Have you weighed your Minnie Winnie?

[Blues Driver]

Have any of you weighed your 2004 - 2006 Class C Minnie Winnie 30'er?  Empty / loaded?
Are you at or overweight?  How is the rig working for you weight wise?
I like this model a lot but I am quite concerned about running overweight and it appears there is little weight left  for people, fuel, water, food etc.  I think E is the heaviest 16" load range available and I am concerned about being close to max inflation as well.  I am wondering if I should go to the similar Class A floorplan in the Vista 30' (~ $20,000 more and budget is a consideration). The Vista uses the same engine but apparently heavier chassis and or axles. 
My wife is fighting a Class A in one breath (afraid to drive it) and talking about packing the unit in the next.  I do not want the Vista to be MH #2 with the expense of the Minnie being mistake MH #1. 
No win deal??
Thanks,
Pat

 

[SeilerBird]

Tell your wife that driving an A is easier than driving a C. I have owned several of both and I much prefer an A. Almost every C made is very close to being overweight. 

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Larger C's are always pushing the limits of the E450 van chassis they are built on.  GVWR on the E450 is 14,050 lbs and the larger 30-31 ft coach bodies and the amenities that go with it take up most of that.  You will be far better off with a Class A if 30 ft or more is your target size. Yes, there is a learning curve because of the different driver position, but as Seilerbird says, it's actually far superior to a van cab once you get familiar with it (re-train your "muscle memory").

As I recall, the tires for the standard E450 chassis are 225/75R16 in LRE.  Yes, the rears probably are close to their max load rating and thus will be run at 80 psi. The fronts should have some extra margin.

If it must be a Class C style rig, consider a Super-C. It will be diesel and more expensive, but you get  a coach built on an F550 or International truck chassis with 50% greater GVWR and heftier specs throughout. Nexus, Dynamax and Thor have several models.

 

[John Canfield]

Tell your wife that driving an A is easier than driving a C. I have owned several of both and I much prefer an A. Almost every C made is very close to being overweight.

Another vote for a Class A. My wife drives our 40 footer in the mornings and I take the afternoon shift. What was priceless was the personal 2 day RV driving class when we bought our Horizon,  the very first and only RV we ever had. The instructor spent quite a bit of time with her and really put her at ease. Now she loves driving the rig. The class was worth every penny and then some.

 

[FunSteak]

Just for a point of comparison, we have a 2017 Minnie Winnie 26A, which is 27' bumper to bumper with the three slides closed.  She's on an E450 chassis.  I just weighed late this summer, as we've been using her pretty hard and have her loaded up with everything we need/want.  Had about 2/3 a tank of fresh water and empty black and gray tanks. 

Actual weights (from a CATscale):

Steer axle:  4340
Drive axle:  8340
Total:  12680

Ratings:

GVWR:  14500
Steer axle: 5000
Drive axle:  9600

I know this is a younger and smaller unit than you are looking at, but you can see that I have plenty of capacity left on this size coach, even loaded up nicely. 

I could see how a 30-33 footer would get much closer to the max.  I'd check the specs carefully and, if you can, weigh the unit to see what CCC is left before purchasing. 

 

[Blues Driver]

Thank you Funsteak,
I appreciate your post. Most of the posts on this forum  refer to Class A rigs.  It's encouraging to hear of a C working out. A friend drove a C for 9 years and laughed about the amount of stuff she had hauled around for years and didn't know it was in the rig.
  I'm curious about your tire experience. Have you replaced the tires?  Again , thanks for the post.
I'm hoping for more posts on the C.
Pat

 

[FunSteak]

Since our coach is only two seasons old, no, havn't yet had to mess with the tires.  Heck, I haven't even had to add air yet, although I do check it regularly.

I've contemplated how it would be with a 30+ foot rig on this chassis.  With ours, I have plenty of power, even in the hills (haven't been through any mountains other than the Alleghenies so far), plenty of carrying capacity and no noticeable handling issues.  Crosswinds will push us around a bit, but it's not too bad to manage.  I'd be a little concerned with a 32-33' rig, as it's likely that would be treading much closer to the weight limits.  I think I'd want to weigh it before purchase and consider carefully how much weight I'd add. 

Now, I do have three slides, which is a LOT on a 27' rig.  I'm guessing larger units wouldn't have three, if only for weight concerns. 

Also, I believe the larger units have a much longer rear overhang (space from rear axle to rear bumper), which as I understand it can affect the handling in crosswinds and such, as well as make you want to pay a bit more attention while turning in close quarters.  I have no experience with this; just what I've gleaned here and from some other sources. 

For the two of us, with an occasional guest or two in the over-cab bunk, this size is works perfectly.  We don't long for extra space at all, and really appreciate that it keeps it somewhat easy to handle and park at this length. 

Quality-wise, we've been very happy.  I had only one warranty issue, which was easily and quickly resolved by our dealer, and wouldn't have stopped us from camping.  Just a loose bit of wall paneling in the bedroom, that a couple squirts of adhesive fixed perfectly.  We've been very, very pleased with our experience so far.

I'm happy to answer what I can. 

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Good data from Funstreak and about what I would expect for a 27 footer. It's the 31 footers that tend to crowd the limits, but that too depends on how much gear gets loaded.  Four cases of beer is a lot different than 4 cases of popcorn. 

You need to visit some dealerships and look at the actual Federal Weight placard on the size & style of Class C you are considering. That will show the actual CCC (payload capacity) as it came from the factory.  That's what you have available for occupants, water & gear.  Most people underestimate the weight of what they will carry. There is a lot of water onboard even if you plan to travel "empty" - there will be 8-9 gallons in the lines and heater, and usually a residual 3-4 gallons in the storage tanks.  Pots & pans, clothing/shoes, food, beverages and miscellaneous gear (BBQ, etc) really add up fast.

 

[John Canfield]

...Also, I believe the larger units have a much longer rear overhang (space from rear axle to rear bumper), which as I understand it can affect the handling in crosswinds and such, as well as make you want to pay a bit more attention while turning in close quarters.  ...

In addition to producing a longer unit, a long overhang is so the manufacturer can unload the front axle, i.e., transfer front axle weight to the rear axle. A long overhand produces the "wag the dog" effect and as you pointed out you have to be very careful when turning in close quarters. The best handling unit will have a minimum overhang.

 

[Spring Creek]

Happily driving a 31? class C that when fully loaded with gear and fluids is about 1000 under.  Validated on a Cat scale.

We are in the minority but we had a class A and it drove LIKE CRAP compared to our 2 class C?s.  And, as a farm boy I?ve had plenty experience driving very large vehicles and equipment.

We may get a DP one day but never a class A gas again.

Just our experience.

 

[Alfa38User]

We may get a DP one day but never a class A gas again.

Not sure where you will find a DP (Diesel Pusher) that is not called a Class A  RV but then again, what do I know??

 

[Spring Creek]

You should read all the words I wrote...

 

[maddog348]

;D