Weight & Capacity

GVWR, payload, axle ratings, and remaining capacity budget for the conversion build-out.

Specs

• GVWR: [VERIFY] — read door-jamb sticker (driver-side frame rail). E350 2014 shuttle cutaway spec range: 10,050–12,500 lb gvwr typical; shuttle bodies with equipment often pushed to 10,000–12,000. Source: Ford E-Series chassis spec sheets 2012–2024 (cited in ARCHITECTURE.md). For SRW config: 10,050 lb; for DRW config: 11,500–12,500 lb. [CROSS-REF: destinations/event-gear/PITFALLS.md references 2022 E-Series Cutaway specs: E-350 SRW GVWR 10,050 lb, curb ~5,010].
• Curb weight: [VERIFY] — CAT scale with empty bus. Estimated ~8,500–9,500 lb for a 22–24 ft shuttle conversion depending on interior build. ARCHITECTURE.md notes: shuttle-bus body eats 3,000–5,000 lb of chassis payload; real remaining payload likely ~4,000–6,000 lb — but this file is currently empty, so treat all numbers as estimates until weighed.
• Payload capacity: [VERIFY] — GVWR − actual weighed curb weight. Door-jamb sticker shows rating; real remaining payload = (GVWR) − (weighed empty bus). Gear research Phase 0 (destinations/event-gear/SUMMARY.md §Roadmap) gates the e-trike purchase (~170–220 lb rack+trike) on this number — nothing expensive should be bought before payload is real.
• Front axle rating: [VERIFY] — door-jamb sticker GAWR-F. E350 SRW typical front GAWR ~3,600–4,500 lb; must be confirmed on this chassis. [CROSS-REF: weight-capacity.md notes E350 DRW typical front GAWR ~3,600–4,500 lb, but PITFALLS.md references SRW config.]
• Rear axle rating: [VERIFY] — door-jamb sticker GAWR-R. E350 SRW typical rear GAWR ~5,000–6,000 lb; E-450 up to ~8,500–9,600 lb. Trike on hitch = all weight on rear axle — re-weigh with trike loaded per ARCHITECTURE.md. Trailer case (2026-09): trike + DF1100T gen move onto a trailer — only tongue (~160–255 lb) hits the bus; rear-GAWR impact drops accordingly. [CROSS-REF: weight-capacity.md notes E350 DRW typical rear GAWR ~5,000–6,000 lb, but PITFALLS.md references SRW config with GAWR ~5,000–6,000 lb.]
• Drivetrain: 2WD
• Transmission: Automatic, 5-Spd w/Overdrive & TorqShift

Current Load

• Water (gal): [VERIFY] — how many gallons in fresh-water tank? ~100 lb/100 gal. If bus has built-in tank, weigh it full.
• Fuel: [VERIFY] — fuel weight drives curb weight. E350 shuttle tank ~35–50 gal; gasoline ~6 lb/gal. At ¾ tank that’s ~150–225 lb of fuel load. Weigh at typical cruise fuel level, not empty.
• Cargo: [VERIFY] — sum of all fixed/semi-fixed gear. Water (if tank) + propane (20 lb cylinder ≈ 20 lb full + tank) + batteries (house bank 14.4 kWh LFP ≈ 100–130 lb; see power-supply.md) + TV/mount (~8 lb) + tool chest + misc. Use the spreadsheet columns here after a CAT scale weigh.
• Passengers: [VERIFY] — 1 adult + 1 dog. Dog ~50–90 lb per travel plan (1 medium dog). Add for any co-traveler.

Planned Build-Out Weight (estimate — from insulation/AC research 2026-09)

| Item | Est. weight | Source/notes | |——|————-|————–| | 80/20 extrusion frame (80–120 ft) | ~65–200 lb | 1515 ≈ 0.76 lb/ft; 2020 ≈ 1.08 lb/ft; 4040 ≈ 1.7 lb/ft (see insulation-frame.md) | | Insulation (polyiso 2” or ccSPF 2”, walls+roof+floor ~500–600 sq ft) | ~100–270 lb | Polyiso 2” ≈ 0.25–0.33 lb/sq-ft; ccSPF 2” ≈ 0.33 lb/sq-ft | | Interior skin (1/4” plywood / MG) | ~100–200 lb | Plywood 1/4” ≈ 0.6 lb/sq-ft | | Window inserts + film + curtains | ~30–70 lb | Insulated polyiso inserts per window | | AC (Midea 12K U-shape) + panel + bracket | ~70–90 lb | 57 lb unit + 80/20 panel + support | | Build-out total (est.) | ~350–550 lb | Against est. 4,000–6,000 lb remaining payload — fine, but re-weigh at CAT scale before committing (see Notes below) |

• [RE-VERIFY] after build-out: re-weigh loaded (water, fuel, passengers, dogs) and confirm GAWR compliance — the build-out + gear stack (e-trike etc.) stack on the same unverified payload estimate.

Tongue Weight / Hitch:

• Receiver exists — CONFIRMED by owner (2026-09). [VERIFY] — read the rating/class stamp on the receiver (Class III = 2,000–5,000 lb tow / 200–500 lb tongue; Class IV = up to 10,000 lb / 1,000 lb tongue) + measure actual.
• Two use cases:
  1. Hitch rack (trike only): gear research (ARCHITECTURE.md §Storage) requires a 2” Class III/IV receiver rated ≥250 lb tongue for the e-trike hitch rack. Confirm (a) class/rating, (b) actual tongue weight with trike loaded (~115–245 lb rack+trike). Antenna/receiver lock + anti-tilt bracket per ARCHITECTURE.md §Security; 2nd hitch bolt for washboard vibration.
  2. Pull-behind trailer (2026-09 recommended — trike + DF1100T gen): enclosed 5×8 single axle, ~1,600 lb gross loaded → tongue ~160–255 lb (10–15%). Needs receiver rated ≥ that (Class III/IV). [VERIFY] 7-pin brake/wiring harness (trailer at this weight is 4-pin/no-brakes in most states, but a 7-pin future-proofs; confirm local law), VIN tow rating for this config (~7,000–7,400 lb on 5.4L V8 E350; possibly derated on cutaway w/ shuttle body), and door-jamb GCWR. Trailer itself needs registration + insurance + home storage when not traveling (ARCHITECTURE.md §Storage).

Notes

• This file is currently empty of measured data. All chassis numbers above are sourced from Ford E-Series spec sheets and the event-gear research (ARCHITECTURE.md, SUMMARY.md Phase 0) — they are estimates, not bus-specific facts.
• Phase 0 verification (gates the e-trike + generator + trailer purchases — do before buying anything heavy):
  1. Read door-jamb sticker — GVWR, GAWR-F, GAWR-R, GCWR/tow rating.
  2. CAT scale weigh (empty bus, typical fuel/water) — actual curb weight.
  3. Re-weigh with trike (trailer or rack) loaded — rear GAWR compliance.
  4. Read hitch class/rating stamp (receiver existence CONFIRMED 2026-09) — must be ≥ expected tongue (≥250 lb rack case; ≥~255 lb trailer case). Confirm 7-pin/wiring.
• Why this matters: gear research (ARCHITECTURE.md §Weight vs E350 payload) estimates ~230–360 lb added by the full gear stack (trike 80–150 + rack 32–95 + TV/mount ~8 + bins/packs ~60 + misc ~50) against an estimated 4,000–6,000 lb remaining payload — ~5–8%, likely fine, BUT unverified. Bus may already be near limits with water/tools/passenger gear. Re-weigh before buying.
• Dog weight counts in payload — two medium dogs add 50–90 lb; factor into current-load tally.
• Water is the usual hidden load — if there’s a built-in fresh tank, a full tank is ~8 lb/gal (actually ~8.34 lb/gal fresh; ~6 lb/gal for gasoline). A 50-gal tank full = ~417 lb of water — easy to forget.

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