Canned ham construction?

[doug hodder]

Vega... Doug

[Dusty82]

I'm kinda wondering how they figured the weight on some of the older trailers. Steve E on his Scotty resto...used the existing Scotty frame, axle, skins, all the hardware etc..., and built exactly how it was originally done, same materials ...came in 400# over what was the POS (point of sale) weight, unloaded and no personal stuff. We're head scratching on that one. Maybe they stripped the cushions, battery, propane etc. out of them to make weight for the sales. Doug

You've hit the nail on the head, Doug.

I have a friend who was in the RV industry for many years, and I grilled him seriously when I first got into the idea of building a camper or trailer. According to him the "dry weight" of most trailers and campers includes just the basic empty camper itself, without accessories or fluids in any of the tanks. The advertised dry weight does NOT include batteries, propane tanks, draperies, cushions, mattresses, or any optional equipment like awnings or in some cases even a furnace or fridge (if they were options.) They don't include the weight of the accessories because there is usually a choice between several different accessories, each with different weights. So, much like when you add accessories or options, you add to the price, you also add weight. Heck, some even leave out the weight of the tires and wheels if you have a choice in that category too.

Even then the advertised weight is an average, and is usually billed as an estimated weight. Some are heavier than advertised, some are lighter. He's told me over and over again that that's why it's so important that I take the trailer to the scales and get an accurate weight on it before doing any serious towing.

Now having said all of that, it's only what I've been told by one person who retired from the industry 7 years ago. I have no idea how common that practice is/was, when it was started, or how accurate his info to me was. Having read online about others who describe situations just like the one you mentioned, however, makes me think that he's right.