I've got my estimate that says I am under by 113 pounds at the moment with both of us on board with gear, full fuel, 1/2 water, full propane and fuel fuel. In addition, any good weight savings I've overlooked? I GOTTA MAKE WEIGHT! 
As I get closer to finishing, I worry about my overall weight...where are you all at in terms of your GVWR?
As I get closer to finishing, I worry about my overall weight...where are you all at in terms of your GVWR?
I took out just about as much oak as I possibly could including door mirrors, magazine racks, you know the stuff. As you've seen, I also axed tons of MDF for the dinette, oak table and trim, steel frame beds, all cushions, a LOT! But, before I go get weighed, I'm strangely nervous about being over since our weights are so close to the max anyways. Where are you all at? And be honest! I've got my estimate that says I am under by 113 pounds at the moment with both of us on board with gear, full fuel, 1/2 water, full propane and fuel fuel. In addition, any good weight savings I've overlooked? I GOTTA MAKE WEIGHT!
I've got my estimate that says I am under by 113 pounds at the moment with both of us on board with gear, full fuel, 1/2 water, full propane and fuel fuel. In addition, any good weight savings I've overlooked? I GOTTA MAKE WEIGHT! "Jewels" - '02 Chinook Concourse XL
Re: As I get closer to finishing, I worry about my overall weight...where are you all at in terms of your GVWR?
Put helium in all the tires, including the spare. 
2000 Concourse dinette, on 1999 6.8L Ford E350 Triton V-10 Chassis
Re: As I get closer to finishing, I worry about my overall weight...where are you all at in terms of your GVWR?
I've weighed a few times a year since I've had my Chinook. I'll give a few examples.
1) Is when I was on my way home from buying it. Bone stock "oak" Concourse, club lounge version. Still had the TV/VCR, Mr. Coffee, Microwave, CB, wall phone (heh) and all the rest. I also had most of the stuff from my camper van, which is probably a bit more than most people would take for weekend camping, but it did all fit in a 17' van. No passenger.
Full fuel tank (that's about 240# behind the rear axle), full propane, 1/4 water tank, water in water heater, empty grey and black. Refrigerator was empty but I did have a 60 quart cooler that was full of stuff. There was only one group 27 house battery.
Here are the details from my scale ticket. Vehicle weight ratings are after the weights in parentheses.
Front axle: 3,060# (3,700# rating).
Rear axle: 6,880# (7,500# rating).
Gross: 9,940# (10,700# rating).
**********************
Fast forward to six months later and I had all that same stuff, plus all my tools along, and was towing a 4,500# trailer with 350# of tongue weight. I had removed the air-conditioner and the furnace, the microwave, TV, TV antenna Removed aircon, furnace, microwave, TV, TV antenna, VCR, bathroom door, front false panel in tire locker.
Water heater was empty, water tank empty, grey maybe 5 gallons, black empty. I now had three Group 31 batteries (74# each), plus still had the Group 27 in the battery compartment (was mid-change). Fuel tank was full.
Still had the original fridge installed but was using my cooler (not a fan of the propane fridge ) Original cabinetry all installed (oak-fest!)
Weights:
Front axle: 3,100# (3,700# rating)
Rear axle: 7,300# (7,500# rating)
Total: 10,400#
This is the heaviest I've weighed. Obviously the trailer plus full fuel tank add a lot to the rear axle. So it was a worst-case scenario for me.
A couple of comments on the above:
1) My trailer tongue weight (350#) adds about 550# to the rear axle. The additional weight beyond the actual trailer tongue weight is the leverage of the overhang playing into it. Interestingly I ran the math on what the tongue weight would do prior to this trip and got just about the same (math does work, who'd have thunk). This is why I say the Chinook can realistically tow a 5,000# trailer (or so). Not the 8,000# you would think due to the GCWR.
2) Full fuel tank obviously adds quite a bit of weight to the rear axle (as would full black/grey) as it is behind the axle. And takes some off the front.
Just to show the difference these things can make, about an hour before the above weighing, I had weighed at the same scale with only 1/8 tank of fuel and with the trailer removed (I went back to weigh again after filling up). At that point it was:
Front axle: 3,150#
Rear axle: 6,550#
Total: 9,700#
So the above is more just the Chinook weight (minus trailer and low on fuel).
****************
Last example is this past summer. I was towing a car but that adds no tongue weight except for about 50# of tow bar (all four car wheels are on the ground). Grey and black tanks pretty empty. Propane just about full. Fuel about half full. Water fairly empty. Original fridge gone (but have compressor fridge instead). No more stock upper cabinets (have ones I made out of oak 1x2 and 1/2" ply, not light by any means but nothing could weigh as much as those originals!). Combo tool box/map table I use instead of passenger seat when there is no passenger. Buncha stuff aboard as usual
Still have my three Group 31 AGM house bank. And I still carry the spare on the front hitch (dedicated spare carrier by Draw-Tite).
Front axle: 3,500#
driver's side: 1,700#
passenger side: 1,800#
Rear axle: 6,300#
driver's side: 3,100#
passenger side: 3,200#
Total weight: 9,800#
So this is my typical weight now. Nice to have some breathing room. (I was slightly concerned when I weighed on the way home from buying it.)
1) Is when I was on my way home from buying it. Bone stock "oak" Concourse, club lounge version. Still had the TV/VCR, Mr. Coffee, Microwave, CB, wall phone (heh) and all the rest. I also had most of the stuff from my camper van, which is probably a bit more than most people would take for weekend camping, but it did all fit in a 17' van. No passenger.
Full fuel tank (that's about 240# behind the rear axle), full propane, 1/4 water tank, water in water heater, empty grey and black. Refrigerator was empty but I did have a 60 quart cooler that was full of stuff. There was only one group 27 house battery.
Here are the details from my scale ticket. Vehicle weight ratings are after the weights in parentheses.
Front axle: 3,060# (3,700# rating).
Rear axle: 6,880# (7,500# rating).
Gross: 9,940# (10,700# rating).
**********************
Fast forward to six months later and I had all that same stuff, plus all my tools along, and was towing a 4,500# trailer with 350# of tongue weight. I had removed the air-conditioner and the furnace, the microwave, TV, TV antenna Removed aircon, furnace, microwave, TV, TV antenna, VCR, bathroom door, front false panel in tire locker.
Water heater was empty, water tank empty, grey maybe 5 gallons, black empty. I now had three Group 31 batteries (74# each), plus still had the Group 27 in the battery compartment (was mid-change). Fuel tank was full.
Still had the original fridge installed but was using my cooler (not a fan of the propane fridge
) Original cabinetry all installed (oak-fest!)Weights:
Front axle: 3,100# (3,700# rating)
Rear axle: 7,300# (7,500# rating)
Total: 10,400#
This is the heaviest I've weighed. Obviously the trailer plus full fuel tank add a lot to the rear axle. So it was a worst-case scenario for me.
A couple of comments on the above:
1) My trailer tongue weight (350#) adds about 550# to the rear axle. The additional weight beyond the actual trailer tongue weight is the leverage of the overhang playing into it. Interestingly I ran the math on what the tongue weight would do prior to this trip and got just about the same (math does work, who'd have thunk). This is why I say the Chinook can realistically tow a 5,000# trailer (or so). Not the 8,000# you would think due to the GCWR.
2) Full fuel tank obviously adds quite a bit of weight to the rear axle (as would full black/grey) as it is behind the axle. And takes some off the front.
Just to show the difference these things can make, about an hour before the above weighing, I had weighed at the same scale with only 1/8 tank of fuel and with the trailer removed (I went back to weigh again after filling up). At that point it was:
Front axle: 3,150#
Rear axle: 6,550#
Total: 9,700#
So the above is more just the Chinook weight (minus trailer and low on fuel).
****************
Last example is this past summer. I was towing a car but that adds no tongue weight except for about 50# of tow bar (all four car wheels are on the ground). Grey and black tanks pretty empty. Propane just about full. Fuel about half full. Water fairly empty. Original fridge gone (but have compressor fridge instead). No more stock upper cabinets (have ones I made out of oak 1x2 and 1/2" ply, not light by any means but nothing could weigh as much as those originals!). Combo tool box/map table I use instead of passenger seat when there is no passenger. Buncha stuff aboard as usual
Still have my three Group 31 AGM house bank. And I still carry the spare on the front hitch (dedicated spare carrier by Draw-Tite).Front axle: 3,500#
driver's side: 1,700#
passenger side: 1,800#
Rear axle: 6,300#
driver's side: 3,100#
passenger side: 3,200#
Total weight: 9,800#
So this is my typical weight now. Nice to have some breathing room. (I was slightly concerned when I weighed on the way home from buying it.)
1999 Concourse
Re: As I get closer to finishing, I worry about my overall weight...where are you all at in terms of your GVWR?
This topic actually applies to life as well. That said I ain't telling.......As I get closer to finishing, I worry about my overall weight...where are you all at in terms of your GVWR?
Steve aka SMan
2004 Premier V10
2004 Premier V10