Weight Difference

jwg61047

Member
I ordered a Big Country 3596RE and I picked it up last Monday. The model I ordered from had a dry weight at 11,900 which was perfect. The brochure had it listed at 12,200 which would have been ok. When I went to pick my BC up, the sticker had the dry weight at 13,078. It had the very same things from frame to furniture (no upgrades) as the show room model. The deanship said there shouldn't have been that much of a difference but couldn't tell me why. Does anyone here know why there would be that much difference? I knew there coud be a couple hundred pounds plus or minus but not over a 1,000 pounds. I emailed heartland to ask the but I haven't received anything back yet. I was just wondering because it did put a damper on what I wanted to carry with me. Thanks for any information.
 

jimtoo

Moderator
Hi jwg61047,

Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum and family. We have a great bunch of people here with lots of information and all willing to share their knowledge when needed.

I know they list the average dry weight of a unit with out any options added. When the unit is built it gets weighed it as it leaves the door of the plant and that is when the sticker is made with actual weight. I don't know if the brochure also includes what is sometimes called a "forced option" that must be included in the order when built.

If you don't get email by Monday or so, I would call plant, have VIN handy.

Enjoy the forum and your new Big Country.

Jim M
 

Speedy

Well-known member
The fall back position from Heartland will be that specs in the brochure are subject to change. My biggest issue will all the manufacturers is the use of the "Dry Weight" spec; it is useless and your problem is a perfect example. The manufacturers should just list the trailers GVWR and maybe cargo capacity, all the other numbers just confuse people.
 

Dtaylor52

Member
I would think dry means without but is it possible they are calculating in the weight of your tanks? A simple way to find out would be to add the total gallons of each and multiply by 8.6 for the total water weight and subtract from the gross weight.
 

TandT

Founding Utah Chapter Leaders-Retired
IMHO, DRY means what it weighed when it went out the door of the factory, before anything is added by the customer .

I was told by a HL source that the rig is weighed and the yellow sticker is placed, as it leaves the factory.

Is it possible that you added any options such as a generator, dual pane windows, or second A/C?

These would all add to your dry weight. Trace
 

Ray LeTourneau

Senior Member - Past Moderator
When we first ordered our Bighorn, I was using the advertised "dry weight" as you were. I was hoping to have a 5ver large enough but light enough to tow with my Chevy 2500HD 8.1 gasser. Like yours. my trailer came in about 1100# heavier. I took it to the scale fight after I picked it up. At the time, Heartland did not weigh the trailers as they left the plant. The extra weight on mine came from dual pane windows, trail air hitch and a couple other lighter options. We ended up buying BART on Ebay in Houston while we were in Corpus Christi. First year south.

I suggest you take your trailer to a scale and weigh the combo truck & trailer then drop the trailer and weigh the truck empty. You can then calculate your actual weights. Many owners are still pulling 16000# GVWR trailers with 3/4 ton trucks. I'm not saying it's a good thing but it's a choice they make. Even with BART, I'm at the limit.
 
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