nboston

Thanks for the lead to the Tiffin RV Network. We registered and found a thread titled" Has anyone weighed the new 34PA?". The thread confirms that there is a real issue with the remaining capacity of the front axle. The numbers folks quoted are way too near the 9,000 lb limit to be reasonable. The only suggestion was to load heavy toward the rear. That seemed to help a little, but didn't really "fix" the issue. We really like the floor plan. But, 4 slides, a washer and dryer, etc. may simply be too much to be practical for a gas Ford chassis.

Yes, the gas tank is behind the axle. A full gas tank will have some impact, but it appears to be located just aft the axle. This would reduce the impact of its weight (a short lever distance). The rest of the tanks are between the axles though toward the rear. I would think more of the weight loads the rear than the front but not enough to compensate for the limited front axle capacity. When you are travelling, the driver and passenger are a little ahead of the front axle .Assuming the FAA standard 170 lb adult- that would put most of the 340 lbs on the front axle.Additionally, there are several storage compartments toward the front of the unit. They would probably need to be left empty or very lightly filled to minimize impact on the front axle The more ideal chassis for this floor plan would be a 11,000 front axle and a 15,500 rear axle. Unfortunately Ford doesn't offer anything more than a 9,000 lb front axle. T offer a 11,000 lb front axle, they would need to put heftier tires on the axle. The tires currently on the axle will carry 10,410 pounds at 110 psi.

You are correct on the weights. I like to travel with a full gas tank and usually fill up when it hits 1/2. Traveling to destinations with full hook ups we usually only have 1/4 to 1/3 of a tank of water. But many times when we go into chapter rallies we need full water. Likewise, a lot of National Park and Forest Service units don't have water. We also need food and "stuff". We want enough fuel to comfortably use our gen set when traveling to more remote locations. When I add all that up, it seems to me that we would be, at best, very close to the weight limit. I am hoping someone has already faced this issue and figured out a way to live within the stated axle weight limits.

The info we were given showed the corner weights of a fully optioned 34PA with 1/2 tank of fuel: LF 4,130 lbs RF 4,110 LR 6,710 RR 6,800 The front axle total is 8,240 lbs with an axle limit of 9,000 lbs. The rear axle total is 13,510 with an axle limit of 17, 500. We're wondering how we could load this coach for an extended trip without overloading the front axle. The rear axle is a non- issue. The liquid tanks are between the axles as would be most of the "stuff" we all seem to need. It would seem that even focusing the loading of "stuff" toward the rear of the coach wouldn't overcome the weight of a full water tank, propane, etc. We really like the floor plan of this coach and would order one if we could see how to safely load it.

Has anyone with an Allegro 34PA had problems with an overloaded front axle? Have you had the unit weighed with full fuel, water, propane, and normal contents? We are very interested in a 34PA but are concerned that the data shows less than 800 pound capacity left on the front axle with 1/2 fuel and a little water.

We are looking at a Subaru CrossTrak to replace our HHR. I asked the dealer to verify what had to be done to safely tow a 2016. The answer from the technicians at Subaru is that the ignition switch needs to be in the "ON" position not "ACC" because the electrical steering system MUST be active for flat towing. This is the same info Jeep Cherokee owners are learning from Fiat Chrysler . Because of the current draw, it looks like an 12VDC charge line from the motorhome to the toad will be a good idea. I see RVI Brake now has a box to charge toad battery from the coach.

We have a 2008 TREK with a W-20 chassis. It has a Vortec 8.1 and a6 speed Allison. In 38,000 miles, we've never had an issue ( I keep up all maintenance). I have never found a situation where we lacked power. On really steep hills, I downshift to 4th gear (1:1 direct)- run the engine at 2800 RPM- and climb anything. We also were affected by the brake issue, but LazyDays did the recall before we had any real issues.

The issue of insurance for personal transportation varies by insurance carrier. Personal mobility devices (one-seat small electric "scooters" designed to transport a disabled person) are generally covered by a Homeowner's policy. Multi-passenger vehicles (Crickets, golf carts, etc. ) are generally considered "RVs" and require a separate policy or an endorsement on one of your other policies. The reason for the note on the Perry form is to make attendees aware that they may not have the insurance coverage they think they have. Bottom line, everyone with one of these personal transportation devices needs to check with their insurance agent and verify that the device is covered. Finding out after an accident that you have no liability coverage could be very costly. Ned Boston F226166 Chairman, FMCA Risk Management Committee

We have a KVH R5SL on our TREK. Our Direct TV receiver is a D12MP and it works very well. Ned F226166

We tow a Chevy HHR with automatic transmission. No problems so what ever. It also has the advantage of being only 3200 pounds. The station wagon shape makes it a great short trip car. Chevy probably won't make the HHR much longer. It is based upon the Cobalt platform. The Owner's Manual expressly allows towing with its 4 speed auto. The Cruze is an all new platform.

We have a 2008 TREK with a 26" Sharp Acquos LCD TV. Last year, we had the unit in storage in Madison, WI until mid January. The temperature was down below 0F at more than one point. After we reached Florida, we fired it up and had no problems so whatever.