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  1. #1
    Left The Driveway
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    New members here with questions

    Good morning Grand Design forum members. My husband and I are retiring next year and going to be on the road fulltime in our fifth wheel. Yea! We can't wait. We have been researching for approx. 2 years, attending shows, reading online forums and reviews, going to dealerships and walking through as many units as we can. Our heads are swimming with information. We do not presently have a fifth wheel, so this will be our first purchase.

    After all of this research, we attended the Hershey Show over the weekend to narrow down the possible units which were still on our list. What a great show! So we looked at the Vanleigh Vilano - built really well and gets great kudos from its owners about customer service and build. However, I felt like a midget in them and would require a 6 foot step ladder every day to reach my cabinets in the kitchen or over the sofas. They are lovely, but made for tall people. So they were crossed off the list.

    Still on the list of possibilities were the Heartland Landmark units and Grand Design Solitudes. After 4 days of looking and pondering, they are both still on the list but GD Solitudes came to the top. My hubby loves the idea of the second inspection of everything on the unit before it goes to the dealership. We love the air conditioning which after walking through the show, seems far superior to the Whisper Quiet units which were not putting out much ac. We love the lack of floor vents in the GD - I don't want to be constantly cleaning out dog hair and yuck from those vents. We love the solid way they are built and the windows, etc. Jim loves the 375 with all the storage space underneath for his 12 foot canoe; I love the 373 bath and a 1/2 unit. Both would be great for our fulltiming needs.

    So I attended the seminar on Fulltime and Extended RVing at the show on Sunday which gave me a lot of good info. One of the things recommended was a CCC of at least 3000 lbs for fulltiming. I had heard that before and it does make sense. So I realized that we had not looked at the sticker on the 2 units we love, to see what the actual CCC was for those units. Before I left the show to head home, I went back to look and sit in the units again. AGH!!!!!!! The CCC on the 375 with all the basement cargo space was 2074 lbs. The CCC on the 373FB was 1894 lbs. What in the world! We can't fulltime in either one of these units!

    A 100 gallon water tank equals 800 lbs; the washer/dryer stack equals 250+ lbs; the hubby, me and the labrador retreiver equals 360 lbs - all of that totaled is 1410 lbs. That doesn't include the propane tanks, generator, tools, canoe, outdoor chairs and carpet, that lovely optional outdoor kitchen setup, etc. If we add all of that, we can only take inside our new home a couple rolls of toilet paper and the dryer sheets people recommend to wipe the bugs off the front of the unit! No clothes, no kitchen stuff, no books, no fishing stuff for the flyfishing. Just toilet paper......

    The only Grand Design unit at the Hershey Show which had over 3000 lbs of CCC for fulltiming was the 344GK at 3260 lbs. It was the model with the desk at the back of the unit. So we talked about buying it and decided that it would work for what we need - until we realized that when we sit at our table to work or have a meal, we would never look out on our own campsite area/awning space. We would always be looking at the neighbor's space. All of those big windows we love would always be looking at the neighbors. I sure hope the neighbors don't mind me watching them as I eat - and I hope they aren't too weird! I really don't want to draw my shades all the time!

    So now we are in a quandary. We love the Solitudes - they are at the top of the list and we would love to fulltime in one. But how do we get enough CCC in these units? People on the forum talk about replacing the 7000 lb axles with 8000 lb axles. I don't understand any of the mechanical stuff - how would this increase my CCC? And if we did do this to say the 375RES or the 373FB, do we then have more than 3000 lbs CCC? And am I really buying a brand new unit and then immediately replacing axles on it??!!

    If the Solitudes are intended for extended and fulltime RV living, why wouldn't the manufacturer use the 8000 lb axles and figure out how to give us fulltimers the CCC we need? I'm really at a loss....if any of you have taken the time to read this very long message and still have the energy or desire to respond, I would love to hear from you. We want to buy a Solitude next year but also want to take with us more than toilet paper and dryer sheets.

    Thanks for any information you can give me!

    Kathy and Jim, Media, PA

  2. #2
    Long Hauler D2Reid's Avatar
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    Going full time and keeping your weight down is difficult. I gained 10 pounds the first year then discovered why. Oh weight, we are talking RV weight. Sorry. I never really looked at CCC weight, I looked at UVW (unloaded vehicle weight) and GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating). With the motorcycles etc loaded I am about 500 pounds below GVWR the last time I went across the scales.

    There are times when we are heavier, carrying a full tank of water, and times when we are less, fuel tank, water tank, and waste water tanks empty. I watch my weight so it doesn't get crazy. On my previous 5th wheel I did replace the axles with 8k axles. We played axle/tire games for 2 years before we did the replacement. My 376 has triple 7k axles, 21,000 pound rating for a 20,000 GVWR. Much better than my previous 5th wheel, two 7k axles for 15,000 GVWR.

    Then there is the full timers dilemma of reducing stuff to fit into an RV. The first round of squeezing house into rv I was way over weight. So we got rid of more stuff. Right on the edge of weight limits as we left our sticks and bricks. After 6 years of full timing I have reduced even more. A couple of simple rules really help. 1. If you haven't used it in a year you don't need it. 2. Except if it holds great sentimental value. It took us over 4 months just to decide what to keep and what to take. Then that plan went out the window the first year we were on the road.

    My advice is not to try and plan every little detail. Find a floor plan that you can live with, literally. Then toss stuff until it works. You will eventually find you don't use as much stuff as you think you may need.

    Here is how we carried our canoe until I backed over it with the 5th wheel. We weren't using it that much anyway so replaced it with an inflatable white water kayak.
    Dallas
    2017 Momentum 376TH, 2019 Ford F450, Dual Rear Wheel, 4x4, diesel.
    2015 Harley-Davidson Street, XG750

  3. #3
    Site Team WhittleBurner's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kathleen Farrell View Post
    Good morning Grand Design forum members. My husband and I are retiring next year and going to be on the road fulltime in our fifth wheel. Yea! We can't wait. We have been researching for approx. 2 years, attending shows, reading online forums and reviews, going to dealerships and walking through as many units as we can. Our heads are swimming with information. We do not presently have a fifth wheel, so this will be our first purchase.

    After all of this research, we attended the Hershey Show over the weekend to narrow down the possible units which were still on our list. What a great show! So we looked at the Vanleigh Vilano - built really well and gets great kudos from its owners about customer service and build. However, I felt like a midget in them and would require a 6 foot step ladder every day to reach my cabinets in the kitchen or over the sofas. They are lovely, but made for tall people. So they were crossed off the list.

    Still on the list of possibilities were the Heartland Landmark units and Grand Design Solitudes. After 4 days of looking and pondering, they are both still on the list but GD Solitudes came to the top. My hubby loves the idea of the second inspection of everything on the unit before it goes to the dealership. We love the air conditioning which after walking through the show, seems far superior to the Whisper Quiet units which were not putting out much ac. We love the lack of floor vents in the GD - I don't want to be constantly cleaning out dog hair and yuck from those vents. We love the solid way they are built and the windows, etc. Jim loves the 375 with all the storage space underneath for his 12 foot canoe; I love the 373 bath and a 1/2 unit. Both would be great for our fulltiming needs.

    So I attended the seminar on Fulltime and Extended RVing at the show on Sunday which gave me a lot of good info. One of the things recommended was a CCC of at least 3000 lbs for fulltiming. I had heard that before and it does make sense. So I realized that we had not looked at the sticker on the 2 units we love, to see what the actual CCC was for those units. Before I left the show to head home, I went back to look and sit in the units again. AGH!!!!!!! The CCC on the 375 with all the basement cargo space was 2074 lbs. The CCC on the 373FB was 1894 lbs. What in the world! We can't fulltime in either one of these units!

    A 100 gallon water tank equals 800 lbs; the washer/dryer stack equals 250+ lbs; the hubby, me and the labrador retreiver equals 360 lbs - all of that totaled is 1410 lbs. That doesn't include the propane tanks, generator, tools, canoe, outdoor chairs and carpet, that lovely optional outdoor kitchen setup, etc. If we add all of that, we can only take inside our new home a couple rolls of toilet paper and the dryer sheets people recommend to wipe the bugs off the front of the unit! No clothes, no kitchen stuff, no books, no fishing stuff for the flyfishing. Just toilet paper......

    The only Grand Design unit at the Hershey Show which had over 3000 lbs of CCC for fulltiming was the 344GK at 3260 lbs. It was the model with the desk at the back of the unit. So we talked about buying it and decided that it would work for what we need - until we realized that when we sit at our table to work or have a meal, we would never look out on our own campsite area/awning space. We would always be looking at the neighbor's space. All of those big windows we love would always be looking at the neighbors. I sure hope the neighbors don't mind me watching them as I eat - and I hope they aren't too weird! I really don't want to draw my shades all the time!

    So now we are in a quandary. We love the Solitudes - they are at the top of the list and we would love to fulltime in one. But how do we get enough CCC in these units? People on the forum talk about replacing the 7000 lb axles with 8000 lb axles. I don't understand any of the mechanical stuff - how would this increase my CCC? And if we did do this to say the 375RES or the 373FB, do we then have more than 3000 lbs CCC? And am I really buying a brand new unit and then immediately replacing axles on it??!!

    If the Solitudes are intended for extended and fulltime RV living, why wouldn't the manufacturer use the 8000 lb axles and figure out how to give us fulltimers the CCC we need? I'm really at a loss....if any of you have taken the time to read this very long message and still have the energy or desire to respond, I would love to hear from you. We want to buy a Solitude next year but also want to take with us more than toilet paper and dryer sheets.

    Thanks for any information you can give me!

    Kathy and Jim, Media, PA
    Kathy and Jim I couldn't agree more about the cargo weight that most of these trailer's can handle. We know someone with a 375 Solitude. We were visiting one day with the basement door open and could see that they were a long way from being considered full. Then could not believe it when we were told that they were overweight. They're now looking into changing out their axles. Wish you would switch this thread to the tech section as that is the only one that GD monitors. They do monitor that and do listen to what they read.
    Marcy & Gary
    2014 Grand Design - Reflection 303RLS
    2022 GMC 3500 Denali Duramax Longbed SRW
    2015 GMC Denali 3500 - Retired
    2003 F350 - retired
    Michigan
    We're in trouble now, the dog are bloggin'!
    https://3dogsandatrailer.wordpress.com/


  4. #4
    Left The Driveway
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    I believe CCC already includes a full water tank and a full propane tank. CCC is for everything else you bring along. At least that is how it works for a class A.

    Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
    Last edited by utexplore; 09-19-2017 at 05:12 PM.

  5. #5
    Fireside Member
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    Total novice here (don't actually own our RV yet). So I may be WAY off... But, it seems to me, when considering the total load in the RV one would not include items that will not travel in the unit? My understanding was the GVRW was the max load when traveling (all weight on axles and pin). Seems you might be able to go over GVRW by a little without worry when parked and on all 6 jacks? Thus, you, your wife, dog, etc wouldn't be included in the calculations for the rig, but just for GCWR of the truck.

    Thoughts?

  6. #6
    King Pin
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    You, the spouse and the doggie ride in the the truck, not the trailer. So don't consider that weight in the CCC. And fill up your water at your final destination.

    Jim

  7. #7
    Long Hauler D2Reid's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by chadflorian View Post
    Thus, you, your wife, dog, etc wouldn't be included...Thoughts?
    That is such a great opening for really bad humor.

    In my case I have to calculate them in, my Momentum is big and heavy. I have to be considerate of pin weight and truck GVRW as well as trailer GVRW.

    There are a lot of deciding factors to determine acceptable risk when towing. In my case I am at the top of the envelope towing, plus I play in the Rockies, long 6%, 7%, 8%, 9% grades are normal for me. I gotta be on my game weight wise. When I pulled only in Florida I could successfully over weight everything. No hills.

    So be considerate of the limits, they are there for a reason. Think about usage, it plays a part. If you want to be certain build in a 10%-25% buffer on weight vs capability. Outside of that, your risk quotient begins to climb.

    To coin a phrase, know before you go.
    Dallas
    2017 Momentum 376TH, 2019 Ford F450, Dual Rear Wheel, 4x4, diesel.
    2015 Harley-Davidson Street, XG750

  8. #8
    Big Traveler CWSWine's Avatar
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    To get the really high CC you need to look at manufactures like New Horizons or Space Craft that have CC above 3,000 in come case above 4000 or 5000. The problem is the high $$$$$ and the truck that takes to tow one. New Horizon recommends at least F450 for their smaller ones and some of the Space Craft takes a over the road truck to pull. But even the larger Solitude lines are well into the DRW (dual rear wheel) truck. Some of these have dry pin weights or 6,000 pounds or higher.

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