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Old 03-02-2006, 01:28 PM   #1
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We are now on the road and enjoying being nomads. For those of you who don't know, we have been fulltimers since about last October.

We weighed the coach last October but I thought it was time to do it again since we have a bit more stuff aboard.

On to the numbers as of 1:00 PM today:

--Coach status--
82 gallons of diesel
Virtually full propane tank
0/0 gray water
A little black water
1/3 water
One person (Jane wasn't on the scale)

Front Axle: 11,680 lbs.
Rear Axle: 19,540 lbs
Jeep: 4,640 lbs << This was a surprise - I expected ~4300
Total Gross Combined Vehicle Weight: 35,860 lbs.

I have a nice cushion of 780 pounds of CCC available. Great engineering Winnebago !!

Another parameter is to load the axles at approximately the same percentage of actual weight to capacity for each. For example, the front axle is loaded to 97.3% of its rated capacity (11680/12000) and the rear axle is loaded to 97.7% of its rated capacity (19540/20000.) I think we're okay in this regard.

The tire pressure charts call for 110 lbs in the front and 95 in the rear. I need to add maybe five more pounds in the front to be in sync with my max weight.

What is missing here? I still haven't been able to get the four wheel positions weighed individually. I thought the scales I found today could do all four corners (based on a posting I saw on rv.net) but no joy
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Old 03-02-2006, 01:28 PM   #2
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We are now on the road and enjoying being nomads. For those of you who don't know, we have been fulltimers since about last October.

We weighed the coach last October but I thought it was time to do it again since we have a bit more stuff aboard.

On to the numbers as of 1:00 PM today:

--Coach status--
82 gallons of diesel
Virtually full propane tank
0/0 gray water
A little black water
1/3 water
One person (Jane wasn't on the scale)

Front Axle: 11,680 lbs.
Rear Axle: 19,540 lbs
Jeep: 4,640 lbs << This was a surprise - I expected ~4300
Total Gross Combined Vehicle Weight: 35,860 lbs.

I have a nice cushion of 780 pounds of CCC available. Great engineering Winnebago !!

Another parameter is to load the axles at approximately the same percentage of actual weight to capacity for each. For example, the front axle is loaded to 97.3% of its rated capacity (11680/12000) and the rear axle is loaded to 97.7% of its rated capacity (19540/20000.) I think we're okay in this regard.

The tire pressure charts call for 110 lbs in the front and 95 in the rear. I need to add maybe five more pounds in the front to be in sync with my max weight.

What is missing here? I still haven't been able to get the four wheel positions weighed individually. I thought the scales I found today could do all four corners (based on a posting I saw on rv.net) but no joy
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Old 03-02-2006, 01:41 PM   #3
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the commment of Jane beimg absent from the weigh in is certainly not going to endear you with your future. just kidding, i'm sure she will forget some day in the not too distant future. don't know why someone hasn't come up with a satisfactory idea of getting the individual corners weighed. tried our local Cat Scales and had to place the mh at such a side angle that i am not certain the weight is true.
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Old 03-02-2006, 02:06 PM   #4
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Really good news John....

I'm not even going to touch the correlation between "Jane not in the coach" and "plenty of CCC" in another.

I found an "oil transport" company that has agreed to "four point" weigh our coach. I've finally gotten the datastorm installed,which was the last "thing" I wanted to add before weighing....Will be getting that done next week!

Safe travels John, looks like several more D'stormers in your area on the map!
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Old 03-02-2006, 02:24 PM   #5
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John,

Come to the Winni-Gators Rally in Orlando and get your behind weighted on all it's corners!
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Old 03-02-2006, 04:44 PM   #6
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John,

I compared your numbers to mine and I am weighing in a little less than you. Are you sure about the 110 lbs on the front? My Michelin chart shows 105 for your front axle.

Rex
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Old 03-02-2006, 05:21 PM   #7
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by LK23:
John,

I compared your numbers to mine and I am weighing in a little less than you. Are you sure about the 110 lbs on the front? My Michelin chart shows 105 for your front axle.Rex </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Rex - on my Michelin guide, page 27, 275/80R22.5 LRG All Tires (new markings) shows 5780 lbs for 105 psi and 5980 for 110 psi. I'm a little over the 105 psi with 5840 lbs - I like to add 5 lbs for a 'wiggle' factor.

By the way, I started a thread on the Freightliner Chassis Owners Club forum about the 2006 IFS Horizon/Vectra having a front axle rated at 14,000+ (forgot the exact number) a couple of months ago. Rudy Morris (who also has a 40AD I believe and is the webmaster of the FCOC web site) picked up on the question I had about if the increased front axle capacity was a tire upgrade or what. (Rudy's right at 12,000 lbs on his front, so he was very interested in the answer.)

Rudy's thorough investigation (and several phone call to ZF) revealed that the ZF IFS was tested (note: tested but not certified) to 16,000 lbs (the very same IFS for the 2004,5,6 model years) and Winnebago told Rudy they simply went to a load range H tire to up the front capacity.

When it comes new tire time, I'm going to load range H tires for the front so I can drop the pressure - 95 lbs will work for my load.
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Old 03-03-2006, 04:59 AM   #8
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Hey Rebels,

Is that "Oil Transport" outfit local? And would they be ameniable to doing another rig? I'm out of Moyock but spend a lot of time in Va Bch. Let me know would ya?
Thanks

(Joe...I sent you a PM....Bob)
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Old 03-03-2006, 05:09 AM   #9
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John,

Great information.

I designed a spreadsheet that calculates my tire pressure each time I weigh my coach. I have the Michelin tire pressure ranges in a field. After weighing I enter the front and rear axle weights and it calculates the proper tire pressure based on the Michelin chart. It is very helpful when traveling. It also tells me how much CC I have available.
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Old 03-03-2006, 06:19 AM   #10
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Here is a link that may be of interest.
Roy
http://www.michelinrvtires.com/miche...r/RvVideos.jsp
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Old 03-04-2006, 05:46 AM   #11
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Another thought re: increasing front axle weight...

In researching the issue on Freightliner's chassis website, I noted the following issue that may be of importance.

While it is true that the ZF RL75EM IFS does infact show that there is likely additional capacity, (12,000 to 14, 600 lb cap) there is another consideration. The steering system listed in those capacities is different. The 12,000 lb IFS uses the ZF 8016 steering System, with a rated capacity of 12,000. The 14,600 lb IFS uses the ZF 8018, rated at 14,600 lbs. The steering systems appear to have different ratios as well as capacities.

I wonder what the effects of the additional weight on the "lesser" rated steering system could be?

If it was all the same, as in the IFS weight ratings, wouldn't they have used the same steering System?

I smell trouble for those "increasing" their front axle weight without fully exploring this issue.

Any thoughts?
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Old 03-05-2006, 05:42 AM   #12
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B&J - Rudy Morris never mentioned the steering box in his investigations. That certainly would be a factor in the load rating. Rudy's (and my) take on this is that we can go to a Load Range H tire and lower the air pressure in the front. He was running right at capacity on his front axle.

I'll ask him if the subject of the steering box came up when he talked to ZF or Winnebago.

I certainly don't think that I would want to load another 1,000 lbs on the front; in fact unless you took on a bunch of lead weights, I can't imagine how you could pile in that much.
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Old 03-05-2006, 06:09 AM   #13
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B & J, good catch....

John, I concur with your thinking on the front axle,will be anxious to see just what my four corner weight is....Doesn't "seem" like the front can be loaded that heavy,but going up and down the roads, the load would certainly "transfer" fore and aft at least a little bit....John, will wait with baited breath for your report from Rudy...

GREAT THREAD !!
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Old 03-05-2006, 10:00 AM   #14
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John: Thanks, I concur with your theory. While we don't need additional capacity, I feel more comfortable with not using the tires at their maximum weight capacity, both in terms of safety, and comfort. I have to hope that the "H" rated tires, inflated to a load-appropriate number, might yield a smother ride.

Rebelsbeach: Thanks for the kinds words. I too, look forward to these additional findings.

On another thought...

I have considered adding a motorcycle carrier to the rear hitch of our Horizon. The Winnebago Owners manual states the vertical carrying capacity of the installed hitch is 500 lbs max. Oddly, the hitch frame has a sticker from the manufacturer (Valley Industries) that states it has a 1000 lb vertical capacity, with or without a load distributing hitch platform. I wonder if the 500 lb number is strictly due to the capacity Winnebago has engineered into the weight calculations, or if the far rearward location of said loads creates too large of a "lever" making more weight an excessive load on some other component(s), including the rear axle.

Any thoughts?
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Old 03-05-2006, 10:22 AM   #15
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Buck and Jeff,as Harleys and Gold Wings have been a good part of my past,I've been many places and seen them carried many different ways,some real good...some real bad.
I've seen the rvlifts version and the Overbilt ones in Daytona at Bike Week....

From Overbilt's site....A new receiver is bolted and welded to the frame of your coach. The Overbilt Lift has three tubes on its receiver. The lift uses the two outside receivers, and the center is reserved for towing heavier trailers when the lift is removed. The Overbilt Lift easily slides into these 2 receivers.

I just have to think,no matter what they say,that's a LOT of weight back there WITHOUT the bike even added!
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Old 03-06-2006, 03:28 PM   #16
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Ok, I just found the little slip from Winnebago that states the imcomplete vehicle manufacutredl by freightliner ccc for my 2005 36 rd is front 10410 lbs and rear t 19000 lbs. Geeee exactly the ratings of the tire they put on..Michlin Tires 225/80r22.5g ...rim 22.5x7.50 at 105 psi. Again..Freighliner sets the GVWR by the tire specs and that it
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Old 03-07-2006, 05:04 AM   #17
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by BucknJeff:
John: Thanks, I concur with your theory. While we don't need additional capacity, I feel more comfortable with not using the tires at their maximum weight capacity, both in terms of safety, and comfort. I have to hope that the "H" rated tires, inflated to a load-appropriate number, might yield a smother ride.

Rebelsbeach: Thanks for the kinds words. I too, look forward to these additional findings.

On another thought...

I have considered adding a motorcycle carrier to the rear hitch of our Horizon. The Winnebago Owners manual states the vertical carrying capacity of the installed hitch is 500 lbs max. Oddly, the hitch frame has a sticker from the manufacturer (Valley Industries) that states it has a 1000 lb vertical capacity, with or without a load distributing hitch platform. I wonder if the 500 lb number is strictly due to the capacity Winnebago has engineered into the weight calculations, or if the far rearward location of said loads creates too large of a "lever" making more weight an excessive load on some other component(s), including the rear axle.Any thoughts? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Not being a mechanical engineer means I can't provide a qualified answer; but I do know that weight added to the rear will off-load the front axle which I suppose could be a good, neutral, or bad event. As the weight bounces up and down on the rear you will have dynamic loading far in excess of the static load. Your 600 pound static load might become a 800 pound dynamic load. Perhaps the Winnie limit of 500 pounds is to provide a wide safety margin.

I heard from Rudy Morris and he verified the weight ratings of the two different ZF steering boxes; they are indeed different not only because of the added 2,000+ weight capacity, but the steering ratio is different.
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Old 03-07-2006, 02:03 PM   #18
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I wonder if anyone can tell me if the steering box bears any weight? I can understand the different ratio, but as I understand how the front end is assembled, I don't see any major weight being borne by the steering gear.

One might consider the force (not the weight) necessary to move the wheels with more weight applied to them, and thus the different ratio. Since the radius of the tire remains the same with the load range change, I wonder what the forces are that necessitate the change.

Thanks again... I'm learning a lot with this one.
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