Learn from the mistakes others make?

[Morich]

We often get postings about how to mod our RV to better suit and haul what we feel right. Some of those mods change the load pretty severely and it may need some closer look before we do the mods.

This is an example of playing too close to the weight limits and doing a few mods as well!

https://www.carscoops.com/2022/12/a...ram-3500-dually-in-half-to-the-tune-of-17000/

We can get away with pushing the limits for a while but we can also get caught and it can really cost us. He said it all worked well for 25,000 miles, until it didn't!

This fellow seems to have not studied the weight for the truck he actually had, not figured in the load he was adding and then did a double whammy when he added a couple E-bikes that extended the load even further out to the rear and added weight!

It pays to watch when other folks mess it up before we do too much in changing the weight loading on our RV! Extending the weight behind the rear axle can be bad!
Towing a car, adding an extra mount for a motorcycle, etc or a few extra toys? How much is too much?

 

[Eagle5]

Wow - a good lesson there for us all.
Eagle5

 

[Marine359]

Yeah,
That guy has no claim against Ram for warranty. Clear that he was way over-weight for a 4x4. Good thing nobody got hurt. Best to never push the limit of TV GVWR, or rv GVWR. Frame failures can occur below GVWR of the load is not well distributed.

This article makes for interesting reading for TT owners thinking about adding the weight of heavy objects to the rear of the trailer, or onto the A-Frame.
https://www.camperupgrade.com/lippert-rv-frame-problems/

 

[be happy]

Strange pictures, the first one shows something large being carried on a rack attached to the rear. The second picture does not show that. However it still should be a wake up call to those who load up the rear of their rig.

 

[Morich]

Strange pictures, the first one shows something large being carried on a rack attached to the rear. The second picture does not show that. However it still should be a wake up call to those who load up the rear of their rig.

I agree things are not well explained but looking at the third picture it shows unloading the e-bikes, so I would have to assume they are not in the correct order?

But I'm amazed at how some are so ready to start taking pictures to document things instead of trying to avoid something big going wrong.
There was a news article about a lady who died during the recent storm and what she did when she was in trouble.

I'm sure it was just a simple lack of experience but it did not seem the right move when your car is stuck in a snow storm/blizzard.
Was rolling down the window and scraping ice to send a video really a priority?
Laying down to take a nap while waiting to be rescued instead of clearing the tailpipe?

If my wife gets her camera out while I'm dealing with my mistakes, I may ask her to get back in the car before having them both towed away!

 

[be happy]

I did not go far enough on the link to see third picture. I will blame 2023 on that one.

 

[macnut]

Great lesson. One of the first things I did after loading my RV was to take it CAT Scales to weigh it. Very easy and quick. For motorhomes, I wish I could find a place nearby that does a 4 corner weigh, but so far have found none, and CAT Scales does not permit driving just one side on the scale so you could get a good measurement at each wheel.

 

[creativepart]

and CAT Scales does not permit driving just one side on the scale so you could get a good measurement at each wheel.

Really? I didn't know that and nobody told me or stopped me when I did it. But I've been told its not really that exact a solution for 4-corner weighing.

 

[RayIN]

Strange pictures, the first one shows something large being carried on a rack attached to the rear. The second picture does not show that. However it still should be a wake up call to those who load up the rear of their rig.

The pictures on irv2.com show the passenger side and a road motorcycle on a lift carrier off the rear. That weight 6'behind the rear axle swings a lot of weight when he hit a bump.

 

[RayIN]

Really? I didn't know that and nobody told me or stopped me when I did it. But I've been told its not really that exact a solution for 4-corner weighing.

It's very close to exact when the pavement and the scale surface are on the same plane and level. The hindrance is, opposite wheels must be the same distance from edge of scale to obtain accurate weights.

 

[4x4van]

The RAM owner was way overloaded, and that doesn't even take into consideration of the E-bikes (heavy!) hanging 6+ feet off the back. He assumed that the ratings on a 2wd reg cab long bed gas engine were the same as for a 4wd crew cab dually diesel. Wrong.

 

[bigbAZ]

Really? I didn't know that and nobody told me or stopped me when I did it. But I've been told its not really that exact a solution for 4-corner weighing.

I tried it and it didn't work, then the attendant lady came running out yelling at me that they don't allow that!