Empty SMB weighs same as GVWR - Page 3

Skywagon · 08-18-2009, 08:28 AM

What?

BB

scatter · 08-18-2009, 08:46 AM

That hurts Skywagon, I'm a very sensistive guy....

vlamgat · 08-18-2009, 09:28 AM

Interesting comments from all and thanks for the axle education: something about which I knew diddly!

The sensible loading advice given here is important and requires a religous attitiude towards maintianing the 80 psi tire pressures and tire condition that SMB could probably add to their Owners Manual. Especially for those of us who have not done 4 WD conversions. I should add that I have also done an all round slotted brake rotor upgrade from Powerslot with a heavier duty pad. This may not be necessary for a 2 WD that does not tow but I think its essential once the trailer goes over 6000 #s.

sailquik · 08-20-2009, 10:10 AM

As response to a request about the GVWR of my van, here's the label Quigley put on my van when they did the 4WD conversion.

The GAWR (Rear) stayed the same after the 4WD, whereas the GAWR (Front) increased by a couple hundred pounds, which makes sense since the front suspension was what got upgraded.

Interestingly, the numbers in Kg and Lbs do not match; they're close, but they're not the same.

In any event, I'm pretty sure my van does not weigh over 9,500# loaded. True, there's a lot of stuff inside, but the cabinetry is empty (no shelves), my gear is mostly carbon fiber and weighs 135# all together, I have no LP Gas, stove or sink and the heaviest items are the water tank, genset, a/c, inverter and batteries and air compressor, which I estimate to weigh all together at @ 600# (wet). So, I have 735# worth of gear + 6,000# of van, leaving @ 2,700# for the poptop, one additional chair, the gaucho and miscellaneous stuff. All in all, I would guess my van tips the scales at @ 9,000# fully loaded with three people on board. And I have plenty of up (or is it down?) travel left on my rear suspension before hitting the bump stops.

GVWR label before conversion:

GVWR label after conversion:

scatter · 08-20-2009, 03:04 PM

You might want to wiegh your rig sailquik. Things add up in a hurry. I was a little surprised on mine. I'm still under gross, but not by much.

Aldercrest · 08-25-2009, 12:58 AM

I weighed both axles on my '02 EB 7.3 (aka Vanna) on Friday before heading out to Central Oregon for the weekend:

Front: 4,350#
Rear: 5,350#
Total: 9,700#

This includes the family, hitch-mounted bike rack with three bikes (not motorcycles), and stuff. Empty, Vanna is evenly balanced at about 4,350# on each axle.

I thought of this thread and checked the door and the manual over the weekend. According to both, the front GAWR is 4050, and the rear is 6,000+, with a GVWR of 9,400#.

So, empty (without me in the driver's seat), Vanna is 300# over GAWR on the front. And with a fairly normal load, I'm over the GVWR. Any words of wisdom out there?

bluedog225 · 08-25-2009, 05:47 AM

Diet and exercise?

In all candor, I can not think of any acceptable reason for running over stated capacity that would pass scrutiny by a judge, jury, or insurance adjuster in the event of an accident or claim. They (SMB) have given us a load limit and that is the final word from the engineers. This is not a negotiation. Those guys are smarter than me in these matters and put a lot of thought into this.

Thinking that there is a healthy margin for safety and using that rationale for running over stated specifications, would not, in my analysis, be persuasive. The SMB being for "recreational" purposes, only makes our position worse. As does a van's known rollover risks.

Proper equipment, properly maintained, and used by trained operators for its intended purpose and withing design specs is fundamental to safe operation. Most of us wouldn't get under the van with underrated jackstands holding it up because we might be hurt or killed. But some would send 8,000-10,000 of overloaded van down the highway at 70+ mph thereby endangering ourselves, our loved ones, and others.

I know this is normally a fun forum where we talk about all the positive aspects of these vehicles and the things we can do and see. I hate to take away from that but, having lurked on the Yahoo site for many years, and participated here for a while, it seems that conversations about weight and basic safety issues are underrepresented. These issues seem more important to me than others.

There are ways to increase your vans GVWR. I don't know if Quigley, SMB, or any of the other van shops will formally increase the the capacity. My only advice is to stay within the design specs given. And I would put the safety margin on the other side. That is, I'd be more inclined to run 10% under weight instead of over, thereby allowing for wear and reducing the risk of catastrophic failure. This is not an appropriate place to "push the limits" and see what happens.

Tom

Ed in Montana · 08-25-2009, 06:45 AM

There's an excellent discussion of Gross Vehicle Weight Ratings over on this thread:

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1134&hilit=gvwr

Basically nearly all 4wd SMBs are close to or over their GVWR when fully loaded, but that is not necessarily a dangerous thing. Probably more important for safety's sake is the D versus E range tire question.

scatter · 08-25-2009, 10:14 AM

I've gotta line up on Tom's side on this one. I understand everything that's been said re overbuilt, safety factor, etc, but being a test pilot with myself and loved ones is not something I'm going to do. I leave stuff at home so I can run under gross. Probably nothing will happen when exceeding GVW, but probably is not good enough for us. If ya got too much stuff, I'd tow a trailer. We try and go simple. Just having the kitchen sink along is good enough.
Not meaning to step on anyone's toes here, just stating my, not so, humble opinion.
Travel safe....

Ford_6L_E350 · 08-25-2009, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluedog225

There are ways to increase your vans GVWR. I don't know if Quigley, SMB, or any of the other van shops will formally increase the the capacity. My only advice is to stay within the design specs given. And I would put the safety margin on the other side. That is, I'd be more inclined to run 10% under weight instead of over, thereby allowing for wear and reducing the risk of catastrophic failure. This is not an appropriate place to "push the limits" and see what happens.

Tom

Salem-Kroger formally increased the GVWR of my van. They gave me the choice of 11000# or my choice below that. I chose 9999#. AAA won't tow over 10,000 GVWR without special RV coverage. 9999# gets me legal and allows me to carry what I need.

Mike