Gross weight limiting factor

I am wondering what the weight limitation is based on for my TM 3326. It has a placard showing empty weight (UVW) of 3870# and max weight (GVWR) of 4916#. After water and propane, I can add 835# max. I called the factory and found the axles are good for 3500# each or 7000#. Since that isn't the limiting factor, does anyone know what is? The factory Tech Support guy didn't know.

I had the 5200 lb axle put on my 2720 sd. When it was delivered , the sticker had the info. for the 3200 lb axle and tires on it. I called and had the proper sticker sent to me. The person I talked with said the hitch rateing was the true value of the load rateing.

[RockyMtnRay]

Originally Posted by Texas_Camper

Well, it all depends on what you use the TM for. 835 lbs of camping stuff is a LOT of stuff....
Maybe you need that much, but it's still a lot of stuff..

835 lbs doesn't sound all that high to me. The placard empty weight on my 2720SL is 2865 but when I last had it weighed, the trailer was 3850 and I didn't even have what I consider a "full" load of supplies on board. When I went out for a 2 week back country expedition in August, I'm fairly sure I was right about 4050 lbs at departure or roughly 1200 lbs over the placard empty weight. And that's just stuff for one person, namely me. Reason for the extra weight:

• Swing away hitch
• Electric tongue jack
• Solar Panels
• Awning
• Side mount AC
• Dual T-105 Golf Cart batteries
• Microwave
• Gas Grill and stand
• 20 gallon blue tote and a pair of 5 gallon blue totes
• 150 feet of water hose...having enough hose to be able to possibly reach a central campground faucet to refill my water tank is enormously better than toting that water 5 gallons at time.
• Heavy duty reclining lawn chair (about 15 lbs alone)
• Overhead cabinet packed to the max with plates/glasses/dishes/supplies
• Two additional hardwood cabinets (each around 40 lbs loaded) that ride on the floor
• Full set of heavy weight pots/pans
• Two week supply of food and beverages. Food resupply was not a viable option during this trip.
• Departure with charged toilet and completely filled fresh water tank and water heater. The first campground did not have a water supply...closest water was a 15 mile round trip.
• Both propane tanks completely filled
• Two week supply of regular clothing (3 seasons worth including heavy coats and sweatshirts). As with food, an enroute laundry stop was not feasible.
• Two week supply of sheets for Travsak, bath towels, etc.
• Two week supply of recreation specific clothing and gear: Hiking boots, hiking pants; kayaking clothing (gasketed top, splash pants, hydroskins, mukluks, paddling gloves, PFD, etc.); biking clothing/gear (cycling shoes, jerseys, biking shorts, gloves, helmet). The wardrobe was packed completely full as was every drawer and storage area.

My truck was equally packed to the gills...all in all, it took me around 6 hours to tote out everything from the house and stuff it into the trailer and truck on the day before departure.

Originally Posted by RockyMtnRay

835 lbs doesn't sound all that high to me. The placard empty weight on my 2720SL is 2865 but when I last had it weighed, the trailer was 3850 and I didn't even have what I consider a "full" load of supplies on board. When I went out for a 2 week back country expedition in August, I'm fairly sure I was right about 4050 lbs at departure or roughly 1200 lbs over the placard empty weight. And that's just stuff for one person, namely me. Reason for the extra weight:
. . .

My truck was equally packed to the gills...all in all, it took me around 6 hours to tote out everything from the house and stuff it into the trailer and truck on the day before departure.

Ray, your listing of your load of equipment, supplies and clothing brings to mind the trips my wife and I made while living in West Africa. We lived in Ghana during the early '80s, where it was very difficult to purchase food other than the basic native staples. This was in spite of the fact that we raised chickens and pigs and tended a small vegetable garden. On our 180+ mile restocking trips to Ouagadougou, in neighboring Burkina Fasso - every 4 months - we loaded up our station wagon with clothing, jerry cans of gasoline, tools (for car repairs in remote areas), and lots of ice chests - for the meat and frozen food we'd bring back for ourselves and neighbors.

On more than one occasion natives would look at our loaded car and ask us "Are you moving your household?" ;-)

The point of all this may be that in spite of all of our present-day grousing and finger pointing about the economic decline of the U.S.A. we've been blessed with prosperity that's unimaginable by most of the people of this world.

[RockyMtnRay]

Originally Posted by Larry_Loo

Ray, your listing of your load of equipment, supplies and clothing brings to mind the trips my wife and I made while living in West Africa. We lived in Ghana during the early '80s, where it was very difficult to purchase food other than the basic native staples. This was in spite of the fact that we raised chickens and pigs and tended a small vegetable garden. On our 180+ mile restocking trips to Ouagadougou, in neighboring Burkina Fasso - every 4 months - we loaded up our station wagon with clothing, jerry cans of gasoline, tools (for car repairs in remote areas), and lots of ice chests - for the meat and frozen food we'd bring back for ourselves and neighbors.

On more than one occasion natives would look at our loaded car and ask us "Are you moving your household?" ;-)

The point of all this may be that in spite of all of our present-day grousing and finger pointing about the economic decline of the U.S.A. we've been blessed with prosperity that's unimaginable by most of the people of this world.

Good points Larry. But you also indirectly illustrate that full service markets and "modern" infrastructure can be nearly as widely separated in the interior West as they are in the 3rd world...even in a relatively densely populated state like Colorado. The first two campgrounds I stayed at were each about a 70 mile roundtrip to the closest grocery store of any size. I might have been able to restock with groceries at the only town of size (Steamboat Springs) along the route between these campgrounds but I have no idea where its supermarkets are (theyr'e not visible from the main highway) and I didn't want to have to deal with the delays of finding a market and the potential hassles of maneuvering my rig in a cramped parking lot. As it turned out, my departure from campground #1 on Aug 28th was delayed a couple of hours by ice and snow (yeah, ice and snow in August ) and I just barely made it to campground #2 before the snow and rain started again. I would have had a real setup mess at campground #2 if I'd had to stop enroute for food. Although I was right at my trailer's GVR on departure, I was thankful on many occasions during my trip that I had brought a full range of gear and provisions with me.

[Denny_A]

addressed your question Bob, and since I don't know the answer, I suggest you cut out the middle "persons" and go to the source.

Call TrailManor and ask to speak with Mike Hulsey. He is the engineering Guru for the company. If he can't tell you why the limit of 4916 lbs is in place for the 3326, then one could not trust any of the specs listed in the brochures.

I'm voting for frame and/or hitch mount strength as the limit. Only a guess, mind you.

Denny_A

Don't you love it when a simple question turns into completely different thread after only 2 replies?

Originally Posted by BobRederick

I am wondering what the weight limitation is based on for my TM 3326. It has a placard showing empty weight (UVW) of 3870# and max weight (GVWR) of 4916#. After water and propane, I can add 835# max. I called the factory and found the axles are good for 3500# each or 7000#. Since that isn't the limiting factor, does anyone know what is? The factory Tech Support guy didn't know.