Trailer Weight Rating - How is water included?

Stance · 06-02-2011, 11:05 AM

I just bought a Wildwood Expandable 17EXL. It's my first TT. The trailer is rated at a max weight of 3800 lb. The door sticker states that cargo cannot exceed ~600 lb and that includes water (~275 lb). Is that water only included when driving down the road or is it included at the camp site too? In other words, can I take 600 lb of stuff with me and then fill the fresh water tank at the campground? Or, am I only allowed ~325 lb if I expect to fill the tank at the campground? That isn't much. I'm trying to understand how much stuff I can take with me if I don't fill the fresh water tank before I leave.

The tank sizes are:
Fresh Water Capacity 33 gal. (~275 lb)
Gray Water Capacity 32 gal. (~267 lb)
Black Water Capacity 35 gal. (~292 lb)

That means if both the gray and black water tanks are filled, I can only have ~40 lb of stuff in the TT which doesn't make any sense. So, I'm assuming the sticker mentions that the weight of the water is included only while driving.

Thanks,
Joe

**KyDan** · 06-02-2011, 12:45 PM

Weight stickers and numbers listed in brochures are notoriously inaccurate.
The only way to KNOW what your trailer weighs is to stop at a truck scales
on your way to a campground. Many truck/fuel stops have them.
It's easy!! Just pull up on the scales with your tow vehicle on one
section and the trailer on another. Get out of your car and push the
intercom button. When they answer say you want to be weighed.
They will say wait and then OK and then you can pull off and go inside to the
fuel pay counter and get your print out.
It usually costs in the $6 range.

I'm sure it won't hurt to be overweight sitting still in a camp ground but you
don't know WHAT you weigh until you go to the scales and find out.

Happy Camping!

MtnGuy · 06-02-2011, 01:00 PM

Stance, can you post a photo of the weight chart that should be inlcuded with your camper. It is probably posted in a cabinet somewhere.

I think the water in the fresh water tanks and water heater are included in the weights, giving you a cargo carrying capacity outside of that.

Looking at the spec sheet on the Forest River site, there doesn't appear to be much of a cargo carrying capacity with your model.

I would not be concerned if I were over the capacity while in the campground, but would not go over the GVWR on the road.

Stance · 06-02-2011, 02:22 PM

The TT is in storage now. I'll try to remember to get a picture of the sticker this weekend when I take it in for warranty work.

Long story short, we looked for a light weight TT that could be pulled by our Ford Escape. We didn't realize how little cargo capacity there really was when we bought it. Beginner's mistake. Anyway, turns out this trailer is a little big for the Escape. So we replaced the Escape with an F-150.

I have been weighing the stuff we put in the TT using my bathroom scale which is not a very accurate means of doing so. I'll eventually get the trailer on a scale to see what it really weighs. My plans are to be putting this TT on a diet so I can carry more.

I was assuming that as long as I stay below the GVW on the road, I would be fine to add water later. I just wanted to verify my assumptions were correct. Thanks.

**bikendan** · 06-02-2011, 03:10 PM

first, did someone tell you that the Escape could tow a full height trailer?
one problem is that the smaller HTTs/TTs, have really low cargo capacities because the manufacturers are trying to get full height trailers as near as possible to the 3500lbs. tow max that many small SUVs and minivans have.
you found out the hard way that this is truly a bad way to go.
it forces people to weigh and stress about every little ounce. i think that any tow vehicle with a tow capacity of 3500lbs., should be limited to popups and teardrop trailers.

you have a trailer that appears to have only 600lbs. of CCC. that appears to be the factory UVW, since the "dry" weight CCC is 822lbs., which doesn't factor in options weights.
within that amount is the weight of the battery, propane, water and cargo. so, a 40lbs. battery plus two full 20lbs. propane tanks will bring your CCC down to near 500lbs.

so, you'll be fine if you don't travel with anything in the FW tank or the holding tanks. if you leave anything in the tanks, the liquids' weights factor into your CCC. so, you'll need to dump all liquids before leaving if you want to allow for as much CCC as possible.

Stance · 06-02-2011, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bikendan

first, did someone tell you that the Escape could tow a full height trailer?...

Yeah, the sales guy. He said he didn't want to sell us anything unsafe.

He gave us a lot of wrong info. We actually went in looking for used pop ups and saw the 17EXL and liked it so much more.

Don't get me wrong, we really like the camper and we're glad we bought it. I'm sure we'll be able to take everything we want and stay within the CCC. We're minimalist campers. However, in hindsight, we should have checked out everything ourselves to verify what he said was right.

**Herk7769** · 06-02-2011, 09:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stance

Yeah, the sales guy. He said he didn't want to sell us anything unsafe.

Trust me when I say that a sales guy would swear the Virgin Mother blessed that camper to close the sale.

**bikendan** · 06-02-2011, 11:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stance

Yeah, the sales guy. He said he didn't want to sell us anything unsafe.

He gave us a lot of wrong info. We actually went in looking for used pop ups and saw the 17EXL and liked it so much more.

what the sales guy saw was more commission selling a new TT, than selling a used popup.

**KyDan** · 06-03-2011, 06:16 AM

Joe, weighing your gear as you add it to the trailer is fine but
you won't know the "rest of the story" until you stop on the
scales!

Get weighed!! It's especially important if you have a trailer with
limited cargo capacity.\

Hope you enjoy your new camper!
And thanks for doing your part to stimulate the economy!!

Stance · 06-03-2011, 11:11 AM

Yep, weighing it is on the list of things to do. I'm waiting until I get it loaded so I know how much everything weighs. I still have some stuff to get. There isn't a scale conveniently located near me either I don't think.

If you're in S.E. MI, please let me know if you know of a good scale. Thanks.

MtnGuy · 06-03-2011, 11:36 AM

Type in your zipcode here: CAT Scale Search

If you have a rock quarry, grain storage facility, or some business that weighs trucks, you might check with them to see if you can run your rig and trailer across their scales. Many of these types of scales have digital readouts that you can take the readings down from your driver's seat. Weigh the TV front axle, both axles of the TV, total of everything, and then weigh with just the trailer tires on the scales. Go back with just the TV, weighing the front axle, both, and then the rear axle. You can get all sorts of good information from all of that.

With the CAT scales, there are segmented scales, so 1 trip each (with and without the trailer) across them will give you same results.

kablair · 06-03-2011, 04:26 PM

When you go to CAT scales, you may be asked if its a "first" or "re-weigh" and your "truck number".

Tell them it's your first weigh. Many truckers get weighed before picking up a load as a "tare". They will then get a reweigh to know how much to bill when they are paid by the hundred weight.

Just them its a private vehicle when they ask your truck number. They're asking your number for those operators that have an account with them.

Stance · 07-25-2011, 10:13 PM

Moot point. We traded in our Forest River trailer for a Keystone Outback. We couldn't be happier. So long all!

**Herk7769** · 07-25-2011, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stance

Moot point. We traded in our Forest River trailer for a Keystone Outback. We couldn't be happier. So long all!

Good Luck; Genius...

Aptly named avatar, as it turned out...

**bikendan** · 07-26-2011, 12:14 AM

i hope he learned something from buying a TT to be pulled by a Ford Escape and made some better and more informed choices this time.

good luck to him!

Stance · 07-26-2011, 06:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by herk7769

Good Luck; Genius...

Aptly named avatar, as it turned out...

Wow. A rather harsh farewell. We all can't be as perfect as you unfortunately.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bikendan

i hope he learned something from buying a TT to be pulled by a Ford Escape and made some better and more informed choices this time.

good luck to him!

Thanks. I did. Although it did meet the trailer tow rating of the Escape, there was more to it than that which I learned after the fact unfortunately. Also, I should double check things myself and not trust the "advice" of others.

Don't get me wrong. We loved our FR TT. It just didn't fit our needs like we thought it would. We looked for other FR TT's to replace it. We came across the Keystone and it fit us perfectly and was a good price.

Thanks for all the help you guys provided.

Glenn5995 · 07-26-2011, 06:33 AM

Sorry things did not start out well for your first RV experience, but glad you had the foresight to realize the problems and were able to get it corrected. I wish you all the best. Stop back in once and awhile and let us know how some of your first trips go.

Happy Camping!

SaskCampers · 07-26-2011, 07:38 AM

Good luck with your new rig. As a wise machinest once told me. "They are all good till they are broke then they are all a piece of junk" Keystone like most RV manufacturers make some very nice units. And as Glen said drop in and let us know how things are going.

Happy camping.

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