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  1. #1
    Left The Driveway
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    2600RB True Specs

    Hi Everyone!

    Wanted to start a thread and include true, measured data about our brand new 2021 GD 2600RB and Ram 1500. Hoping to dispel a lot of the myths out there about weight and half ton trucks. Before we bought our previous Coachman trailer we did a lot of research and the thing that "burned" us was the tongue weight (We started towing it with a Jeep Grand Cherokee), the actual tongue weight was much heavier than the catalog weight. We wanted to avoid that with the GD 2600RB, but the online research was all over the map and I was afraid to trust GD numbers. I have an engineering background and feel that over the last few years have learned more than the average bear about weights and such. I know weight subjects are a hot button and I hope we can avoid that. Just Facts to help others like me trying to make an informed decision. It is early May here in PA and still snowing so data may come slowly over the next few weeks.

    So I want to start with the elusive tongue weight. When doing my research I saw numbers as high as 850 lbs for an empty 2600RB and 1050 lbs ready to camp. I knew our truck could not handle that but I also did not believe it. Sure, the good rule of thumb is to take the GVWR of 7850 and multiply by 15% for worst case. But I knew we would never approach the GVWR. Let's get started with true data from our GD 2600RB:

    2600RB Tongue Weight:
    Catalog = 594 lbs
    Vehicle Weight Info Sheet for our VIN# = 620 lbs - Sheet provided by GD
    Our Actual weight (With 2 full 20# LP tanks, DP24 battery, nothing else) = 640 lbs measured at the coupler with Sherline Tongue Scale

    I give GD an A+ for the accuracy of the catalog weight here! First, you have to know according to the Sherline scale manual, the weight at the coupler is lighter, yes lighter, than the weight at the jack by a factor of 0.95. Seems like a big difference but I proved that is accurate with our last RV. Looking at the GD Vehicle Weight Info Sheet, I suspect GD measures the tongue weight at the jack instead of the coupler. For example, ours is 620 x 0.95 = 589 , awful close to the catalog weight. But the fact is after only adding Full LP tanks and a battery I was very surprised to measure only 640 lbs! My goal is to weigh around 6900 lbs and get about 12.5% tongue weight, we will see. Hope that helps some people.

    2600RB UVW:
    Catalog = 5795
    Vehicle Weight Info Sheet for our VIN# = 6102 lbs

    I give GD a B+ here. They were much closer than our previous RV but still 307 lbs off. I love how RV manufactures have "Mandatory Options" and options can effect weight. If you can not buy it without, it should just be standard. Besides the mandatory options, we only have the theater seating which can not weigh 307 lbs more? Fortunately, unlike the tongue weight, the UVW is either written on the labeling or can easily be calculated by subtracting the GVWR - Payload Capacity = UVW.

    Enough for now, my next post will be about the truck receiver and hitch weights, Unless it quits snowing and I can pack it up, re-weigh the tongue and head to a CAT Scale! I plan to walk through the entire weigh process and hitch setup.
    Last edited by USA...HereWeCome; 05-08-2020 at 02:17 PM.

  2. #2
    Rolling Along
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    I'll be interested to see how it compares to my 2020 2600rb.
    Charles and Susan
    2021 Ram 3500 Laramie, 6.4 Hemi, 4x4 CCSB
    2021 337rls w/ Andersen hitch.

  3. #3
    Site Team Ynot4me2's Avatar
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    Subscribe, cant wait to see part 2

    Sent from my SM-T580 using Tapatalk
    Steph & Lise
    2019 F150 Lariat 2.7 EB
    2020 Imagine XLS 22MLE

  4. #4
    Rolling Along Tigger1's Avatar
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    USA - thanks for the post.

    I think catalog weights are generally averages, but I give GD credit for their Vehicle Weight Info Sheet (VWIS) for my VIN. I haven’t CAT scaled our unit but here’s the tongue weight (hitch weight) measured with my Sherline:

    Catalog Hitch Weight: 490#
    VWIS Hitch Weight: 580# (2 20# propane tanks & 1 Group 24 battery)
    Sherline Hitch Weight at PDI: 580#
    Sherline Hitch Weight at first campout for shakedown: 600# (we always pack light and no water in fresh tank)

    I’d give GD an A+ for that and it gives me some confidence their VWIS UVW of 5248# is close.

    PS - I measured this at the coupler
    Last edited by Tigger1; 05-08-2020 at 06:23 PM.
    2010 Tundra SR5 DC 5.7L 4x4
    2020 Imagine XLS 22MLE
    Andersen WDH
    Dexter E-Z Flex Suspension Kit
    2018 Rockwood Mini Lite 2104s
    2014 Jayco x17z Hybrid

  5. #5
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    2nd Post
    Thanks for the nice comments and for sharing your own data. It is May 9th and the ground is covered with snow. This is the 2nd time in the last 3 years that has happened here in NW PA. It is rare. 5 ½ years till retirement and we are moving south! Well, not going to load the camper and weigh today, need to wait until we can fill the hot water tank, water lines, and put 5 -10 gallons in the freshwater tank. Instead, today I would like to share these links that really taught me a lot about weights and towing.

    1) This video does a good job of explaining weight distribution hitches and how they distribute the weight to the front TV axle and the TT axles. Keep in mind, a WD hitch does not reduce/increase the weight on the hitch receiver. It DOES reduce the payload on the TV. In the video, the total weight does creep up between each test and I suspect they have a faulty load cell. But it does not take away from the understanding. If the link does not work, search “Fastway vs. air bags”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBZu39pQ8Gg

    2) Popupbackpacker does a great job of explaining how to analyze all of the specs of your travel TT, TV, and hitch setup. Understanding his article is valuable in estimating if you have enough TV for a specific TT. He says, if you do not want to do any of this work, then just buy a bigger truck! He pushes everything to the max and then uses a Hensley Hitch to eliminate sway. He even has periodic updates to tell how his setup is still performing great. Our goal is to not push everything to the max, and we do not recommend that. But if we do, our failsafe will be a Hensley or ProPride Hitch before resorting to a ¾ ton. If you search those hitch types deeper, you will see another controversial world about towing.

    http://popupbackpacker.com/does-a-we...tongue-weight/


    3) The Trailer Towing Calculator is extremely valuable in estimating your final weights. But remember it is garbage in/garbage out. So, make sure the data you enter is as accurate as possible. You will need to head to a CAT scale with your TV, ready to camp, this data will help enter good data to start. We have the Equalizer 1000/10,000 hitch. We used 1000 lbs for the hitch tension and 30” for the bar length, we set our brackets 30” from hitch ball. If you know the UVW of the TT you can estimate 800 – 1000 pounds of cargo, that includes a very small amount of water. We travel with less than 10 gal in the freshwater tank. We pack light because we find half of that stuff just sits in the cupboards and never gets used. Then, you can estimate 12.5% best case and 15% worst case for tongue weights. We ran the calculator for best & worst. This is most helpful before you purchase. If you already have your TV and TT, you can just load everything up and head to a CAT scale to make sure you are within specs. We did back test this with our old combination, actual CAT scale readings, and this calculator was pretty accurate. I would suggest the calculator has one error. The author says the WD Hitch does not reduce the weight on the receiver – Correct. But he also says all of that weight will be seen as payload on the TV – Wrong, that is the purpose of the WD Hitch, by transferring some weight to the TT axles it will increase weight on the TT and reduce weight on the TV. Therefore, I suggest the results in his calculator for TV GVWR are high. Instead, I took the calculator weights from the TV combined axles and used that as the TV GVWR, that is what the CAT scale will show in the real world.

    https://www.ajdesigner.com/apptraile...utionhitch.php

    There are some intangibles that affect your towing experience that are almost impossible to prove with measurable data. For these I trust my own experiences and what others tell me. The problem is we all have different levels of comfort and acceptance. For example, I prefer to tow no faster than 65 mph. I think any faster is dangerous and pushing the limits of TT tires and bumper pull trailer dynamics. Others feel perfectly safe pulling at 75+ mph.

    4) The first intangible is TT length. This is NOT fact, but the Rule of Thumb is 20’ of TT for the first 110” of TV wheelbase. You can add 1’ of TT for every 4” of TV wheelbase. For example, our TV has a wheelbase of 149.5” so if we took this Rule of Thumb literally, we should not exceed 30’ TT. The problem is this “rule” was developed years ago and TV, TT, and Hitch technology has improved. If all specs are in tolerance there are many people cheating by a couple of feet and claim no problems. If you have a Hensley type hitch, they say you can ignore this because the TT will not sway. I can say we started towing our previous 28’ TT with our 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee and its 114.7” wheelbase. All specs were in tolerance. The Jeep did well but we could feel every wiggle in the TT. It did not sway but it was nerve raking. The Jeep could easily have handled the same weight if it were in a shorter TT. Maybe we could have solved it with a Hensley hitch? So, I did put some credence into this “rule” and kept our choice to under 30’. I would have chanced a 32’ TT but no more. Personally, the way we want to travel, we do not want anything bigger. I think any longer and you are out of half ton range, and should be looking for an even longer wheelbase, or a Hensley Hitch, just my opinion.
    5) The second intangible is power. HP, torque, gearing, gas, diesel, etc. This is hard to compare. I have driven the 3.6L in a Jeep GC with 8-speed and it is a beast. Then drive the same engine in a Wrangler with a 6-speed(?) and it is a dog. You cannot just compare HP, Torque from one vehicle to the next, they will all perform differently. What sold me was watching videos from TFL Fast Lane Truck. They pull trailers up and down the “Ike Gauntlet”. I watched videos of our truck pulling 7000 and 9000 pound loads with little problem. That sold me before we made our truck purchase. If I had to pull that mountain every day, I might want a big diesel. But I know our 5.7L gas will pull those grades on rare occasions. I was also impressed with the Ford Ecoboosts. Google TFL Ike Gauntlet to watch some of these videos.
    6) There are other items that always cause fights like brakes and tires. “Half tons do not have enough brakes to stop that TT”. The vehicles are tested to the J2807 towing standards which do test the brakes. In today’s legal world I cannot imagine a manufacturer claiming GCWR and using brakes with lesser standards. Losing brakes is dangerous in any vehicle. I would not want to lose TT brakes in my half ton with a 7000 lb trailer, nor would I want to lose TT brakes in an HD truck with a 15,000 lb 5th wheel. I trust the truck manufacturer to size them right, I trust my mechanic to inspect them right, and I pray to God no one ever loses brakes. As far as tires, I never had any problems with the OEM tires and our previous TT. We do have newer tires now and they are rated higher than the OEMs but not as high as some people recommend. I will comment later about how they “feel”.


    I hope you find these links helpful and interesting! So far, we have only towed the 2600RB empty home and it towed great and we have not even re-adjusted the Equalizer Hitch yet. We are also relieved to know the empty tongue weight is lower than our paper estimation, so we have some cushion here. I promise to have some real numbers for you as soon as the weather breaks!

  6. #6
    Left The Driveway
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    Sorry for the long delay, life has been hectic. We have all of our "permanent" stuff stowed away in the camper. Dishes, tools, chairs, towels, toiletries, mattress topper etc. We also flushed the antifreeze, filled the hot water tank, and put a measured 10 gallons in the fresh water tank. The only things missing are the TV for front bedroom, clothing, and food, so about 100 to 125 lbs to go. The food will store right above the axles so suspect only the clothes and tv will add to the tongue weight The tongue weight measured at the ball (3 times) is 760 lbs. This is lighter than we want, guessing about 11% right now. The hitch is still set for our old TT, hope to tweak it today and throw in clothes and food and get ssh ome final weight this week.

  7. #7
    Site Sponsor
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    USA
    Thanks for a very easy to understand explanation.
    As a very non engineer myself I struggle with this subject.
    Bob A.
    Bob & Alice
    2020 Ram 3500 Limited Megacab SRW Aisin
    2020 Grand Design Imagine 2450RL
    ProPride 3P 1400 lb. bars WDH
    Micro Air easy start, Goodyear Endurance Load rated "E" Tires
    Titan 50 gallon diesel replacement tank
    Previous: 2019 Ram 1500 Limited

  8. #8
    Left The Driveway
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    Final Numbers since starting this Post, sorry it has taken so long:

    Loaded for us is full hot water tank, 10 gals in the Fresh Water tank, clothes, food, drinks, normal gear. NO generators or bikes. 2 people in truck totaling about 300lbs.

    2017 Ram 1500, 4x4, TT Package, 3.92 gears, 5.7L gas, 149.5”WB, 10,020 lb max TT, 1100lb max tongue
    GAWR(Front)
    Spec 3900lbs
    Loaded, Unhitched 3520 lbs - 36 5/8”
    Loaded, Hitched 3400 lbs - 36 5/8”, perfect weight distribution as far a height

    GAWR(Rear)
    Spec 3900 lbs
    Loaded, Unhitched 2540 lbs - 39”
    Loaded, Hitched 3460 lbs - 37 1/16”

    GVWR
    Spec 6900 lbs
    Loaded, Unhitched 6060 lbs
    Loaded, Hitched 6860 lbs

    GCVWR
    Spec 15,850 lbs
    Loaded, Hitched 12,980 lbs

    Ball Height, unhitched, set to 24 7/8”

    +++++++++++++

    2021 GD 2600RB, 29’8”
    GAWR(total)
    Spec 8800 lbs
    Loaded, Hitched 6120 lbs

    GVWR
    Spec 7850 lbs
    From Factory 6102 lbs
    Loaded, Ready to camp, see above 6920 lbs

    Tongue weight at coupler
    Empty plus LPG and battery 640 lbs
    Loaded for camping plus 10 gal in fresh and full hot water tank 800 lbs

    TT set parallel to ground
    Coupler Height 24 1/4”
    Frame to ground, Front
    Loaded, Unhitched 24 3/8”
    Loaded, Hitched 23 3/4”
    Frame to ground, Back
    Loaded, Unhitched 24 3/8”
    Loaded, Hitched 25”
    TT Pitch, Loaded, Hitched (front lower than rear)
    Max per Equalizer 1 1/4”
    Actual 1 1/4”

    +++++++++++++

    Equalizer Hitch 1,000/10,000
    Inches shown above are the important reference numbers Equalizer hitch setup.
    Brackets set back to 31 1/2”, Standard Holes
    Hitch Head set 5/8” above coupler otherwise too much TT Pitch. Next hole down put ball >5/8” below coupler and resulted in 3” TT pitch.
    6 spacer washers used to achieve max weight distribution (front of truck is at same height hitched and unhitched, 36 5/8”)
    Everything Torqued correctly.
    Plastic jackets used on L brackets. Hitch head lubed properly. Very quiet for an Equalizer.

    Results: All weights within specs, TT pitch in spec, Weight distribution is good but would have liked to see a little more weight on front axle. Would like to be at 12% tongue weight but 11.5% not bad. Combo sits nice and level looking. Have only towed short distances, highway and interstate. I prefer to tow at 65mph, tows comfortable, no sway, plenty of power. This is 1.5’ longer and 1000lbs heavier than last TT – I truly did not even know the old one was there. This one is a little more noticeable but still fine. The long TV WB really helps. Might be a while before we can go on a long trip, but I will update about how the tow feels. PS. TT Brakes were NOT adjusted from factory, had to manually adjust and now use RAM brake controller with heavy electric setting and 5.0 gain (still playing, may change back to light electric). I did make a mistake – I should have left the hitch in the receiver when I weighed just the truck – this throws all of my unhitched numbers off a little and the trailer is a really a little lighter but this would all improve the numbers – no big deal, but when you weigh yours keep the hitch in the receiver.

    Conclusion: This is as big of a TT I want with our truck; your results may vary! Not all half tons are the same, ours has the best towing stats and wheelbase for a 2017 Ram. They keep improving every year. But notice ours is rated for 10,020 lbs and this TT loaded for camping is only 6920 lbs. towing 10,020 pounds TT would exceed specs and would not be comfortable. Plenty of power, no white knuckles, but near GVWR even though plenty of room on GAWRs. We pack light, if you throw in extra bodies or bicycles and generator, full load of fresh water, may exceed some specs. I would like to put a 2-person bike rack on the tongue; the extra 100lbs should get to the 12% I want, GAWRs should still be fine, but I will slightly go over TV GVWR, not concerned. This truck will be fine and yes safe, but our next truck may be a 3/4 ton just so we can bring more toys.

  9. #9
    Setting Up Camp
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    Thanks for the detailed information! We have the same Truck to go with a 2018 2600RB - both are new to us this spring. Glad to see that the numbers seem to stay within specs - I have not weighed our setup. That said the trailer tows fine for us. Maybe some day in the future we will get a 3/4 ton or a 1 ton, but for the foreseeable future it is the 1/2 ton Ram.
    2018 Imagine 2600RB
    2017 Ram Big Horn Crew Cab 3.92

  10. #10
    Fireside Member Outbackwack's Avatar
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    Superb info! Thanks for telling me what I have!!!
    Howard & Ellen

    2018 RAM Rebel Hemi 27700 miles
    2018 Imagine 2600RB 10704 miles
    Equal-i-zer 14,000 hitch

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