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Topic: Joey Bed Weight Capacity (Read 899 times) previous topic - next topic

Joey Bed Weight Capacity

Does anyone know what the weight capacity of the Joey Bed in a U320 is?

I want to put a 150# tool box, a 190# spare tire/rim, and a 160# 8D Gell battery on the rear passenger corner of the joey bed.

The last time I weighed coach the passenger side duals were 800# lighter than the driver side duals and I want to load as evenly as I can.
Wyatt
96 U320 40 WTFE, build 4943
84 Toyota Supra towd
2015 Jeep Wrangler towd
Victoria, BC, Canada

Re: Joey Bed Weight Capacity

Reply #1 –
Wayne,

Part of the answer is dependent on how they were installed.  If the thru bolts securing them to the basement floor were in a beam or even better, relieved and thru a large wood plug epoxied in place and thru bolted using a large fender washer below, they will take a LOT more stress than those that are just secured through the two thin layers of FG and the foam floor core. I have seen many installed just through the FG and foam.  From under the coach it is easy to see if the bolts have wallowed out the hole.

I redid mine with epoxied wood plugs (2" diameter if I remember correctly), as they were originally just installed through FG and foam.  The bolts really had nothing substantial to keep them in place, and and the weight of the tray as it hit its stops caused the bolts to wallow out the holes.  This permitted the joey bed frame to move a slight bit in/out and worse, allow water migration into the core from the outside through the wallowed out bottom hole in the FG.

I used a 2" hole saw from the top through the basement floor FG and foam, leaving the bottom FG and hole.  Taped over the bottom hole, inserted a 2" wood plug of plywood the same thickness as the section removed and West system epoxied it in place.  Ran a drill through the center hole to clean it out and it is now bomb-proof.

Brett Wolfe
Brett Wolfe
EX: 1993 U240
Moderator, ForeForum 2001-
Moderator Diesel RV Club 2002-
Moderator, FMCA Forum 2009-2020
Chairman FMCA Technical Advisory Committee 2011-2020

Re: Joey Bed Weight Capacity

Reply #2 –
When we bought our used coach from MoT, Jimmie Bergman told me a total of 1,000 pounds.
George Stoltz.  Retired from full-time living in a great Foretravel and now are back to living in a traditional sticks and bricks in Florida.

Re: Joey Bed Weight Capacity

Reply #3 –
Thank you Brett for this immediate response.

I examined the mounting bolts through the basement floor and all eight bolts go through the square tubing, so this joey bed must have been custom made to Foretravel measurements. The square tubing is clearly outlined in the fiberglass underbelly.

I found Joey Bed specifications indicating capacities of 500#, 1000#, and 2000#. I would imagine that the Joey Bed in U320's is the 2000# version.

I am very surprised that Foretravel would attach to just the fiberglass skin!
Wyatt
96 U320 40 WTFE, build 4943
84 Toyota Supra towd
2015 Jeep Wrangler towd
Victoria, BC, Canada

Re: Joey Bed Weight Capacity

Reply #4 –
Quote from: P. Wyatt Sabourin –
I am very surprised that Foretravel would attach to just the fiberglass skin!

Yes, but  many Joey Beds were installed by owners not Foretravel. 

I can remember many FMCA Conventions were Joey Bed did lots of aftermarket installations. Were they all done "properly"-- probably not.  Sure worth the 2 minutes to look under the coach to VERIFY, just as you did.

Brett Wolfe
Brett Wolfe
EX: 1993 U240
Moderator, ForeForum 2001-
Moderator Diesel RV Club 2002-
Moderator, FMCA Forum 2009-2020
Chairman FMCA Technical Advisory Committee 2011-2020