Camp Freightliner

When we were at the 2015 Tampa RV Supershow, Freightliner had a display under a large tent.  Since it's the company that manufactures the chassis for the motorhome we wanted, we stopped by to see what it was all about.

The centerpiece of their tent was a large XCR chassis.  I pointed out to my wife that, like the one we were going to get, it had a tag axle, side radiator, and a few other features.  A Freightliner rep walked over and asked us what kind of coach we had.  When we told him that we were planning to get a Newmar Dutch Star 4369, he smiled, placed a hand on the chassis and said "this is the one!".

It was amazing to look at "our" coach without any house on it.  Not even the framework that serves as the basement was added - it was just a bunch of rails, tanks, and a big diesel engine in the rear.  Up front were some pedals and a steering wheel sticking up - and not much else.  We walked around it for almost an hour asking questions about the gas tanks, tires, engine and more.

At one point, my wife wandered over to a table where they had some brochures.  She loves to pick up reading material, so it wasn't surprising when she returned with a paper and started talking to me about "Camp Freightliner".  The surprise was when she told me that she wanted to go!

Camp Freightliner is, and I quote from their web site, "a comprehensive and captivating two-day training session in Gaffney, S.C., to learn more about the benefits of driving a motorhome built on an FCCC chassis. Topics include the air brake system, electrical system, maintenance intervals, weight distribution and vehicle storage, plus much more. This is not a hands-on workshop, but we will spend time at a bare chassis, allowing you to become more familiar with the features."

It's important to us to learn everything about the place that we'll be calling home for most of the year, and so we really want to attend one of the camps.  They offer them several times each year and you can make reservations online.  The best time to make reservations for the next year is in October of the previous year.  They fill up fast.

During the two-day workshop, they will feed you lunch.  You can also schedule service on your chassis (oil change, tire rotations, corner weighing, etc.) while you're there attending the camp.  Six miles away is the Spartanburg KOA, a large campground with full hook-ups and pull-thru sites.   They'll even pick you up at your camp site and drive you to Camp Freightliner each day about 7:30 am.  After the first day of camp, their Customer Support group hosts a dinner at 5:30 so you can mingle and meet people that work there.

They also offer a second workshop called Camp Freightliner II.  It's not scheduled at the same time (or even immediately following) the two-day camp, and they don't have as many available dates.  This camp is intended for people who want to spend time with a service technician while they work - and ask all the questions they care to ask.

The price for Camp Freightliner is $175 for one person and $225 for a couple.  Camp Freightliner II is $100 per person.

We've definitely decided to go in 2016 and will be attending six months after we get our coach. We've already made reservations for the class on October 17th and 18th. That way, we can get to the KOA on a Sunday, attend the workshop and dinner on Monday, and have our rig's six-month service on Tuesday while we're in class.  Nice!  

Everything you need to know can be found on the Camp Freightliner web site.

Our Approved Specials

Here is the list of the approved special requests for our 2016 Dutch Star 4369:

1. 110V GFI OUTLET IN 1ST DS STORAGE COMPARTMENT BEHIND THE DOOR
2. 110V GFI OUTLET IN DS STORAGE COMPARTMENT CONTAINING AWNING ELECTRONICS
3. ADD 110V/USB OUTLET IN NIGHTSTAND TO THE RIGHT OF THE BED
4. 110V OUTLET ON THE WALL BETWEEN THE SHOWER AND THE TOILET IN THE REAR BATH
5. 110V OUTLET ON BDRM WALL (BEHIND IT IS THE SHOWER) JUST UNDER THE WARDROBE TO THE LEFT OF THE FIRST (WILL BE USED TO PLUG IN A VERTICAL FLOOR FAN)
6. 110V OUTLET UNDERNEATH THE RIGHT VANITY SINK
7. 110V/USB OUTLET ON WALL IN CORNER BEHIND COUCH (NEXT TO KITCHEN COUNTER UNDER LIGHTING CONTROLS)
8. 110V/USB OUTLET NEAR PASSENGER SEAT (ABOVE EXISTING OUTLET ON WALL BEHIND PASSENGER)
9. 110V/USB OUTLET BEHIND DRIVER SEAT (ABOVE EXISTING OUTLET ON WALL BEHIND DRIVER)
10. 12V OUTLET LEFT OF STEERING WHEEL ON DASH
11. 2 STD CEILING LIGHTS OVER VANITY TO WORK ON SAME SWITCH AS OTHER CEILING LIGHTS
12. ADD 2 LED LIGHTS MOUNTED UNDER MICROWAVE NEAR BACK WALL. SAME SWITCH AS LIGHTS OVER SINK.
13. 8 AGM BATTERIES ILO STD - ORDER CALLS FOR ALL ELECTRIC OPTION
14. ULTRALUX LEATHER ON DINETTE CHAIRS
15. DS DORMI & ODS 2 RECLINERS<<W/FREE STANDING LAMPSTAND
16. DS16-280 LEATHER "B" ON HEADBOARD ILO STD.
17. ADD 2 EXTRA SHELVES IN BDRM WRB NEAREST PANTRY
18. SPECIAL ORDER EXTERIOR COLORS
• SKIN-56680 CAJUN SPICE OBSIDIAN
• A-64503 MEDIUM FAWN MET
• B-44429B LIGHT CHAMPAINE MET
• C-57714 DARK FAWN MET
• AWNING LINEN TWEED
19. SHURFLO 4048 WATER PUMP ILO STD - NEWMAR #127488
20. RAISE BOTH STOOLS BY 2"
21. INSTALL PLAIN MIRRORS ILO SMOKED IN KITCHEN AND BEDROOM
22. ADD LED LIGHTS INSIDE PANTRY TO TURN ON WHEN DOOR OPENS
23. ADD 2 ADJUSTABLE SHELVES TO WARDROBE RIGHT OF TV IN BEDROOM
24. PREP FOR GROUND TRIPOD SATELLITE DISH ON ODS WITH A/B SWITCH
25. DS16-300 MAIN AND 1/2 BATH WALL BOARD ILO STD
26. VT16-320 TILE INSERTS AND VT STYLE KITCHEN BACKSPLASH ILO STD
27. VT16-320 TILE INSERTS IN BOTH BATHROOMS BACKSPLASHES<
28. LOWER SHOWER SEAT TO 17" FROM FLOOR
29. ADD 110V OUTLET IN KITCHEN OHC NEXT TO MICROWAVE OUTLET
30. ADD 110V OUTLET IN PANTRY (SIDE WALL NEXT TO BDRM)
31. DO NOT MOUNT THE CLOCK (CUSTOMER WILL MOUNT)
32. ADD 110V OUTLET IN REAR CLOSET
33. GE ADVANTIUM MICROWAVE ILO STD - VENTED TO OUTSIDE

Understanding Weights

Thanks to Mike Fultz and my DW for information they contributed for this article.

One of the most important things to understand about the RV is its weight - and how much weight it can carry.  I have been particularly concerned with this issue, because Newmar added a lot of weight to the 2016 version of the standard coach that I'm ordering so that they could accommodate tile in the slides and a sturdier frame.

The weight limitations for an RV are mostly determined by the manufacturer of the chassis.  When reading all of the terms and abbreviations, it may help you if you consider that:

• "Rating" means "Maximum" and 
• "Gross" means "Total"

So GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) can be thought of as Total Vehicle Weight, Maximum - or the maximum total weight of the vehicle.

Remember that it's important to weigh the RV after you've loaded it, paying special attention to the weight on each axle.  Weight distribution is important!  It's especially important to watch the weight on the front axle.  You don't want to overload any axle, but should be particularly careful about the one in front.  Do everything you can to move weight off the front and towards the rear so the other axles can pick up a higher (percentage) share of the load.

These are things that they can tell you about a particular model before they actually build it.  They represent the maximum weights that can be supported by the chassis:

• Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR).  This is the maximum weight that a particular axle can support.  Each axle has its own GAWR. 

• Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR).  This is the most that the coach can weigh.  It is often the total of how much all of the axles can support, so it's equal to (or close) to the sum of all of the GAWRs.  

• Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR).  This is the GVWR plus the weight of anything else you add or pull behind it.  Don't confuse this with the hitch rating, which is how much weight the hitch assembly can pull.  If you have a motorhome with a GVWR of 40,000# and are going to pull a truck that weighs 5,000#, you need to make sure that your GCWR is 45,000# or higher.  If you take the GCWR and subtract the GVWR, you'll see how much weight you can pull - as long as your hitch is also rated to pull the weight.  You may find when you calculate how much you can pull that you can pull 10,000# and still be under the GCWR.  However, your hitch may only be rated for 5,000#.  Be sure everything lines up.

The things below are actual measurements for your specific one-of-a-kind RV.  After it's built and options have been added, they put a sticker in the unit that gives you the real numbers.  Note that the manufacturer will usually publish some of these as approximate numbers for your model type, but until the coach actually exists and they weigh everything, you won't have the real deal.

• Unloaded Vehicle Weight (UVW).  Notice that it doesn't say "Rating", so this is an actual measurement of a particular motorhome's total weight when they drive it out of the factory with FULL fuel tanks, oil and coolant.  Nothing else is included in the UVW.

• Net Carrying Capacity (NCC).  This is obtained by subtracting UVW from the GVWR.  What's left after the subtraction is the weight of anything you put into the coach other than fuel, oil and coolant:  occupants, fresh water, clothes, LP gas, dealer-installed accessories, dishes, and any other cargo you put in the coach.  If you add up the weight of these things, it should not exceed the NCC.  Note that manufacturers and many in the RV community still talk about NCC, but it's really been replaced by the next two terms:  SCWR and CCC.

• Sleep Capacity Weight Rating (SCWR):  Each RV, even within the same line or model, may have different "official" sleeping capacities.  My RV officially sleeps four people, while someone else who ordered my same model with another couch instead of recliners may sleep six people.  The SCWR is the official number of sleepers times 154 pounds.

• Cargo Carrying Capacity (CCC).  This is the GVWR minus these things:  UVW, SCWR, full potable water tank (include hot water tanks), and full LP gas tanks.  What's left?  Nothing but your actual cargo:  dishes, clothes, lawn chairs, food, etc.

You'll see and hear all of the above terms often.  However, there was a change in 2007 that required motorhomes to have a "motor home occupant and cargo carrying capacity (OCCC)" label posted in the RV.  Newmar posts this type of label and, I would think, other manufacturers do, too.

The OCCC label says "Motor Home Occupant and Cargo Carrying Capacity", and beneath it shows that "Combined Weight of Occupants and Cargo Should Never Exceed XXXX#".  They also say at the bottom of the sticker that fresh water weight is to be included in the cargo, and you also have to include the tongue weight of anything you haul (like a motorcycle you may put on the back of the rig).

This means that you have to take the number on the sticker (4153# in the photo above) and subtract 1) your full water tank capacity (number of gallons times 8.3), 2) estimated weight of passengers and 3) tongue weight of anything you're hauling.  What's left is how many pounds of actual cargo (dishes, clothes, food, spare oil, and anything in the basement storage) you can carry.

In our case, I'm hearing that similarly configured Dutch Star 4369's have labels that show the OCCC as being in the neighborhood of 3300#.  This doesn't leave me much:

3300# - 1100# (full fresh water) - 800# (4 passengers, conservative) = 1400# of cargo.

This doesn't seem like much for all of our cargo.  However, when you add up most of the things you would take on the road, I can't imagine taking 3/4 of a ton of stuff along.  Plus, we can always (if needed) drive with half a freshwater tank and 2/3 of the fuel tank - saving a whopping 800# !  I should note that other 4369's similarly equipped as ours have had OCCC's of 4100+ pounds.  There's a good chance that mine will be in the neighborhood of 3900#, giving me 600 more pounds than my "worst case".

Other ways to get some more cargo storage would be to take away some of the options.  Heating the floor tiles adds another 225 pounds.  The two slide-out storage trays in the basement total 300 pounds.  Removing these options would give us another 525 pounds of cargo capacity.

After considering everything, we think that we can live with the allowance we'll have.  It's quite possible that our OCCC could come in closer to 4000#, in which case we'd have about 700# that I'm not planning on!  Either way, we think we're good so we are proceeding with the options we wanted.

[See Update on Weights for some updated information on this topic.]

Hope all of this helps those of you who are working your own numbers.