So as we have been traveling from Washington State to South Dakota in our new to us 2023 Beacon 42RKB I was using the label listed dry weight on our unit. We sold our house, almost everything we owned and then when we bought this coach, I would not let anything go into the coach unless we weighed it and kept track of what was the total weight of our things.
Now I knew we would miss a couple things and probably be up to 100 pounds off on the tracked weight, but I was SHOCKED when I started our trip with a stop at the local CAT Scale.
I found that the GVWR was off by about 1500 lbs!!!
I was dumbfounded how I could have been so far off. Then I remembered that when we bought the unit in Sisters Oregon, I had weighed it at the Madras CAT Scale.
We had stayed in the coach for a day, and I knew it had some liquid in it from when the inspection had been done on it since it was a “used” unit. So I know a few pounds form waste was onboard at 8 lbs a gallon. But certainly not 1500 lbs worth. (1500/8= 187 gallons).
When we had dumped it, the waste was no where near more than 15 to 20 gallons.
So I say all that to pose this question, Why is my unit @1500 lbs heavier than listed on the dry sticker of my coach?
This is an odd approach that Vanleigh took. As a standard they weigh the first barebone / standard model unit that comes down the line for the model year and use that sticker weight for the remaining units built that year. That weight does not include any of the available options that the following units may include.
For example my unit has extra options not included in the weight on the sticker: 3rd AC, 2nd awning, washer, dryer, generator, heat pumps, slide toppers, receiver, surgegaurd or propane in the tanks. I also found that the standard weight for my unit was for a residential fridge and king size bed in which I have a gas / electric and queen size.
I weighed my unit on pickup and also keep very detailed records of any weight changes. I have a spreadsheet that I tracked all of the original add-ons from the factory and my changes (i.e. solar equipment, suspension) that I do.
I usually weight with a full water tank so I know that the weight there is consistent but if you dont use the tank you could always measure empty. I have also had my unit weighed at Escapees Smart Scales where I received the weight per tire and full tank was their standard. We are boondockers so this works well for us.
Exploring how other manufacturers do weight on tours in Elkhart I have noticed they scale and sticker each unit. Vanleighs weight process did and continues to confuse a lot of folks as to what is on the sticker vs their actual units weight.
Congratulations on going full time! We have been full time for over two years and love the lifestyle.