Proper RV Load Distribution and Weight Safety

Weight on Data Plate

Actual Weight

Improper weight distribution and heavy items shifting during travel can have an unfavorable effect on the handling, ride quality, and braking of your motorhome. Proper weight distribution is critical when loading the motorhome.

Each manufacturer has taken into consideration the location of appliances, cabinets and additional components for proper weight distribution side to side, as well as front to back. When loading food, clothing, cooking utensils, tools and other items, be sure to distribute heavy items evenly throughout the RV. They should also be placed in such a way that they do not shift during travel.

Understanding Weight Ratings

Many motorhome manufacturers have joined the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association. RVIA has developed a set of standards used on a data plate included on each RV produced by participating manufacturers. In motorhomes, the RVIA data plate is located inside one of the cabinets in the kitchen, bath, or bedroom. On travel trailers and fifth wheels, the data plate is located outside near the front of the unit or, in some cases, in a cabinet door inside the RV. On pickups it is located on the doorpost.

Weight terms and definitions:

Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) is the maximum weight an axle can carry. It is determined by taking the lowest combined value of the axle rating, spring, airbag, suspension and tire rating.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) is the total weight the vehicle has been designed to carry. GVWR is equal to or greater than the sum of the UVW plus the NCC.
Unloaded Vehicle Weight (UVW) is the weight of the motorhome as built at the factory. For motorhomes, that includes full fuel, engine oil and coolants. The UVW does not include cargo, fresh water, LP gas, occupants or dealer-installed accessories.
Net Carrying Capacity (NCC) is the maximum weight of all occupants, personal belongings, food, fresh water, LP gas, tools, dealer-installed accessories, and tongue weight of the towed vehicle that can be carried by the motorhome. (NCC is equal to or less than GVWR minus UVW.) It is beneficial to know the NCC when purchasing a new coach. It tells you how much weight can be added to the coach and still remain within the GVWR on the coach. The term Cargo Carrying Capacity is replacing NCC in new RVs.

Cargo Carrying Capacity (CCC) is a newly adopted term that is comparable to the previously used NCC. CCC is equal to the GVWR minus UVW, the weight of fresh water in the tank and hot water heater, the weight of propane in the tank, and the SCWR. Following is an example of the CCC calculation:

GVWR	22,000 lbs.
Less UVW	- 16,000 lbs.
Less 20 Gallons Fresh Water (20 x 8.3 lbs.)	- 166 lbs.
Less 16 Gallons Propane (16 x 4.5 lbs.)	- 72 lbs.
Less SCWR (4 x 154 lbs.)	- 616 lbs.
Cargo Carrying Capacity (CCC)	5,146 lbs.

Sleeping Capacity Weight Rating (SCWR) is another term recently adopted by RVIA. It's calculated by multiplying 154 pounds by the number of sleeping positions as defined by the RV manufacturer.
Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR) is a term that was developed for the trucking industry. It is the combined weight of the truck and a trailer with brakes. It means that the engine horsepower, the cooling system capability and the transmission and differential have been designed into the vehicle to handle this much weight. It assumes the trailer or thing being towed would have its own braking system. The recreational vehicle industry adapted this term to mean the total weight the vehicle has been designed to handle, including the weight of a tow vehicle or trailer. It does not mean that the braking system has been designed to accommodate that much weight .

Each RV owner is responsible for knowing the loaded weight of his or her vehicle. Use the worksheet below to help you find out if your vehicle weighs what it should according to the data plate found on the wall in the driver's compartment.

Take your RV to a truck stop, where they will weigh it for a nominal fee and provide you with a weight receipt that shows front axle and total vehicle weight. RVers with travel trailers and fifth wheels will receive a weight slip that shows pickup weight and unit weight separately. Weighing your RV at a truck stop is only the first step, however.

When the opportunity arises, you should take it to a professional weighing agency such as A'Weigh We Go-perhaps at an FMCA rally-to determine what your vehicle weighs at each of the corners. You need to determine if your vehicle is overweight on the corners as well as on the axles. Remember that the generator or other heavy items may have an effect on a particular axle.

The actual Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) should be determined with the RV fully loaded, including fuel, propane, water (if you normally carry water when traveling), personal items, and the normal number of people usually carried. The gross weight shouldn't exceed the GVWR placed on the vehicle by the manufacturer.

RV Weight Information Worksheet

Copy the figures from the data plate in your RV in the first column. Then enter the actual weight figures in the second column and compare the two. If the actual GVWR is higher than the label figure, your vehicle is overloaded. If the GCVR is higher than the label figure, the motorhome and car or truck and trailer together weigh more than the vehicle was designed to pull.

Consult your owner's manual for specific weighing instructions and towing guidelines.