[HappilyEverAndra]

Took the Ascent out with the trailer for another weekend of fun. Weather was cold but besides that it was a great trip! Went to Kyburz CA. Car did well as always and this was a short driving trip as we are local. This camping was full dry camping.

Also did another trip out to Winters CA last week for Thanksgiving. Nice little park with lots of people getting away for the holidays. Drive there on Wednesday was a little iffy due to high winds, but overall went super good! They gave us another 20 nights free! With it being almost full hookups it’s a nice place to get away.

 

[Gem837]

Looks awesome. I also considered the 208BHS but with a factory/dry hitch weight of 516lbs, it fell off the list.

I see you have a propane tank cover, is there a tank inside? How did you get under the 500lb tongue limit with a starting weight of 516lbs + propane?

 

[HappilyEverAndra]

Looks awesome. I also considered the 208BHS but with a factory/dry hitch weight of 516lbs, it fell off the list.

I see you have a propane tank cover, is there a tank inside? How did you get under the 500lb tongue limit with a starting weight of 516lbs + propane?

The 208BHS Outfitter is weighed with 2 empty propane tanks, as it is part of the package and is not added at the dealership. My sticker says 516, and that is with the 2 tanks, empty.

I get around it by not carrying much fresh water at all, and then doing 1/3 tank in black tank along with the cargo all stored in the rear under the bunks. Only exception was the 2 first pictures, I was fully loaded with fresh water as we were dry camping but didn't go over 45 on that trip as Kyburz is basically in my backyard. All my long trips we have less than 10 gallons of water on board.

Believe it or not, with how much storage is in back you can get a lot back there. Also, the car is not fully weighed down in the rear, there is still more suspension travel. The front is not unloaded enough to feel unsafe, never had any steering issues even in high winds on crazy CA pothole freeways. I also get this thing at a steep angle in gravel as shown in the pictures, and from a dead stop the car doesn't hesitate and keeps all traction.

I run the P3 controller, on boost 3 and power at 5.5 I think. It brakes perfectly with even braking across the entire vehicle and stops on a dime. As far as power, I live in the Sierra Nevada mountains and cross mountain passes on every outing, and the car never has a problem holding the hills. Suburban is on my list for 500+ mile trips, but with the price of those things I am waiting for the right used one to pop up.

 

[Gem837]

Thanks for the reply. I was genuinely interested because this is a great size for an Ascent-towable trailer, but would put me outside of my comfort zone. I suppose for short trips like you've described, the risk is lower than the much longer trips I'm planning.

Have you weighed the tongue to see the effect of your cargo and tank distribution? I have not had great success with lowering tongue weight by loading more cargo/liquids behind the axle. Most of the reduction comes from removing the LP tanks, downsizing the battery and transferring the under-tongue spare to the rear bumper.

I had a dual-axle hybrid and was surprised to see the amount of weight that had to be added to make an impact. I put the tongue on a scale and recorded it while I went to stand on the back bumper. My 190lb weight ligtened the tongue by 40lbs.

I see another thread on the forum where you've had to defend your position and I don't want to start that back up again. Just thought this conversation would be beneficial to other Ascent owners interested in this model.

This is the first time I've heard of LP tanks being added at the factory, I am assuming this is part of the "off-grid package". Did you get anything from Forest River stating the increase in tongue weight? I didn't see it in any of their literature as the 516lb number is the only one every published. In a few places they do state that the stickers on the units are updated after they are weighed at the factory, but they omit any mention of tongue weight changes:

"Each Forest River RV is weighed at the manufacturing facility prior to shipping. A label identifying the unloaded vehicle weight of the actual unit and the cargo carrying capacity is applied to every Forest River RV prior to leaving our facility"

"UVW (Unloaded Vehicle Weight)* - is the typical weight of the unit as manufactured at the factory. It includes all weight at the unit’s axle(s) andtongue [sic] or pin and LP Gas. The UVW does not include cargo, fresh potable water, additional optional equipment or dealer installed accessories.*Estimated Average based on standard build optional equipment"

Would you mind sharing sharing the weights listed on your unit?

 

[HappilyEverAndra]

Gem,

I have not weighed it fully loaded as I haven’t been able to make it to any scales. Where I live the scales are far and few in between and usually all directions I am not heading when I have the extra time.

I will post up pics of the weights later when I can get them, I don’t have it on my property at this time.

You are correct it is part of the off the grid package and I did not get anything in writing from them. My dealership called the rep with me and he was unsure so he called back and then told me it was included as they are shipped with 2 empty tanks and weighed after. He also told me the 516 tongue weight listed is the highest it can be with all packages added and they come in lower depending on packages. This one has everything though.

 

[Merope]

FWIW: IMO, it's critical to verify tongue weight. It's cheap and relatively easy to do using the bathroom scale method.

tongue weight with bathroom scale - Google Search

Once you've verified it for the common loading conditions you use, you don't need to keep weighing it.