Several people have asked about the weight of my coach. I finally got around to weighing it this past weekend.
The big changes that I have made are the addition of the 650 watt solar charging system and replacing one couch with an office/desk.
With full fuel, full propane, 3/4 full holding tanks, nearly empty fresh water (probably 20 gallons or so), me, my cat, all our belongings (books, personal items, clothes, papers, photos, computers, tools, camping gear (chairs, table, BBQ, etc.), sewing machine, full supply of food, tow bar, full oil, full coolant, spare oil/coolant), and so forth… The basement is pretty well stuffed to capacity!
The total weight was 32,640 pounds. The GVWR of my rig is 33,200 pounds. I figure with full fresh water, empty black/grey tanks, and full fuel I am probably pretty close to gross weight.
The GCVW limit of my coach is 43,200 pounds. I’ve never weighed my 2010 Jeep Wrangler with the kayak on top and bikes inside but I would guess at around 4500 pounds. So, my GCVW is approximately 38,000 pounds which is about 5000 pounds under the limit.
These weights are completely acceptable to me as it includes everything that I own. For more than a year I have operated the coach at this weight and it has had no problems. Climbing and descending several serious mountain passes in the west was accomplished with what felt to be relative ease. I continue to be very, very happy with my Newmar Dutch Star!
It might be worth noting that this weight carrying ability is one of the big features of a diesel pusher and it is what makes the gasser vs. diesel (motorhome) debate an apples to oranges comparison. A gas motorhome is simply not built to safely carry the weight that a diesel motorhome is designed to carry – safely and with ease. Yes, of course that capability costs more money to purchase and maintain – to think otherwise is just silly. Read my gas vs diesel discussion for more information on this subject.
I should probably note that one should weight all four corners or at least the front and rear separately to ensure an even load or at least a load that is not overloading either front or rear axles. The place I stopped was not setup to handle this so it was not done this time around.
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