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07-11-2018, 03:48 AM
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#1
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Member
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Grand Haven
Posts: 54
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New keystone owner in MI
Hi all! I'm really excited to be taking delivery today of our 2018 Passport 3290bh!
We started camping with 2 kids in a pop up about 9 years ago. When we got to 5 kids we moved up to a 3 bunk hybrid, which we've been using for the last 7 years. Now with 6 of our own (bio and adopted) and we usually have anywhere from 1-4 foster kids with us, the hybrid wasn't quite cutting it anymore.
Pulling with an Express 3500 van. With the rear seat taken out it seats 11, plus I can fit 6 bikes and 6 inflatable kayaks in the back.
Looking forward to many adventures in the new bunkhouse. The goal is to be able to go longer distances because we will need less set up and tear down time than the hybrid.
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07-11-2018, 04:46 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Shelby Twp
Posts: 235
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Welcome from a fellow Michigander. Sounds like you all are going to have a wonderful time and make many memories.
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07-11-2018, 11:22 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: Swanton
Posts: 188
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Wow sounds like you are going to out grow the 32 pretty quick. Welcome from NW Ohio
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07-11-2018, 11:22 AM
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#4
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Member
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Enid, OK
Posts: 63
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Welcome from Enid, Oklahoma
__________________
2018 Passport Grand Touring 3350BH
2015 GMC Sierra 2500HD Duramax Diesel
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07-11-2018, 12:49 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Howell
Posts: 581
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Welcome to the forum from Fowlerville Michigan!
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2016 Passport 3350BH
2017 F350 SRW Gasser
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07-11-2018, 01:48 PM
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#6
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Site Team
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: W. Texas
Posts: 17,690
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Welcome to the forum and congrats on the new trailer! Sounds like you plan on having a lot of fun with "the gang". I would just suggest that you load the van up like you're going camping with ALL the folks and camping gear and weigh it. Then compare that to the specs inside the driver door. I suspect the 3500 has a decent payload but 11 people and lots of gear is sure going to cut it down fast.....then, there's the trailer. Figure 1000 lbs. for the tongue weight then see where you are at.
Not trying to rain on your parade but just want to raise that flag in the event you weren't thinking about it. Don't want anything to happen to a van load of kids. Get a good WDH.
__________________
Danny and Susan, wife of 56 years
2019 Ram 3500 Laramie CC SWB SB 6.4 4x4 4.10
2020 Montana High Country 331RL
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07-11-2018, 02:02 PM
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#7
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Member
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Grand Haven
Posts: 54
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cavediver
Wow sounds like you are going to out grow the 32 pretty quick. Welcome from NW Ohio
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I definitely hope not, the bunkhouse has opposing slides and can actually sleep 6 comfortably. I think I could do 8 back there fairly easily actually, without having to use dinette and couch.
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07-11-2018, 02:02 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: West Virginia
Posts: 1,271
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Welcome to the fourm from Wv
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Navy 1980-1984
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07-11-2018, 02:23 PM
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#9
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Member
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Grand Haven
Posts: 54
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Yes, that's good thanks! I got a good wdh and upgraded to a new one for the extra weight. I definitely load the van down, but I think the trailer is pretty well within my total capacity. Towing home was great, we'll see how it goes with a full load.
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07-11-2018, 04:14 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Schulenburg
Posts: 1,164
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Bless you for what you do for those kids. Sounds like they're lucky to have you. Welcome to the forum from SE Texas.
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Joey
2017 Hideout 308BHDS
2006 F-350 6.0L PSD CC 4X4
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07-11-2018, 04:16 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Germantown, TN
Posts: 6,331
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I thought about your van weight and it got me to thinking how heavy it may be. Could I bother you to tell us the figures on your yellow tag on the driver door column? Thanks, you’re hauling a lot IN the van with bikes, kids, and kayaks.
__________________
Jim in Memphis, Wife of 51 years is Brenda
2019 F450 6.7 Powerstroke
2018 Mobile Suites 40RSSA
2021 40' Jayco Eagle
2001 Road king w/matching Harley sidecar
2021 Yamaha X2 Wolverine 1000
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07-11-2018, 05:10 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Monroeville
Posts: 1,550
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Welcome from North Carolina!
__________________
2014 Bullet Premier 29bh in Charocal
2019 Ram 2500 HD 4x4, CC, 6.4L
2011 Passport 2510RB (Sold)
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07-11-2018, 08:17 PM
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#13
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Site Team | Emeritus
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Kansas City
Posts: 3,878
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Welcome and congrats on the new trailer. Not sure, we dont keep that kind of info, but you may be the member with the most kids. Wow.
Just be careful pulling that big trailer with your van. Crosswinds will be a challenge with both the van and the trailer being big sails. Keep us posted how things are going and enjoy.
__________________
Chip Bruce, RPh
Kansas City, MO
2016 Impact 312
2017 Silverado 3500HD SRW
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07-12-2018, 02:43 AM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Commerce Twp, Mi
Posts: 1,002
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Welcome to the forum from Commerce Twp. Mi! Enjoy
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TOM
2011 Chevy Silverado
1500, HD Tow Package
2017 Keystone Hideout 177LHS Carlisle Radial HDs
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07-12-2018, 05:18 AM
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#15
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Member
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Grand Haven
Posts: 54
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Hey thanks for all the concern with the van. I've been around long enough not to buy the heaviest trailer I think my vehicle is rated for without accounting for passenegers and cargo. That being said, I also needed to have a trailer big enough to make camping work for us, so trying to balance the two. My brother had a camper with a similar floor plan that weighed over 8000 pounds. No way I'd try that. When I found the passport weighed in less than. 6600 dry weight, I got very interested in the upgrade.
My van has a gvwr of 9600 lbs. With 1000 for the tongue, plus kids and bikes, I expect I'm within that, but pretty darn close. 10,000 is the tow capacity, the trailer gvwr is 8000. We only bring extra kids on shorter trips, when we do bigger things out of state that's generally with just our 6 kids. And for those we may or may not bother with bikes, depending on where we're headed.
I couldn't hardly tell my old jayco hybrid was behind me when towing it with the big van, but of course this one I definitely can feel it back there. Still not bad, and I had some fast passing trucks and semi trailers on the drive home yesterday to get a feel for the draft a bit.
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07-19-2018, 01:18 PM
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#16
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Member
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Grand Haven
Posts: 54
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Well I hit the scales for the first time ever today, cross that one off my list of things I need to experience. So per my vehicle door tag:
Gvwr - 9600 lb
Gawr front - 4300 lb
Gawr rear - 6084
And I know my tow capacity is 10,000 lb.
Fully loaded today the scales said:
Front axle - 3380 lb
Rear axle - 5060 lb
Rv - 6460 lb
Total gross weight - 14,900 lb
So I'm a newbie reading scales, but it sounds to me like I'm pretty well within my limits?
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07-19-2018, 01:39 PM
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#17
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Germantown, TN
Posts: 6,331
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jefster
Well I hit the scales for the first time ever today, cross that one off my list of things I need to experience. So per my vehicle door tag:
Gvwr - 9600 lb
Gawr front - 4300 lb
Gawr rear - 6084
And I know my tow capacity is 10,000 lb.
Fully loaded today the scales said:
Front axle - 3380 lb
Rear axle - 5060 lb
Rv - 6460 lb
Total gross weight - 14,900 lb
So I'm a newbie reading scales, but it sounds to me like I'm pretty well within my limits?
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Did the kids enjoy the experience? Usually doing something different like this is pretty rad to kids that age...
__________________
Jim in Memphis, Wife of 51 years is Brenda
2019 F450 6.7 Powerstroke
2018 Mobile Suites 40RSSA
2021 40' Jayco Eagle
2001 Road king w/matching Harley sidecar
2021 Yamaha X2 Wolverine 1000
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07-19-2018, 02:47 PM
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#18
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Site Team
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: W. Texas
Posts: 17,690
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jefster
Well I hit the scales for the first time ever today, cross that one off my list of things I need to experience. So per my vehicle door tag:
Gvwr - 9600 lb
Gawr front - 4300 lb
Gawr rear - 6084
And I know my tow capacity is 10,000 lb.
Fully loaded today the scales said:
Front axle - 3380 lb
Rear axle - 5060 lb
Rv - 6460 lb
Total gross weight - 14,900 lb
So I'm a newbie reading scales, but it sounds to me like I'm pretty well within my limits?
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It appears your numbers are all within limits. It would have been interesting to see what the van weighed prior to putting the RV on it.
I am assuming the van was loaded with kids, gear, 6 bikes?, 4 kayaks?, tents, mom, dad, toys, Ipads and a partridge in a pear tree?? Looks like you're looking good but I'm wondering about the rear weight. Probably OK but don't want to have a light front end with all that thrown at the back of the van.
__________________
Danny and Susan, wife of 56 years
2019 Ram 3500 Laramie CC SWB SB 6.4 4x4 4.10
2020 Montana High Country 331RL
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07-19-2018, 03:27 PM
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#19
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Member
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Grand Haven
Posts: 54
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sourdough
It appears your numbers are all within limits. It would have been interesting to see what the van weighed prior to putting the RV on it.
I am assuming the van was loaded with kids, gear, 6 bikes?, 4 kayaks?, tents, mom, dad, toys, Ipads and a partridge in a pear tree?? Looks like you're looking good but I'm wondering about the rear weight. Probably OK but don't want to have a light front end with all that thrown at the back of the van.
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Close. I was missing my spouse and 1 of the kids. Had all the bikes, but no kayaks. The kayaks are inflatable, they weigh 27 lbs each. So that will put me closer on the rear axle.
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07-19-2018, 03:31 PM
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#20
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Escondido
Posts: 163
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Wow, congrats on the new camper! My BIL and SIL were foster parents. Thanks to your famiy for all you do to make the kids lives better!
__________________
2017 Outback 330RL 15th Anniversary Edition (stationary full timer)
2006 GMC 2500HD Duramax CC 4x4 w/SunLite pop-up camper
Dust Junkies Racing, 3 time Baja 1000 Class Champions
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