BF Weight

Post your general and technical information, questions or responses in this forum. Viewing messages is open to all with no registration or log-in required. Prior to posting a new message or a response to an existing message, registration or login is required. Please do not post FOR SALE or WANTED ads in this section!

Moderator: bfadmin

Post Reply
User avatar
Dallas Baillio
Posts: 1181
Joined: Sun Jul 02, 2006 10:52 pm

BF Weight

Post by Dallas Baillio »

Had my BF weighed on certified scales at Pilot Travel Center in Monument, Colorado. Front axle 3740 lbs. Max is 4600 so underweight by 860 lbs. Rear axle 9740 with a max of 9450, 290 lbs overweight.

Rear axle has been overweight each time I have taken a weight. On 8/1/13 by 164 lbs.

I try to have full water, gas and propane tanks. Of for water a combination off water and holding tanks that equal a full water tank.
Dallas Baillio
2001 26RSB
Born Free Leap'n Lions RV Club Member
User avatar
whemme
Posts: 2110
Joined: Mon Aug 15, 2005 8:05 pm

Re: BF Weight

Post by whemme »

Some years ago, Born Free built a 30' coach on the E450 chassis. Would you care to guess how overweight the rear axle was on those units?

The rear axle weight on my 2002 26' RSB with full gas, propane and fresh water tank was 9200 lbs. Not sure why my coach is so much less than yours on its rear axle weight.
Bill Hemme - Spencer, Iowa
E-mail: whemme@earthlink.net
2002 Born Free (Ford E-450 V10) 26' RSB
2016 VW Golf GTI - toad
User avatar
shilohdad
Posts: 436
Joined: Tue May 23, 2006 9:58 am

Re: BF Weight

Post by shilohdad »

Our 2006 24RB tended to run a bit overweight on the back axle (we haven’t had our 2017 Spirit weighed yet). To counteract that we tried to front-load the vehicle. We carried our spare as far forward in the underbed storage as we could. We had removed the overcab mattress as we don’t sleep there and put plastic sliding drawers up there. We loaded spare canned goods, spare dog food and other heavy items up there. Basically, if you can stash heavier items up front rather than in the rear, do so.

Also, I have noticed that some owners like to put things, some quite heavy, on or over the back bumper. That will almost surely make your back axle overweight. I don’t know what the exact ratios are, but every pound put on the back bumper adds more than a pound of load on the back axle.
Joe and Lucinda
Tonto, Meadow and Shadow, the papillons
Shiloh and Morpho at Rainbow Bridge
2017 Spirit
Formerly 2006 24RB
nrmcclain
Posts: 32
Joined: Thu Jul 03, 2014 6:33 pm

Re: BF Weight

Post by nrmcclain »

Our 2006 24 RB has a stated Cargo Carrying Capacity (CCC) of 1.889 Lbs.

The calculated CCC based on actual scale readings under the following loading is 1,830 lbs.:
• Full (engine fluids, fuel, fresh water, hot water heater and LP gas)
• Front seats occupied with power cord, flare kit and trailer hitch on board
• Spare tire mounted on rim placed just behind passenger seat under couch
• Black and grey tanks empty
• Exterior storage compartments and interior storage areas all empty (except as stated above)

Knowing the Gross Axle Weight Ratings (GAWR) this loading results in coach front axle under loading of 1,160 lbs. and rear axle under loading of 670 lbs. or a CCC of 1,830 lbs.

When tools, supplies and food fill the exterior bins, interior cabinets, cupboard and refrigerator for travel, it results in a net gain of 680 lbs. to the coach with front axle now under loaded by 1,200 lbs and rear axle overloaded by 50 lbs. or a total under loading of 1,150 lbs.

The 680 lbs of loading is only using 37% of the total 1,830 lb CCC allowed for in this coach.

Some of the remaining unused CCC of 1,150 lbs (1,830 – 680 = 1,150) could theoretically be placed in the overhead sleeping bed area but that is already filled with pillows equally accounted for but disproportionally used.

Nick & Dee Dee
2006 24’RB
User avatar
Roger H
Posts: 653
Joined: Sat May 26, 2007 7:48 pm

Re: BF Weight

Post by Roger H »

This seems to be a recurring theme on most motorhome marque discussion sites. Everyone recognizes that the rear axle of their coach seems to be overloaded to one degree or another.

What I HAVEN'T heard much about are axle failures, rear axle bearing failures, or tire failures attributable to said "overloading."

That said, is this problem a yawner in the real world? Is the discussion relegated to worrying more about numbers than an actual problem? Has anyone actually experienced a rear axle failure from this?
'06 Born Free 32 RQ Kodiak Chassis
(Former: '01 Born Free 23 RK)
Dinghy: '16 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon with a Blue Ox Aladdin tow bar.
Traveling with Sir Winston and Lady Rae (Cavalier King Charles Spaniels)
Brent
Posts: 314
Joined: Tue May 16, 2006 4:53 pm

Re: BF Weight

Post by Brent »

Mine is 99’ RK (23’) on a E450. I don’t have access to the #s right now but both axles significantly under max. The trade off is more of a tendency for a firm ride.
Bornfree (1999 Rear Kitchen)
Traveling with Chester (The Boxer) - at least in spirit
JeffatJacks
Posts: 44
Joined: Tue Jan 05, 2016 10:38 pm

Re: BF Weight

Post by JeffatJacks »

I didn't want to start a new thread but wanted to share my numbers as we are working on trying to make sure we are not overweight on the rear axle.

Coach is a 2004 26RB. The vehicle is rated for 4,600lb on front axle and 9,450lb on the rear axle as has been stated by other owners here.

I weighed the coach today with front axle at 3640lb and rear axle at 9220lb. That makes it 960lb under on the front and 230lb under on the rear.

Loaded as follows:
Driver only at 210#, no passenger
Full water, 35 gallons
Full fuel, 55 gallons
Full Propane
Black empty
Grey empty
Interior cabinets and exterior bins all empty with the following exceptions
-Spare tire and rim under the couch right behind the driver seat
-Power cord and safety triangles in the right rear exterior cabinet
-Two Blue Ox safety cables in rear bumper (forgot to take them out)
-Two Tank Drain hoses in storage tube on rear valance
Coach also has upgraded anti-sway bars, rear track bar, and roadmaster steering stabilizer

It looks like I have 1,190lb of cargo capacity which is 42lb less than the stated cargo capacicty of 1232.5lb as listed on the label inside the pantry door. At first glance I was thinking this isn't too bad as I have the spare wheel and tire and the heavier suspension components but I was rolling without my co-pilot today. If I add in for my copilot than I'm close to 200lb less than the factory stated capacity. Also, the Born Free CCC calcuation takes into account four occupents at 154lb so that makes me think I'm heavier than I should be from the get go.

I would appreciate input from the more seasoned Born Free owners. Am I missing something here or are we close to where we need to be? At any rate I really need to throw as much weight in the overhead bunk, right side lower outside cargo bin, and under the couch as I can.

Thanks so much.
2004 Born Free 26 RB
Towing a 2014 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited
User avatar
Dallas Baillio
Posts: 1181
Joined: Sun Jul 02, 2006 10:52 pm

Re: BF Weight

Post by Dallas Baillio »

Why weigh your BF with empty exterior storage compartments and empty cabinets? You will not be traveling that way. Am I missing something?
Dallas Baillio
2001 26RSB
Born Free Leap'n Lions RV Club Member
JeffatJacks
Posts: 44
Joined: Tue Jan 05, 2016 10:38 pm

Re: BF Weight

Post by JeffatJacks »

Sorry for the confusion. I should have been more clear in my initial statement. We have been having trouble keeping within the axle capacity on the rear axle so I wanted to weigh the coach empty to see if it was close to the factory specified weight before I try again to load the coach more appropriately to stay within the weight spec in the rear.

Thanks,

Jeff
2004 Born Free 26 RB
Towing a 2014 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited
bornnorm
Posts: 161
Joined: Mon Oct 22, 2018 7:43 pm

Re: BF Weight

Post by bornnorm »

It seems the Carrying Capacity is virtually equal to the Max ability of the axles minus the empty weight of the BF.

We used to own a Class A motorhome. It was always in danger of being overweight. Our approach for all our RVs is never carry a full tank of water, always drive with empty black and gray tanks. If we were going into a extended dry camping situation, we would fill up on water just before entering. (That's equal to 800 lbs of water in our Class A.) As well we would dump as soon as we could upon leaving.

That does not mean we didn't carry some water, but just enough for the drive. Also we usually add a little water to both the gray and black tank to slosh and clean as we drive. The class A's fresh, black and gray tanks could hold 1600 pounds.

As a rule we keep heavy weights off the rear of our small trailer for stability reasons.
Norm Milliard
'93 Born Free 21' RB
'06 Scion xB
Escapee, Full timer
John S.
Posts: 477
Joined: Fri Sep 08, 2006 9:01 pm

Re: BF Weight

Post by John S. »

We always travel with a full rank of water. In my class a I had over 7k capacity in my Born free I still have quite a bit extra capacity. 35 gallons of water weighs less then 300 pounds. If you were to break down and sit in a repair lot you would be happy for the water. Fuel is way more weight. I have 55 gallons I can carry when full but that goes down pretty fast.
2015 Royal Splendor on Ford 550 none slide version
Former owner 2007 24foot rear bath painted and 2006 22 foot built for two
Former owner 1994 34 foot 2000 36 foot and 2001 42 foot FORETRAVEL's.
Post Reply

Return to “General and Technical Information, Questions, and Responses”