What’s the deal with the Dynamax REV?

[AlaskaRed]

Techno madness, we first looked at a unit 24TB with the twin beds, but the dinette did not allow me to slide the driver seat all the way back ( I am 6’2”) so we passed. But when we found the 24CB (back corner bed, full size shower against back wall), we found the dinette with two jackknife unit on the two sides allowed the full range of driver seat movement. We bought it. Only problem, my wife and I are not small, so she gets the back bed, and I use the jackknife beds put together..each is 48” wide and 78”+ in length.

We are pleased with our front wheel drive Promaster, and consistently get 16.5-17.5 mpg with the V-6 engine.

[LittleMoose]

I loved the thought of the Promaster until I sat in driver's seat. It was the most uncomfortable experience I've ever had. Short seat w/ no thigh support, overall small/thin at least for me, 5'10" 230 lbs with bionic knees & hips. In comparison I found the seats of the ford transit diesel to be a complete delight in the Wonder RV I test drove.

[Dr Safety]

I am curious if the increase in GVWR for the 2020 Ford Transit to 11000 lbs will make a difference in the EPA emissions curb weight and will allow for a heavier build on the Transit. Especially as Mercedes is pricing themselves out of the market.

[disoswam]

Originally Posted by bclemens

The main issue is chassis availability.

We had a whole bunch of chassis at one time and then there was a recall, with no solution. They did not rate the vehicle with the EPA to the weight that it was needed. They rated it to the raw chassis weight and not the GVWR. .

The Promaster REV is seriously overweight on the weak rear axle. It is a Forest River engineering problem. I weighed mine and with nothing loaded in it the rear axle weighte exceeded RAM Promaster GAWR!

[bclemens]

I haven't taken the time to look at other models...but it seems like the rear axle is always double at least what the front is. But yet, the Promaster was 4630 Front and 5291 rear. That's just plain odd, but I guess as a single rear wheel, maybe tires were the issue? who knows.

I can only speak for my time here, we've always been pretty focused on balancing weight.

This was the last batch we had weighed. Most of them had 600+ lbs available on the rear, up to 800.

And note...the CCC left is only taking into account the axle rating, not the GVWR (both axle ratings combined exceed the total GVWR)

[disoswam]

My Ram Promaster based 2015 REV24RB has a door sticker that says not to exceed 9350 lb GVWR. Dynamax also placed a sticker with Dry Weight 8024 lb, Cargo Capacity 1108 lb. The dealer filled gas, propane, and water when I
bought it. I went to DOT scale Front Axle 3540 lb + Rear Axle 5220 lb = 8760 lb which is less than 9350 lb GVWR. My problem is my wet weight with no cargo is only 60 lb less than 5291 lb RAWR. How can I possibly carry 5 x 150 lb passengers unless they all sit on the front axle? They can't even sit in the 4 belted seats in the back if I dump all water, propane, and gas before driving? I later weighed rear wheels individually and the right rear was greater than 1/2 the rear GAWR by 80 lb and the right side is where the refrigerator, closet, and exterior storage are all located.

[disoswam]

Reply_By_Link_Only <Reply_By_Link_Only@chrysler.com> Fri, Mar 6, 2015 at 8:06 AM
To: disoswam@bellsouth.net
Dear Mark:
Thank you for contacting the Ram Customer Assistance Center.
The GAWR is the maximum capacity of the front and rear axles. Distribute
the load over the front and rear axles evenly. Make sure that you do not
exceed either front or rear GAWR.
As required by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
regulations, your vehicle has a certification label affixed to the
driver?s side door or BPillar.
If seats are removed for carrying cargo, do not exceed the specified
GVWR and GAWR.
Vehicle Certification Label
Your vehicle has a Vehicle Certification Label affixed to the drivers
side BPillar
or the rear of the driver?s door.
The label contains the following information:
? Name of manufacturer
? Month and year of manufacture
? Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)
? Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) front
? Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) rear
? Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
? Type of Vehicle
? Month Day and Hour of Manufacture (MDH)
The bar code allows a computer scanner to read the VIN.
The vehicle maximum load on the tire must not exceed the load carrying
capacity of the tire on your vehicle. You will not exceed the tire?s
load carrying capacity if you adhere to the loading conditions, tire
size, and cold tire inflation pressures specified on the Tire and
Loading Information placard and in the ?Vehicle Loading? section of the
owner's manual.
NOTE: Under a maximum loaded vehicle condition, gross axle weight
ratings (GAWRs) for the front and rear axles must not be exceeded.
To determine the maximum loading conditions of your vehicle, locate the
statement ?The combined weight of occupants and cargo should never
exceed XXX lbs or XXX kg? on the Tire and Loading Information placard.
The combined weight of occupants, cargo/luggage and trailer tongue
weight (if applicable) should never exceed the weight referenced here.
Steps For Determining Correct Load Limit
1. Locate the statement ?The combined weight of occupants and cargo
3/6/2015 Gmail Re:
Chrysler Group LLC Customer Assistance (KMM9026133V56165L0KM)
https://mail.google.com/mail/ca/u/1/...bef316db0cc95f 2/3
should never exceed XXX lbs or XXX kg? on your vehicle?s placard.
2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and passengers that will
be riding in your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and passengers from XXX
lbs or XXX kg.
4. The resulting figure equals the available amount of cargo and luggage
load capacity. For example, if ?XXX? amount equals 1,400 lbs (635 kg)
and there will
be five 150 lb (68 kg) passengers in your vehicle, the amount of
available cargo and luggage load capacity is 650 lbs (295 kg) (since 5 x
150 lbs (68 kg) = 750 lbs
(340 kg), and 1400 lbs (635 kg) ? 750 lbs (340 kg) = 650 lbs [295 kg]).
5. Determine the combined weight of luggage and cargo being loaded on
the vehicle. That weight may not safely exceed the available cargo and
luggage load
capacity calculated in step 4.
NOTE:
? If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from your trailer will
be transferred to your vehicle. The following table shows examples on
how to calculate total
load, cargo/luggage, and towing capacities of your vehicle with varying
seating configurations and number and size of occupants. This table is
for illustration
purposes only and may not be accurate for the seatingand load carry
capacity of your vehicle.
? For the following example, the combined weight of occupants and cargo
should never exceed 865 lbs (392 kg).
Thanks again for your email.
Sincerely,
Tony
Customer Service Representative
FCA US Customer Assistance Center
For any future communications related to this email, please refer to the
following information:
REFERENCE NUMBER: 26474988
EMAIL CASE NUMBER: 3109218
REPLY LINK: http://www.chrysler.com/wccs/brand_f...133V56165L0KM&

[bilmet01]

Hi Brian. I had seen in a previous post from you 2 years ago concerning CCC weight in the rear and you had stated:

"The first iteration they did was not great on CCC and the chassis rides hard on the bump stops (as they all did). Since the original year or so, we added a custom suspension which raised the back end and softened the ride, the unit went on a major diet and now boasts anywhere from 1200-1400lbs of CCC".

I am interested in purchasing a 2017 REV 24RB currently ( only 4K miles on it ) and at first thought this would have the modifications you talked about but now am not sure. I was able to obtain RVC number for this particular REV ( RVC001324 ). Would you be able to confirm for me that this unit would include the modifications you referred to for my "piece of mind"? Just wanted to make sure I could at least add a bike rack hitch for 2 bikes. :-)

Thanks,
Bill

[bclemens]

The owner should be able to send you a picture of the door sticker showing CCC. We put that on 100% of all vehicles by law.

having said that, the copy of the weight sticker I see, shows 1234 lbs of CCC.

Now, the following is not how CCC is calculated, so don't try to make the numbers add up but...
With about 1/2 tank of fuel, the rear axle had 619 lbs left and the front had 1364 left.
Obviously that is more than the CCC left...but that's because both axles ratings together, exceeds the GVWWR.

So the short answer, you should be fine...but of course you will still need to make sure you balance out your weights. The more you can get in the front the better.