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I recall Frederick suggesting to check with your state Agiculture Dept, weights and measures division. They have to inspect them. We went to a local truck stop. Raz
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Old 05-29-2013, 09:56 AM   #25
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Originally Posted by Robin G View Post
Personally, this is one of my issues with all manufactures! They post dry weights that are misleading! Or should I say they don't clarify that dry weights are before things such as AC, toilets, fridge, etc etc etc!
Well there may be light at the end of the tunnel on that topic. I seem to recall that there are some new regulations or at least some RV manufactures association that many of the manufactures belong to has a new requirement that the manufacturer must state the actual dry weight on the trailer as completed/leaves the factory on a label inside the trailer.

A good rule of thumb on a Scamp is to add at least 250/300lbs to the dry weight stated by Scamp to come up with a more realist dry weight on a 13' which they state to be 1200lbs. I have never seen a 1200lb Scamp reported here after having been weighed. Loaded weights on Frederick's great thread Trailer Weights in the Real World range from 1620lbs all the way up to 1950lbs and the later was listed as a Standard 13' Scamp. Which makes sense as it is suggested by a local trailer manufacture here that you should always add between 500/600lbs to a trailers stated dry weight to come up with a realistic approx. loaded weight.
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Old 05-29-2013, 10:30 AM   #26
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The weights/payload issue get even worse when the trailers get bigger.

Our 23' Airstream comes with a listed dry weight of 3,500lbs but the GWR is a whopping 5,800lbs. I have no idea what one could put into that kind of space that would weigh so much.
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Old 05-29-2013, 10:50 AM   #27
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Originally Posted by Carol H View Post
Personally, this is one of my issues with all manufactures! They post dry weights that are misleading! Or should I say they don't clarify that dry weights are before things such as AC, toilets, fridge, etc etc etc!

. Which makes sense as it is suggested by a local trailer manufacture here that you should always add between 500/600lbs to a trailers stated dry weight to come up with a realistic approx. loaded weight.
That sounds like a reasonable figure to approximate it in my experience and observations. For instance my camper has a listed dry weight of 3040 pounds, and weighs about 3600 with a minimal amount of stuff, and right at 3900 the way I typically pull out of the driveway.
This particular manufacturer ( cruiser rv ) considers dry weight to be without propane tanks, and no options, such as A/C and awning.
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Old 05-29-2013, 10:55 AM   #28
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The weights/payload issue get even worse when the trailers get bigger.

Our 23' Airstream comes with a listed dry weight of 3,500lbs but the GWR is a whopping 5,800lbs. I have no idea what one could put into that kind of space that would weigh so much.
From what I have seen, it's fairly common for RV manufacturers to state a GVWR based on what the axle(s) capacity is plus sometimes the normal tongue weight. For instance, my trailer, while supposably only 3040 pounds dry, has a GVWR of 6000 pounds. That's because it has two 2800 pound axles (5600) plus approx 400 pounds of tongue. If this traile was a single axle, it would likely have a 3500 pound axle, so it's GVWR would likely be around 3800. This is part of why I like tandem axles.
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Old 05-29-2013, 11:03 AM   #29
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Mary, are you asking the weight of your 13ft Scamp? If so the best way to know how much it weights is to have it weighed.


If just wanting to know the general weights of a 13 Deluxe you can check out the post, http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...rld-43010.html

It will give you a idea, but you will notice that weights often vary due to personal gear, mods, etc. But again, the only way to really know is weight the particular trailer you are questioning!
Eggy-Sue has every option except the second propane tank.Ready to camp weight at last weighing...1950lb
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Old 05-29-2013, 11:07 AM   #30
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Trailer Weight

Quote:
Originally Posted by Robin G View Post
Personally, this is one of my issues with all manufactures! They post dry weights that are misleading! Or should I say they don't clarify that dry weights are before things such as AC, toilets, fridge, etc etc etc!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Carol H View Post
Well there may be light at the end of the tunnel on that topic. I seem to recall that there are some new regulations or at least some RV manufactures association that many of the manufactures belong to has a new requirement that the manufacturer must state the actual dry weight on the trailer as completed/leaves the factory on a label inside the trailer.

A good rule of thumb on a Scamp is to add at least 250/300lbs to the dry weight stated by Scamp to come up with a more realist dry weight on a 13' which they state to be 1200lbs. I have never seen a 1200lb Scamp reported here after having been weighed. Loaded weights on Frederick's great thread Trailer Weights in the Real World range from 1620lbs all the way up to 1950lbs and the later was listed as a Standard 13' Scamp. Which makes sense as it is suggested by a local trailer manufacture here that you should always add between 500/600lbs to a trailers stated dry weight to come up with a realistic approx. loaded weight.
When I was looking for a new trailer , I asked a friend who owns an RV shop
She said that the weight sticker on the trailer is the total weight with options and that they are weighed as they leave the assembly line . NO water NO propane -- All tanks are empty. (Dealer added options are not reflected by the factory weight sticker )
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Old 05-29-2013, 11:20 AM   #31
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When I was looking for a new trailer , I asked a friend who owns an RV shop
She said that the weight sticker on the trailer is the total weight with options and that they are weighed as they leave the assembly line . NO water NO propane -- All tanks are empty. (Dealer added options are not reflected by the factory weight sticker )
Steve thats good to hear. As I indicated though I think its a pretty new practise (just the last couple of years) and may not be an across the board practise by all the manufactures - may have to do with what association they belong to.
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Old 05-29-2013, 12:51 PM   #32
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Thanks Mike and everyone else. We have a friend checking out a Casita for us today and if it is a trailer that they would buy for themselves, they will put a check on it to hold it for us until we can get it on Friday. Think we are just going to stick with what we know will be a good towing trailer. Would like more interior space but if we are using it mostly as a traveling motel room, whats the difference, eh? We might as well get the best mileage with it we can get.
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Old 05-30-2013, 08:31 AM   #33
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Dry weights tend to be before everything is placed in the trailer, which to me is horrible cause it gives people a false sense of what they are pulling.

And people don't understand that!
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Old 05-30-2013, 08:53 AM   #34
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Nothing beats taking your trailer to a weigh station after it is packed for your trip. Even the stickers that come on some newer trailers with the factory weight can be misleading, particularly if you are a "heavy" packer. Between dumps & transfer stations, CAT scales, scrap metal yards, grain elevators, and DOT scales, there is going to be a way to get your actual weight without going too far out of your way.

Be sure to also check your tongue weight to assure it is within your tow vehicle limits & at least 10% of the trailer weight...
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Old 05-30-2013, 09:11 AM   #35
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Dry weights tend to be before everything is placed in the trailer, which to me is horrible cause it gives people a false sense of what they are pulling.

And people don't understand that!
I agree that this is often a problem, but what alternative does the trailer manufacturer have? There is no "typical" load that people might place in a trailer. The only thing the manufacturer can do is tell us what the trailer weighs dry, and leave the rest up to us.

Most problems are best solved by each of us taking a little bit more responsibility and getting a little bit more education.

(And people doing things, despite not really understanding them, is a pretty common theme in "problems in society". I don't think mandating warning stickers is the right solution to this problem since the stupidity of the individual knows no bounds; trying to educate a user who won't take personal responsibility is both uneconomical and doomed to fail).
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Old 05-30-2013, 09:42 AM   #36
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Most problems are best solved by each of us taking a little bit more responsibility and getting a little bit more education.
Yup so true! But you have to watch yourself Doug. Before you know it the PC patrol here will show up and chide you should you ever attempt to tell it like it is and educate anyone here why they may be heading down a road to failure, if it sounds at all like a scare tactic. Even if the OP asked for the information in an attempt to educate themselves
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Old 05-30-2013, 09:56 AM   #37
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The more you educate yourself on a subject , the more you realize how little you really know and the more question you have . Education can be scary and ignorance is often the easier path. (Carol : Am I "Fear Mongering" ? I hope not)
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Old 05-30-2013, 01:38 PM   #38
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There is no "typical" load that people might place in a trailer. The only thing the manufacturer can do is tell us what the trailer weighs dry, and leave the rest up to us.

Most problems are best solved by each of us taking a little bit more responsibility and getting a little bit more education.

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Old 05-30-2013, 08:56 PM   #39
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I agree that this is often a problem, but what alternative does the trailer manufacturer have?


There is no "typical" load that people might place in a trailer. ).
Doug, I am not talking about what people pack . I am saying that most people don't understand that dry weights are before appliances such as A/C, fridge, heaters, awnings, propane tanks, etc etc etc. People don't understand that! So yes I do blame the manufactures, because they don't really state that! People are lead to believe that the trailer they are purchasing is much lighter than it actually is!

Example, my trailer stated 2300 pound dry weight! When it actually weighs over 2800 pounds! Dry as a bone, with nothing in it!






Oh believe leave me, I completely understand there is no control on how much individuals pack. I have rv'ed most of my life as well as owned and operated a rv park. I saw how much crap people pack in their rigs ! But again, "dry weights" are before certain things such as A/C's and sometimes even tanks such as grey and black tanks. And if people don't understand that they don't know the real weight of the trailer!
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Old 05-31-2013, 08:57 AM   #40
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hmmm... ok, that's a problem that the manufacturers could help with. It's still not an easy problem for them to solve, though. A caveat on the brochure indicating that the stated weight doesn't include options, a note beside each option what it weighs. Yeah, the manufacturer could help. But I insist the *responsibility* still falls on the client/owner. I will accept, however, that the manufacture is responsible for not misleading the customer, and stating dry weights without clearly indicating what that weight includes is bordering on misleading.

If I'm not mistaken, the trailer sticker should state the actual weight with options as the trailer leaves the factory. This obviously doesn't help while shopping, nor does it help with a used trailer when you can't know how the previous owner modified it. But again it comes down to education. The owner needs to know the factors that affect the weight, and when it's necessary to go out and take a measurement instead of relying what's on paper.
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