Eliminating unnecessary cargo in your motorhome and relocating must-have items so as to balance the weight can help to improve operation and safety on the road.
By Janet Groene, F47166
February 2014
Ordinary weigh stations provide an overall weight and possibly weights for each axle. But thanks to sophisticated new scales and the weigh-in services offered by the Recreation Vehicle Safety and Education Foundation (RVSEF) at FMCA Family Reunions and area rallies, motorhome owners have the information needed to be safer on the highway and leaner at the fuel pump. At workshops and seminars presented during these events, you can learn about the importance of weight safety and then have your motorhome weighed at each wheel, making it possible for you to adjust tire pressures to the nth degree.
According to RVSEF (www.rvsafety.com), you should make every effort to weigh your motorhome before you buy it. You’ll know then whether the vehicle can carry all the things you plan to add. This is especially important before buying a used unit. The previous owner may have added weight and reduced the carrying capacity originally indicated by the manufacturer.
One of the most common mistakes full-timers make is that they do not have a reference weight for each wheel on their RVs, said Paul Cunningham of RV WEIGH Mobile Weigh Station (www.rvweigh.com), which provides weighing services at some area rallies. This information reveals how the motorhome was built and balanced and how much load capacity is available. He’s found that most travelers want to take everything with them, which is usually too much.
Many of the accessories that a part-timer would consider optional are necessities for full-timers. You need a year-round wardrobe and sports equipment for land, sea, ski slopes, and fairways. You need tools, cleaning supplies, health and wellness provisions, plus kitchen gear for real meals. Many full-timers want their own washer and dryer as well as a towed vehicle and powered toys such as a boat or scooter.
If you’re reading this column, you probably have settled in your motorhome of choice and already have eliminated many unnecessary items. Can you lighten the load even more? Here are several areas where you might look to shed some additional weight.
Books. It’s a no-brainer to replace bound books with an electronic reader, but some volumes are irreplaceable. Take inventory from time to time and re-evaluate what books you are carrying. Thrift shops typically will provide tax receipts for items that you donate, and magazines are needed at veterans hospitals and other facilities.
Cleaning up. Just as vacuum cleaners come with attachments, some manual cleaning tools are available with several different cleaning heads (broom, mop, scrub brush) that fit onto one handle. Ideally, the handle will telescope to reach the top of the coach’s exterior. Shop in RV or marine stores to find this type of all-in-one cleaning equipment.
Galley appliances. Appliances such as a microwave oven, induction cooker, or bread maker might be found in smaller sizes, but they simply can’t be made much lighter. A single 1,800-watt induction burner weighs 9 pounds; a 1,300-watt model weighs just 4.5 pounds. An additional weight penalty results because induction works only with ferrous pots (stainless steel, cast iron). However, several kitchenware manufacturers now offer an interface disk that allows lighter cookware such as aluminum to be used on an induction burner. You can find this type of equipment at sites such as www.chefscatalog.com.
Induction cooking wins the speed race, but if you just need an extra burner from time to time, a 1,000-watt conventional electric hotplate weighs only about 2 pounds.
In galley drawers and cupboards, gadgets seem to breed like bunnies. Many things come in sets, but why carry items you never use? Tableware options include attractive, durable plastics such as melamine and lightweight, break-resistant glass such as Corelle. Many food items that once came in cans and glass now are available in pouches, cartons, and plastic bottles that travel lighter in your pantry.
Laundry. Having a washer and dryer in the motorhome offers added convenience, but many full-timers still prefer coin-operated laundries where they can do multiple loads all at once. Consider convenience versus hauling heavy appliances that need space, water, drainage, and electricity. One popular combination washer-dryer weighs almost 200 pounds. Stackables weigh even more and have a higher center of gravity.
Physical challenges. Wheelchairs can weigh as little as 14 pounds for a sporty, self-drive chair and as much as 90 pounds for a full-feature wheelchair suitable for a large person. The marketplace offers long lists of variables, ranging from seat width to foot supports, but most Web sites don’t disclose the weight of the chair itself. Yet, weight is an important consideration when choosing a mobility device that has to be loaded and unloaded in a motorhome. One site that does provide weight information is www.usmedicalsupplies.com.
If you require a motorized scooter or wheelchair, extra weight is unavoidable because of the battery, but some lighter models weigh as little as 70 pounds including the battery module. One source of lightweight and folding power scooters is www.ucanhealth.com. Huge choices also are available in equipment for handling and transporting mobility aids. They range from mounting brackets for hanging a wheelchair outside the motorhome to clamshell-style car-top pods that mechanically lift and stow a wheelchair. Shop, compare, and take the weight of the carrier into consideration, too.
Thanks to advancements in treatment, physical therapy, and adaptive equipment, people who are sick or injured don’t have to give up the motorhome lifestyle as they once might have done. The marketplace is exploding with exciting new choices. If you haven’t shopped lately, take a new look at the streamlined, lightweight mobility aids now offered.
Sporting goods. Lightweight sporting equipment is now available in many items, from running shoes that weigh little more than a pair of socks to carbon-fiber bicycles that weigh considerably less than comparable two-wheelers with a steel frame.
According to Tom Wishon of Tom Wishon Golf Technology, one of the latest trends in the golf equipment industry is the use of superlight graphite-shaft drivers that have a total weight of less than 300 grams (10.5 ounces). Mr. Wishon’s business involves custom-fitting golf clubs for individuals, and he’s witnessed all of the previous fads for lighter clubs. Golf bags are also lighter thanks to new high-tech materials.
Tools. According to www.manvstool.com, titanium tools weigh approximately 45 percent less than their steel counterparts. However, they cost much more. A steel hammer might run $20 to $40, while you’ll pay $75 to $100 for a similar titanium model. Depending on how much you use a tool, the weight savings could be worth it for health reasons alone. Repetitive stress takes its own toll on the body. A full range of titanium tools for mechanical and electrical use, hobbies, and crafts is available from www.imprex.net.
In power tools, the weight is in the motor, so the more tasks you can do per motor, the better. Cordless tools have batteries, some quite heavy. The lightest tools are pneumatic tools, but you need an air compressor to power them. The debate about electric tools versus air tools goes on at sites such as www.garagejournal.com and www.aircompressorsdirect.com.
Could you also use a lighter toolbox? The same size toolbox in aluminum usually weighs less than steel or stainless steel, depending on construction. A plastic tool carrier or fabric tool bag weighs even less.
Towing. No matter what you are towing (car, trailer, boat), you’ll always achieve a safer and more fuel-efficient ride with a lighter and more aerodynamic load; better load distribution; the best towing equipment, installed by a specialist; and careful attention to tire pressures. You may not be interested in replacing your current towed vehicle, but you can look for ways to lighten the load when the vehicle is hooked up for towing.
The bottom line is that newer usually means lighter in weight. Never stop learning, evaluating, and re-evaluating, and make sure to have your motorhome — and anything it tows — weighed at least once a year.
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