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Originally Posted by kurens
thank you everybody for input.
Reason why I asked about yellow sticker is on some websites and brochures for 2011 1809s I found 3 different numbers 3029lbs,3166lbs and 3343lbs so I didn't really know to which one add this 3-400lbs.
I am checking all numbers to find out if I can pull this rig with my ford flex eco-boost.
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Yep- exactly what Turbs said. When you look at the "dry" weight or even the "yellow sticker" weight- these are both with essentially empty trailers. Pardon me if you know this already, but here's what I think you need to know:
1) There is an advertised "dry" weight- this is the absolute minimum that a camper will weigh. This is with no options selected when the dealer or customer ordered the camper, no propane and no battery.
2) There is a yellow sticker weight- this is the weight for an exact unit as it comes off of the factory floor. They weigh it immediately after building it (with special options for how the customer/dealer wanted it). Very few times will 2 units match exactly. This is still without propane, battery and (of course) any of your stuff.
3) There is a not-advertised (as it is impossible to know) actual loaded weight. This is once you get it, fill the propane, add a battery (or batteries) and anything else that you add into the camper. This is unique for everyone and the only way to find out is to weigh it yourself. Obviously, this is impossible to know if you haven't bought a camper yet.
4) There is the gross vehicle weight rating (GVW aka GVWR). This is the absolute maximum that your camper should weigh. This is what the frame, axle, tires, etc. are all rated to carry.
5) The advertised "cargo carrying capacity" (CCC) is generally the GVWR minus the dry weight (e.g. #4 - #1). On the camper in question, this appears to be about 1,100 pounds.
Now, for your planning purposes - to figure out what your truck/SUV can pull and stay within ratings, you have to decide a realistic approach to where you'll land within these various weights. I'd be willing to bet my hat that the average camper has a yellow sticker (#2) is 200-400 pounds heaver than the dry weight (#1). And the typical camper may add approximately 1,000 pounds of stuff (#3) above the dry weight (#1) (some more, some less- all depends on the person and family). I think it would be prudent to plan on the GVWR of the camper for your math purposes since your CCC/#5 is fairly low. You'll likely come fairly close once you load up.
Finally, the last number that I haven't mentioned yet is called tongue or hitch weight. This is the amount of weight of #1 through #4 that pushes down on the rear of your vehicle. This is usually 10%-15% of the camper's actual loaded weight. Your tow vehicle has to be able to carry this and everything else in the vehicle without exceeding it's own GVWR. (Which is a whole 'nother, but related topic.
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