The Weight Police Visit My Campsite

[TURBS]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

I think 1,000 is a little high except for guys like Herk who carries his shop and half his house with him.

We carry a minimum of food, maybe 8-10 gal of fresh water & 3-4 gal in the black tank. Nothing in the bed of the truck except 20 lego blocks, pvc laundry rack and center of tonneau cover. From actual wt, 110# of tools, lube, air compressor, etc in front storage area of trailer. 4 rocking chairs, flagpole & RVQ grill.

Trip to Goshen will be heavier due to 2 cases of adult beverages we normally don't carry, but those are in the pantry at the rear end of the trailer.

We don't have a generator, carry no extra fuel, etc. Truck has 300# cargo which includes wife, dog and myself and a qt. of coffee and a few snacks.

That's why there's an average!
Some higher some lower.

This was a printed statistic that I read a few years ago ..... I've yet to phind it again.

[goduc]

Depends on what type of camping you do. If you just go to full hookups and eat out at the closest buffet then 'ya' 1,000lbs seems kinda high. But if you dry camp w/o elec and water then you need to have a gen, full fresh water tank, etc. Some people only go for a couple nights at most. Others go for 3, 4, 5 days at a time. If you read more forums you'll find the average is around 1,000lbs. If the OP takes less then fine, if he's average then he's def over his ratings. I think people that have never weighed their TT/5'ers would be in for a surprise.

[prof_fate]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

I think 1,000 is a little high except for guys like Herk who carries his shop and half his house with him.

We carry a minimum of food, maybe 8-10 gal of fresh water & 3-4 gal in the black tank. Nothing in the bed of the truck except 20 lego blocks, pvc laundry rack and center of tonneau cover. From actual wt, 110# of tools, lube, air compressor, etc in front storage area of trailer. 4 rocking chairs, flagpole & RVQ grill.

Trip to Goshen will be heavier due to 2 cases of adult beverages we normally don't carry, but those are in the pantry at the rear end of the trailer.

We don't have a generator, carry no extra fuel, etc. Truck has 300# cargo which includes wife, dog and myself and a qt. of coffee and a few snacks.

You left out bedding, towels, soap, dishes, silverware, foil/wrap, TP, toilet chems, sewer hose, water hose, elec hookup, any adapters for that stuff, jack tools, a level, 4-way lug wrench, a couple of simple tools
.
We also have 'toys' for the kids, pool toys, clothes drying rack, dish rack, chairs/tables/mat, lights for the awning, drink cozy to keep the beer cold in the can, food, water, paper towels, dog food and dishes, misc bathroom things like toothbrushes,first aid stuff, sunscreen.

And part of that weight is the propane, battery, hitch ass'y - things often not counted in payload.

We don't have a 'sign' or television or screen room or many other items I see commonly at folk's camps.

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

I think 1,000 is a little high except for guys like Herk who carries his shop and half his house with him.

We carry a minimum of food, maybe 8-10 gal of fresh water & 3-4 gal in the black tank. Nothing in the bed of the truck except 20 lego blocks, pvc laundry rack and center of tonneau cover. From actual wt, 110# of tools, lube, air compressor, etc in front storage area of trailer. 4 rocking chairs, flagpole & RVQ grill.

Trip to Goshen will be heavier due to 2 cases of adult beverages we normally don't carry, but those are in the pantry at the rear end of the trailer.

We don't have a generator, carry no extra fuel, etc. Truck has 300# cargo which includes wife, dog and myself and a qt. of coffee and a few snacks.

I could be mistaken, but haven't you said you've never really weighed your rig? I think you mentioned stopping at a state scale one day and were over a few things but sent on your way anyway?

If that's the case- how do you know how much your surf weighs vs. the yellow sticker? For both the camper and truck...

Just sayin'.

[MtnGuy]

Originally Posted by force

Anyone interested in a group buy for some badges that say "FR Weight Police"?

Tom, can I get 1 of those with the "Commonwealth of Virginia".

[TURBS]

Originally Posted by mtnguy

Tom, can I get 1 of those with the "Commonwealth of Virginia".

I get badge "1"

"Iowa chapter"

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by sideout1961

I'd really like to know what some people are taking with them camping. 1000 to 1500 lbs of cargo is a lot at least to me. I have nothing in my bed and in the camper clothes, food, dishes and some folding chairs and a road trip grill. All though I have seen some guy pull up and unload have their home at the site. So I suppose if you really want to you can stay under weight just depends on what you like to bring with you. I'm more of a bare bones type camper.

Excellent observation. Guilty as charged,

But you won't know whether you are "packing the kitchen sink" without at least one trip to the road scales.

PS - The REAL "Weight Police" are the State Troopers who will be checking your truck's weight class sticker against your actual weight in a "pull over" for speeding or any other valid reason.

If you are going to load it like a 3/4 ton, your better register it like a 3/4 ton.

Having a 1/2 ton inspection sticker means your truck weighs less than 5,000 pounds loaded. Pickup Trucks 101: What You Need To Know About Weight Ratings - PickupTrucks.com News

California Motor Vehicle Code 21700 - Obstruction to Driving - DMV - BISNAR | CHASE Law Firm

http://www.armstronglegal.com.au/tra...ck-overloading


A $1000.00 overload fine in addition to the wrong weight class registration penalty will ruin most vacations.

[MtnGuy]

Originally Posted by herk7769

Having a 1/2 ton inspection sticker means your truck weighs less than 5,000 pounds loaded.

Lou, that probably varies state to state. Here, you can go up to 7500 lbs. GVWR with passenger car tags.....that is what I have on my truck. For the same fee as the 7500 lb. tags, you can go up to 10,000 lbs. GVWR, but you have to get "truck" tags.

I see many 1/2 ton trucks with "truck" tags around here.

[ryand]

Originally Posted by CZNEDY

Not Really but I got your attention. This thread is about the phenomenon associated with curious campers wondering how I pull my fifth wheel with a 2011 Dodge Ram 1500 Crew Cab, Laramie Longhorn. Everywhere we go, they wander over to our site like curious zombies. It never fails, we get at least 2-3 visitors a weekend. Mostly, they are MH owners that want to go to a fifth wheel, but didn't know you could tow a 5vr with a 1/2/ton truck. Sometimes they show up in groups, sometimes they stop by on their way out. The male gets out to ask questions, while the wife stays in the car. I politely give them a tour and explain the various factors they would need to consider.

Just curious, has this happened to anyone else?

I think they are more curious why you would do this....Having the same truck only with the 17" wheels I would like to know as well!! MY truck tops out at 10,500 towing and 1450lb payload a bit higher than the Longhorn numbers. I am guessing you are close if not over your payload before adding a thing to the bed of the truck. My TT depending on loading has between 800-950 tounge weight and near 7K loaded. Its too much for this truck....not the engine but the truck. Its within the specs but not a real comfortable drive IMO. I will be upgrading to a 3/4 in a few years.

[CZNEDY]

WOW, you guys are brutal!
I bought the truck 2 years ago and really wanted to hold onto it for at least 4 years. I didn't just go out and buy the RV cause I liked it. I spent a lot of time looking at various models and their specifications before purchasing. The layout of the 8528RKWS suited our needs and the fact that the rear kitchen reduces the pin weight down to 1,046, made it an easy decision. We mostly tow 20-40 miles per trip. I have always been careful what I store in the RV and probably have +/- 600 lbs. total. Nothing in the back seat, nothing in the truck bed except the hitch. Just me and the DW in the front seats. We have three trips planned that are 150+ miles for this season. When we first picked it up, the rear end was down about 3" but the truck was dead level. I towed it a few times and the only thing that bothered me was the bridge expansion joints. But, I have been towing for years and it doesn't bother me as much now as it did years ago when I first started towing a TT. I added Timbrens (didn't want the airbags) since I am (YES) over on the payload for this model, and now the rear end drops around an inch. Hit a bump, and its once bounce and then full recovery. Always look ahead, plan ahead and anticipate. Take off and Braking is fine as the truck has plenty of power, cruising I run about 1900 RPM and under 3500 when accelerating. The truck is also equipped with Front and rear stabilizer bars.

We drove home last weekend from the Cape and hit some 20 MPH side winds on 25 and 495. Felt the side to side forces, but very little movement.

When my new 1/2 ton fun friends come to visit my site to ask about our set-up, I always say, since we travel locally and only a few 3-4 hour trips, it's fine and works for us now. But....... when we decide to load it up and travel long distances, I will be dragging it with a 2500. Then I will join the weight police and fire the guy who drags a TT with tents sticking out of it with a 2500

In a day or two, I will take some pics unhooked and hooked up and post them so you can see how the whole set up looks now.

[Herk7769]

Telling a State Trooper that you are OK, because some guy on a web site says that he does it all the time with no trouble, is not going to improve your bargaining position.

[force]

Originally Posted by CZNEDY

But....... when we decide to load it up and travel long distances, I will be dragging it with a 2500. Then I will join the weight police and fire the guy who drags a TT with tents sticking out of it with a 2500

Hey man, I only left that bunk out that ONE time.

Totally j/k. I also tow a boat and snowmobiles, and after testing driving a few diff trucks, the 2500 was just "a lot more truck" than any half-ton I'd been in. Plus I knew I'd not have to worry about weight again. Maybe most important, I work from home, so don't have daily driver concerns. I would have made a different decision otherwise.

As the expression goes, your mileage may vary.

On a side note, I live just off the Cape (Rochester, MA), so if I do ever spot your setup @Bourne Scenic, Nickerson, or Sweetwater in Brewster (our 3 fav sites so far), I'll be sure to stop by and say hi!

[rockport]

Originally Posted by herk7769

Telling a State Trooper that you are OK, because some guy on a web site says that he does it all the time with no trouble, is not going to improve your bargaining position.

Lou, have you ever actually known of someone who received a ticket for overloading their 1/2 ton truck. Reason I ask is I see these kind of comments on this forum and on rv.net but have never seen anyone say they actually got a ticket or even a warning for that matter. Curious.

[CZNEDY]

I hear ya, I didn't take offense, just trying to deflect some of the attention off me. I'll look for you this summer.

[CZNEDY]

Once I was pulled over for not having an inspection sticker on my MH. The State Trooper asked me what my License Plate stood for. I told him "Cousin Eddy", he cracked up, folded his ticket book up and said, Have a nice day.

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by rockport

Lou, have you ever actually known of someone who received a ticket for overloading their 1/2 ton truck. Reason I ask is I see these kind of comments on this forum and on rv.net but have never seen anyone say they actually got a ticket or even a warning for that matter. Curious.

Personally, I don't want to be the "Poster Child;" be my guest.

Our local police set up a weight check station on a local road and was pulling over every truck and trailer that went by. I did see two lawn service trailers in the lot, but no travel trailers.

Integrity means coming to a full stop at a stop sign even when no one is looking and there is no traffic; JUST BECAUSE IT IS RIGHT.

NOT because you will be caught.

Integrity can not be taught; you either have it or you don't.
It was a lesson the military had to learn the hard way.

The TQM initiative failed because of it.

[Cajun Po-Boy]

I always questioned why so many FRF members don't list their TV in their signature...kinda like an Olympian hiding chocolates in the house, they know it's not good for their body or training but keep it secret to prevent the haggling from peers!?

[MtnGuy]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

Besides that, us folks on food stamps can't afford a nice, new, big truck.

We have been supplementing our food stamps with cicadas....they are all over the place. Sorta taste like wild hickory nuts, as Euell Gibbons used to say.

[goduc]

For what you're doing, go for it. Doubt those short trips will hurt a thing. Have fun.

[dcheatwood]

Originally Posted by rockport

Lou, have you ever actually known of someone who received a ticket for overloading their 1/2 ton truck. Reason I ask is I see these kind of comments on this forum and on rv.net but have never seen anyone say they actually got a ticket or even a warning for that matter. Curious.

Just retired from wearing g a badge for 33 years. Never wrote an overloaded pickup. No safety chains, yes. No brakes, yes. No lights, yes. Reckless driving with a trailer, yes. But never overloaded. Issue never came up. Perhaps because avg PD, SO and SP don't provide a means to weigh it. So what do you say in court? "Well, judge, it just looked too heavy?" Lol.
Not saying there's no concern or safety issue. Only that over weight is hard to prove without weighing.
Everyone just drive safe and watch out for each other. ;*}