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Old 10-08-2020, 01:25 PM   #46
Judge
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: 2020 Magnitude SV34
State: Florida
Posts: 4,147
THOR #12751
Quote:
Originally Posted by jabrabu View Post
I found a post on another forum where the owner had a Chateau 31E weighed. This was with a full 55 gallons of fuel and the 40 gallon freshwater tank full.



Total weight was 14,620. (GVWR is 14,500.) Front axle was 4,580 and rear axle was 10,040. So the rear axle is already overloaded from the factory, and there is no payload capacity. You can dump 300 lbs of freshwater, but that only helps a little bit. We often camp at state parks that only have electric service, and we prefer to arrive with a full tank of clean filtered fresh water.


Also, Ford specifies that at least 1/3 of the vehicle weight should be on the front axle, but the RV builders don't build them that way.


Agreed.... Myself and others have regularly posted that a Class C on a van chassis that is 25' feet or more is pushing the limits of the chassis. If you are doing short weekend trips you will probably be fine and happy and not experience any major issues.

However, as I become more educated about RV construction I learned that there was no way I was going to keep our Class C Outlaw 29H and do the long trips out west we were planning. Fully loaded we were at or over the GVWR and axle loads and I did not feel comfortable traveling thousands of miles and through the mountains with a coach that was at its limits before we pulled out of the driveway.

I was less concerned about the physical axle because they are rated higher than than the GVWR limits but the tires were the real concern followed by the suspension and brakes. The stock LT tires are at their limits and were never meant to carry a heavy load full time. That is why I recommend that if people with Class C's want to do one upgrade and one upgrade only, it should be moving to a commercial rated tire designed to carry heavy loads full time and have a higher weight rating.

I have since moved to a Super C on a heavy duty truck chassis that was better designed to carry the load and load balance of these big coaches. Had I done a better job of doing my homework before buying my Class C, I likely would have not gone that route once I realized most Class C's are on the ragged edge of being overloaded before you head out on a trip..... unless you want to travel with no water, no propane and only a 1/4 tank of fuel.
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