Ask the Wildcat factory...

[onetonford]

Chris this week I was on Vacation in the cat and I noticed the Day/Nite shades on rear window is only being held by one screw in the center. the other windows even the small ones have two metal brackets that clip to shade the back had none. Amazing it has not pulled the screw out yet. My question is there anywhere I can get those brackets???

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by gasa765

Where do we get a 2007 brochure?

have you tried Googling it? i found one on the first try.

[gasa765]

Yes, Googled, but results didn't provide what I wanted. What parameters did you use?

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by gasa765

Yes, Googled, but results didn't provide what I wanted. What parameters did you use?

just typed "2007 wildcat brochure".
the 2nd and 3rd choices take you to the pdf for the brochure.

[Wildcat Chris]

Originally Posted by onetonford

Chris this week I was on Vacation in the cat and I noticed the Day/Nite shades on rear window is only being held by one screw in the center. the other windows even the small ones have two metal brackets that clip to shade the back had none. Amazing it has not pulled the screw out yet. My question is there anywhere I can get those brackets???

Please contact your local Wildcat or Forest River dealer to see if they can procure this for you though Wildcat's parts department!

[Doering]

Hi,

The dry weight of the 302RL indicated on the spec page is 8505lbs.
I have located 3 units with sticker weights of 9000lbs, 9421lbs and 9420lbs.

I assume all the extra options added to the base unit drive the weight well beyond the printed spec weight of 8505lbs.

Are there any 302RL's that leave the factory around the 8500lb mark??

[Wildcat Chris]

Originally Posted by Doering

Hi,

The dry weight of the 302RL indicated on the spec page is 8505lbs.
I have located 3 units with sticker weights of 9000lbs, 9421lbs and 9420lbs.

I assume all the extra options added to the base unit drive the weight well beyond the printed spec weight of 8505lbs.

Are there any 302RL's that leave the factory around the 8500lb mark??

The 302RL floor plan tends to be more often modified and optioned out than many of our other models by dealers for their stock units. Things like Corian countertops (this model has a huge countertop), La-Z-Boy recliners, Serta Trump mattress, hide-a-bed sofa, free-standing table and chairs, bedroom fireplace and chair, etc. add weight quickly. I've most often seen this model in the "wild" at just under or at 9,000lbs due to these common add-ons. Units with the additional 6-point auto leveling system can be even heavier -- again, this particular floor plan has been a popular choice for add-ons (which is why the Sterling 30RL version continues to be one of our top-sellers).

So, to answer your question, YES, I have seen them in that weight range, but it isn't very common due to the great upgradablility of the 302RL...

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by Doering

Are there any 302RL's that leave the factory around the 8500lb mark??

highly unlikely! unless you don't want a spare tire, awning, a/c, oven, microwave and so on.

[Wildcat Chris]

Originally Posted by bikendan

highly unlikely! unless you don't want a spare tire, awning, a/c, oven, microwave and so on.

Your post is completely incorrect. We take our weights and measures seriously. Our engineering department independently weighs each unit as it's standard build. Your post suggests that we use deceptive practices or would purposefully mislead consumers on the extremely important matter of weight. As I clearly stated above, this unit rarely is found in stock without any number of optional upgrades, thus the reason each individual unit is weighed as it comes offline. You're free to visit the factory at any time to see this process -- our scales are frequently tested and calibrated.

[Doering]

Thanks for your replies "WILDCAT Chris". I figured your answer would be along the lines of my reasoning. So, as an outside chance, is there any way to track down a unit giving the details or pics of a unit that leaves the factory with minimal options. I think I would be prepared to go with a 8500-8750lb unit depending on the details of the unit.

[Wildcat Chris]

Originally Posted by Doering

Thanks for your replies "WILDCAT Chris". I figured your answer would be along the lines of my reasoning. So, as an outside chance, is there any way to track down a unit giving the details or pics of a unit that leaves the factory with minimal options. I think I would be prepared to go with a 8500-8750lb unit depending on the details of the unit.

Please send me your complete contact info and I'll get someone in touch with you to assist in your search!

[Herk7769]

Chris,

I think that no offense was intended and the comment was not directed at you or Wildcat in particular. It is a generaly accepted truth that the brochure "dry" weight is for a "stock" model and includes no options.

The "yellow sticker" weight is the "as built" weight as it come from the factory. It includes all factory installed options and the weight of those items ONLY appears after the unit is built.

As Dan said, the weight of ladder, air conditioner, awning, etc (unless they are NOT "options" and part of the "standard build") is not on the brochure. The customer "expects" their new camper to weigh what the brochure says even after the salesman adds the mile long Corian countertop.

Is this a "deceptive practice"?

No, IMO an informed consumer should understand that choices made at ordering time could add significant "empty weight" to their camper.

It is also not in the salesman's interest to tell the consumer that by adding that counter (which boosts his commission) he might be over his max towing weight before the customer puts a single item into it.

Perhaps what you should take away from this is to add the weight "plus up" to the dry weight in the brochure for each factory option available, so folks who like the floor plan but are at or near their max tow rating can decide what is important and what is not.

[Wildcat Chris]

Originally Posted by herk7769

As Dan said, the weight of ladder, air conditioner, awning, etc (unless they are NOT "options" and part of the "standard build") is not on the brochure.

That's the problem. All items which were listed are part of Wildcat's standard build -- across our entire lineup. Wildcat does not build a "dumbed down" version of a floor plan for weights. In fact, it's quite typical for a few of the popular or typical options to be included in our final prototype (which is then used for weights and measures).

Further, all Wildcat units are built so that the standard build includes everything our typical customer needs without needing to add options. Pick a decor. Pick a dining area style (booth or free-standing). DONE. It's one of the reasons the current Wildcat has been doing so well in sales this past season...

As I stated in my first post on the topic, the 302RL floor plan is usually found in dealer stock with more options than usual on other Wildcat floor plans, thus the extra weight.

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by Doering

Hi,

The dry weight of the 302RL indicated on the spec page is 8505lbs.
I have located 3 units with sticker weights of 9000lbs, 9421lbs and 9420lbs.

I assume all the extra options added to the base unit drive the weight well beyond the printed spec weight of 8505lbs.

Are there any 302RL's that leave the factory around the 8500lb mark??

Well here lies the confusion. How can the "dry weight" in the brochure be 8505 and include evey option except color and leave the factory weighing 500 - 900 pounds more than in the brochure?

Just askin...

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by Wildcat Chris

Your post is completely incorrect. We take our weights and measures seriously. Our engineering department independently weighs each unit as it's standard build. Your post suggests that we use deceptive practices or would purposefully mislead consumers on the extremely important matter of weight. As I clearly stated above, this unit rarely is found in stock without any number of optional upgrades, thus the reason each individual unit is weighed as it comes offline. You're free to visit the factory at any time to see this process -- our scales are frequently tested and calibrated.

Chris, i'm sorry you took my post this way. i apologize for not knowing that Wildcat includes the weight of these things, in the brochure specs.
this is not a common industry practice, even on most FR products.

my Rockwood Roo was 400lbs. over the brochure weight because it didn't include the weights of the items i listed and this is how nearly all the RV industry does it.

i'm a big fan of Wildcat and what they're doing and i hope you don't think i'm accusing you of misleading customers.
i was simply stating what is normal in the RV industry.
it wasn't directed at you but to the OP's question about getting a rig at its brochure weight. what i stated is pretty much how it is, outside of Wildcat and a few other companies.

[LadyWindrider]

And if you are trying to be real honest, how about throwing in the brochure that a battery and propane will add 100 or more pounds to the tongue weight, regardless of brand.

[Oakman]

I really don’t understand all the animosity that is directed at Wildcat Chris, especially from members who don’t own and never have owned a Wildcat trailer. It seems to me that folks who have had issues with different brands of Forest River products want to take out their frustrations on the Wildcat representative. What’s up with that?

Perhaps there was no offense intended with these posts but as I read them, I see a lot of venom being directed as someone who has been more than gracious on this forum.

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by Oakman

I really don’t understand all the animosity that is directed at Wildcat Chris, especially from members who don’t own and never have owned a Wildcat trailer. It seems to me that folks who have had issues with different brands of Forest River products want to take out their frustrations on the Wildcat representative. What’s up with that?

Perhaps there was no offense intended with these posts but as I read them, I see a lot of venom being directed as someone who has been more than gracious on this forum.

Well, that was a shock.

"Venom"? Having seen "venom" on this forum, I don't think bikendan or my posts should be viewed as "venom."

I have a lot of respect for all of the members here who go out of their way for "no pay" to help folks who need it. That applies to the vendors, as well as unpaid volunteers, who camp here when they are not camping elsewhere.

The fact, and it IS a fact, that many, if not most, of the folks who come here with issues, have hit the "dealer wall" and bounced off only to find satisfaction here.

The discrepancy between "brochure weight" and "delivered weight" comes up every couple of weeks. That tells me that the dealers (and perhaps manufactures) are less than honest with conveying that to the consumer. Chris so much as said so when he said, "As I stated in my first post on the topic, the 302RL floor plan is usually found in dealer stock with more options than usual on other Wildcat floor plans, thus the extra weight."

That was what bikendan was saying and what I "tried" to convey in his defense. That Dan picked items that are included in the Wildcat's "stock build" was unfortunate and not an indictment of Wildcat (as Chris took it).

I am sure that Chris will be the first to tell you that we have been very aggressive in policing his thread and taking action when he felt he was being treated unfairly. In fact, I was directed here as a result of his "reporting" of bikendan's post. Dan's post was in no way an attack on Chris OR Wildcat, but on the way that dealers "deal" with their customers when weight is an issue.

[gasa765]

Is there any way to get actual weights of a unit the way it came off the assembly line? I know we could take it and weigh it, but not sure a dealer would allow that.

[Doering]

Originally Posted by gasa765

Is there any way to get actual weights of a unit the way it came off the assembly line? I know we could take it and weigh it, but not sure a dealer would allow that.

Is that not what the yellow sticker info gives you?