How Much Does An Average RV Trailer Weight?
How Much Does An Average RV Trailer Weight? An average RV trailer is approximately 5,300 pounds (2.404 kilos) in dry weight. This refers to the RV trailer’s weight when it is empty and has no gear.To get a real world example, you can add 1,550 pounds (692 kg) of gear and water.
This depends on how long your RV trailer is and what type of construction you have. I will include some examples in the article.You can expect your trailer to weigh approximately 250 pounds when it is fully loaded with water and other gear (the length of the box, not the length including the hitch).
Assume you searched for average camper weights to determine how large a trailer you could buy and tow with your truck.A truck or any other vehicle that claims it can tow 7,200 lbs (3,250 kg) should be sufficient to tow most RV trailers less than 24 feet.
These are just a few examples, and they all weigh the same as other camper models.
Example of RV Trailer Weights
- 1,545 Lbs (Unloaded Vehicle Weight) – 13 Feet – 2019 10RK Hummingbird Trailer
- 2,860 Lbs (Batteries and LPs Included) – 16 Feet – 2018 Sport 16RB Trailer
- 2,980 Lbs (Unloaded Vehicle Weight) – 19 Feet 10 Inches – 2019 17RK
- 3321 Lbs – (Shipped Weight) – 21 Feet 5 Inches – Keystone 175 LHS Single Axle Trailer
- 3,634 Lbs (Batteries and LPs included) – 22 Feet – 2018 Sport 22FB Trailer
- 3,715 lbs without gear and water – 2015 Jayco Jayflight19RD (19 feet box length).
- 3,786 lbs without gear and water – 2017 RPod RP-176 (17 ft)
- 3,974 lbs without gear and water – 2017 Coleman CT192RDWE (23 feet box height)
- 4761 Lbs (Batteries and LPs Included) – 23 Feet – 2018 International Serenity 23CB Trailer
- 4,800 lbs without gear and water – 2017 Rockwood Minilight 2504s (25 foot box length, 29 feet total length)
- 5,118 lbs without water and gear – 2017 Salem Hemisphere 24-BH (24 foot box length).
- 5,605 lbs without gear and water, 2015 Jayco Jay Flight 26RKS (26-foot box length).
- 5625 Lbs (Unloaded) – 29 Feet 2 Inches – 2019 24MBH White Hawk Trailer
- 6,030 lbs without gear and water, 2015 Jayco Jay Flight 27RLS (27-foot long box length).
- 6,586 Lbs (Batteries and LPs Included) – 28 Feet – 2018 Airstream Land Yacht Trailer
- 7,690 lbs without gear and water – 2016 Jayco Jayflight 38BHDS (38 foot box)
- 7,705 lbs without gear and water 2017 Cherokee West 274DBH 32 foot box
Water and Gear Weight
Eight pounds of water per gallon is the average weight of a trailer. A 48-gallon freshwater tank will suffice. Your trailer will be nearly 400 pounds heavier just from the fresh water tank.
Next, we add gear to the camper. A generator that can power a travel trailer air conditioner is about 90 pounds. You can also find here a review of the best generators for travel trailers.
How To Travel Without Water
There is a big reason why you do not need to pack water. Packing is all about food, clothing, drinks and camping gear, but packing water is not what you should do. To us, RV camping tips for beginners when we are packing water is that water is heavy.
Transporting too much water is not what you need. It is all about bringing a small amount of water for some situations. If the camp spot offers full hookups, then water is available once you connect to your hookups. Otherwise, you need to go to the fill-up station and fill your fresh water tank. Commonly, this station is at the campground entrance.
Slides and the weight of your RV Trailer
Campers started to use a sliding room system to expand their living spaces from a hallway into something more comfortable at the beginning of the 21st Century.
Slide-outs can dramatically increase the trailer’s weight. One slide-out can add 800 pounds to the trailer’s weight.
Pop outs, which is the tent material that pops out from your camper, will not add much weight. These are motorized slide-outs, and I’m only referring to them.
Food, Water, Clothing, and Other Random Needs
It’s possible to be surprised at how quickly random items you throw into your camper quickly add up.
Water alone can add approximately 400 lbs to your load. Don’t wait until you get there.
Many sources say that you will likely be carrying around a total of 1,500 pounds when your camper is packed and ready for go.
This will depend on your individual circumstances. This is some information on bulkier items that can be used to calculate how much weight you can add to your camper.
Propane Tank
It is not the most heavy item, but it is one common item that is heavier.
Most likely, you have a propane tank weighing between 30 and 40 pounds.
The base weight of the 30-40 pound tank will go up by 25 to 34 lbs.
People
Each person should add 175 pounds.
This is the average of the typical adult male (191 Pounds), and the typical adult female (159 Pounds).
Food
I’m not suggesting that each person should eat 3 to 5 pounds of food daily. I’m simply giving you the averages so that you can use them for your calculations.
Floor Jack, random tools
The floor jack will cost you $35.
Diverse information
You will also find 100’s of pounds worth of random supplies, ranging from toiletries to a toaster.
You will need your books. You won’t want to forget your Ipad.
It will quickly add up if you forget to bring your charging cables. You can easily lose 1/2 pound by buying these little things.
Because of the likelihood that you will overpack and end up with an overweight person, I recommend that you don’t wait to pack.
How construction type affects RV Trailer weight
There are two main ways to build a camper-trailer. First, fiberglass construction. This type has smooth side walls. This camper is made with aluminum metal structuring, which is much lighter than traditional “stick-built” trailers with wooden 4×4’s.
Stick-built trailers have aluminum corrugated siding. These trailers have bumps all around the exterior. These trailers weigh in at around 900 pounds more than a standard load of lumber.
Aluminum RV Trailer
Aluminum campers are cheaper than fiberglass, which should indicate immediately which product is superior.
Aluminum isn’t necessarily a bad product.
It can be damaged more easily that the fiberglass campers but it is still cheap and easy to repair.
The exterior structure of the shingles is very simple to remove and replace.
These trailers have a downside: they are often made of wooden frames, which can be quite heavy.
This can have a direct effect on your gas mileage and put additional strain on your truck’s transmission.
Fiberglass RV Trailer
This material is often considered superior for many reasons.
Exterior is more durable and will withstand the many rocks that may be thrown at it as well as any other potential damage to the fiberglass.
It will cost more to repair if it is damaged.
Fiberglass is also cleaner and retains its shine longer than other materials.
The smoother surface makes it easier to clean than aluminum shingles. These campers last longer and are more affordable.
This is not the only reason why reselling prices are higher.
Fiberglass exteriors often indicate that the camper’s structure is made from aluminum piping and not wood. This allows for better gas mileage.
This is not a problem for short trips or unusual trips but can add up quickly if you plan to travel the country with the camper.
Understanding the Listed Numbers
It can be confusing to look at all the numbers for campers. While I was on the lot, I was confused by the fact that some people would give me the gross weight while others would give the dry weight. The best policy was to add 1,500 pounds for water and gear to the unloaded vehicle weight.
Weight of an unloaded vehicleThis is the total weight of the camper without any water or gear. Only the trailer.
Gross vehicle weight: This is the total trailer weight, including full tanks and average gear load. This is the maximum trailer can weigh. We know that Gross Vehicle Weight (GVWR), is a much larger number.
Dry hitch weightDry hitch weight refers to the weight of the trailer after it has been loaded with water and other gear. This figure is typically less than 10% of the trailer’s total weight. My 25′ trailer has a dry hitch weight of 500 pounds.
Capacity for cargo transport– You should only store as much gear and stuff as you can.
Maximize Your Towing Vehicle
If you just own your first RV Trailer , it is important to know that you cannot push it to bring a lot of weight. Remember that your vehicle has load limits for your safety.
You may be surprised to learn that your vehicle’s “maximum weight towing capacity” could be higher than your camper’s actual weight. However, you shouldn’t tow your camper.
I recommend that you multiply the dry weight of your camper and add 1,500 pounds. Add that amount to the towing vehicle’s towing capacity.
There are many reasons to not buy more trailers than your vehicle can tow. It will likely cause damage to your transmission in the long-term. It also means that you won’t likely be able drive at the speed limit up hills – if you are able to make it up hills at any rate. You want to allow for some error in case the trailer company or towing vehicle give you unrealistically optimistic numbers.
The last thing I would suggest is to actually open the driver’s door and examine the sticker on the inside. The sticker will show you how much it can tow. This number is important and not the one you find on Google for your vehicle and tow weight. The vehicle’s ability to tow a lot will depend on the options and packages that were included with it when it was brand new. You can only check the sticker to find out what model your vehicle can tow.
My tow vehicle was a Dodge Durango 2012 with the tow package. It can tow 7,100 pounds. It weighs in at 4,800 pounds dry, and 6,300 pounds when loaded with gear and water. Even though it’s almost 1,000 pounds less than my tow vehicle can safely tow, I can still only travel 55 mph when climbing a steep hill.
Do You Need a Truck to tow your RV Trailer?
You should be careful when shopping for campers. Don’t let the marketing fool you. No matter how heavy or bloated a camper may be, almost every one is now marketed as lightweight, superlight and featherlite.
For almost all types of vehicles, there is a camper. A small teardrop tent camper can be towable by a car. If you are looking for a 26-foot trailer, however, don’t overexert your mini-SUV’s tow limit.
9 family camper trailers are light enough to be towable with a small vehicle.
Sometimes you need a big truck to match your big RV. After towing my trailer for awhile with a V8 Dodge Durango, I finally bought an F-150.
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