Marco Hefty Smurf

According to the CNW (manufacturer of Marco) Website,
Marco weighs 2550Lb empty and with no Fluids.
The posted GVW is 3000Lb, giving a CCC of 450Lb.

BTW,
Inside a cupboard door is
this curiosity....
an empty weight
(UVW-Unloaded Vehicle Weight)
of just 1820Lb????

Lew finally weighed Marco at a Scale outside Alamogordo, NM
and this is what he found....

Holey Sagging Springs, Batman!
This thing weighs 3280Lb.
10% over it's Maximum GVW.
Grrrr.

So Lew got out Sue's Bathroom Scale and weighed stuff:
~68Lb (2 Propane Bottles),
~80Lb (2 Bikes on an Aluminum Hitch-Haul platform on the rear Receiver),
~70Lb (one Grp27 AGM Battery),
~20Lb (Kyocera 125W Solar Panel),
~110Lb fresh water (~13Gal),
~50Lb Water in WTR HTR
~20Lb Tools,
~25Lb Canned Goods,
~40Lb Cookware/Flatware/Dishes (including Just-for-Dinner Breadmachine, Mini-food-processor, 10" Cast Iron Skillet),
~30Lb Clothes,
~30Lb Bedclothes/Memory Foam/Pillows,
~20Lb Bread Machine Mix,
~50Lb Add-a-Room,
~30Lb Misc Items,
~15Lb (Books),
~15Lb (2nd Fantastic Fan),
~15Lb (19" LCDHDTV),
~20Lb (Kitty Toilet),
~30Lb (Spare Tire),
~ 15Lb (food-in-Fridge),
~10Lb (Macerator Pump&Plumbing).
Subtract 60Lb from OEM due to replacement of
100Lb Roof A/C with 40Lb Window unit.

That all comes to an added weight of 703Lb.
2550Lb + 700Lb = 3250Lb.
Pretty close agreement with CNW's posted empty weight.
But if the GVW is 3000Lb we are tooo heavy.

Hmm, something's gotta give, Eh?

One quick thing is to

carry no water on-the-road.
Besides draining the
Freshwater Tank,
this water heater
shut-off and Quick-Drain
were installed.

Yup, that took 100Lb off.

The bike rack and Bikes
weighed 80Lb.
The bikes need to go
in Scape, the TV.
Hmmm.

This shiny new Dahon
Folding Bike
tucks handily
in the car with
a folded size of just
25"X31"X12",
thus leaving room to
stuff Jan's Comfort Bike
in as well.

No great loss without
some small gain, I suppose.
This new bike is actually a
great ride with it's very
Smooth-Shifting Shimano
Nexus 8 speed internal
hub transmission.

By having no water and carrying the Bikes, the Add-a-Room,
tools, as well as some food and other Bits in the car, the
weight of Marco will be just at it's GVW.
Not exactly what we planned at the Outset but
Live and Learn, Eh?



Update: So Lew crawled under Marco and read the Tag
on the Axle and this is what he found....

....Hmmm, that says 3500Lb
(1591Kg).
That would give a CCC
of 750Lb.
Respectable for a small TT.
This is in agreement with the
CNW Website, which states
Marco's axle rating and
GVW as 3500Lb.

So why does the Tag
on the side of the
Trailer say that the
GVW = 3000Lb??

Further Update:On 08/06/09 I received an EMail from Mr. Ned Collins,
CEO of Columbia Northwest(manufacturer of Marco),
to the effect that the GVW of this TT is indeed 3500Lb.
CNW will mail me a new weight sticker to this effect.
This indeed provides a CCC of 950Lb, quite usable
for a TT of this size.

July 21-July 30: Helping out

The Travelers arrived back in Bethel Park
on the 21st. For four days they Commuted to
the Woods and worked on the installation of
a new Furnace and the Primer Painting
(with anti-mildew Kilz) of Lew's Dad's Cabin.
Jan also removed the rest of the Ancient
Wool carpet (which had been discarded
from the Alcoa Building in Pittsburgh in 1968).
One day was spent wirebrushing and scrubbing
the walls and floor of the "Coal cellar"
(for those uninitiated, the coal to fuel a coal furnace
fills a room, usually in the Basement of the structure).

The imperative for replacement.

The new Furnace.

Condition of the "Coal Cellar"
prior to scrubbing.

The evening of July 26 was the "final walkthrough"
for Adam and Trista prior to Closing the next morning
on their "new" Home in Mt Lebanon. Lew load-tested
all the Electrical Outlets to be sure all "Knob-and-Tube"
Wiring had been replaced. July 27, 28, and 29 were
spent helping Paint.

July 19: A Summer Afternoon

Lew and Jan always look forward to a stop at
Jerri and Tim's place in Bloomington, Il.
Kids and Grandkids descend on them
regularly.

Tim's Tomato Forest has
taken over the Deck.
Yes, that is a Golf Course
in the background.

Talk about a Grandkid Attractor!
The Pool sees heavy use
on hot summer days.

Tim fishes thousands of Golf Balls
from the Lake. High entertainment
is Driving them back into
the Lake.
(Power Hitters make the distant Trees)
Ethan determinedly tried
his Hand.

Jerri showed Jan the
Proper Form and....

....Strike One!
(missed that one)

Another Grandkid Attractor is
the Trampoline.

Jan had better success
with that Activity.

See Grandpa Troublemaker Tim
handing out those little round
Crackers that expode when
thrown onto
a hard surface....
....or a Sibling's or Cousin's
foot.