RESPONSIBILITY FOR PROPER LOADING
As the operator of this campervan, you are responsible for its proper and safe loading. This section is intended to provide you with helpful information concerning the loading of your campervan.
Your campervan chassis is designed to carry a specifically rated maximum weight. This weight includes everything: the weight of the campervan itself, all occupants and their belongings, fuel, fresh water, wastewater and anything else that may be in or attached to the campervan. The specified weights must never be exceeded. If you do exceed them, you will change how your campervan handles and responds, possibly leading to a vehicle crash.
DEFINITIONS
Before discussing loading and weighing, we need to explain some common weight terms. We will use abbreviations and you should refer back to these terms if you do not understand what the abbreviation means.
· GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating): The maximum permissible loaded weight a specific axle is designed to carry.
· GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating): The maximum permissible weight of this fully loaded campervan. The GVWR is equal to or greater than the sum of the Factory Weight plus the Occupant and Cargo Carrying Capacity.
· OCCC (Occupant and Cargo Carrying Capacity): The available weight capacity for occupants and cargo.
· UVW (Unloaded Vehicle Weight): The weight of a vehicle with maximum capacity of all fluids necessary for operation of the vehicle, but without cargo, or accessories that are ordinarily removed from the vehicle when they are not in use. UVW does not include occupants and cargo such as water in the various holding tanks.
OCCUPANT AND CARGO CARRYING CAPACITY
The occupants and cargo weight you can place in your campervan is the campervan’s GVWR minus its current weight. If you fill all liquid tanks to capacity, fill all storage compartments and cupboards to maximum volume and fill all available seating positions with passengers, the campervan could be overloaded. Be aware of the weight of the items you store and where you store the items in your campervan.
In addition to knowing the overall weight that can be safely loaded in or attached to the campervan, you must know how to distribute the weight so that correct amounts of weight are distributed between the axles or front-to-rear and also between the wheels or side-to-side. It is also important to place heavier items in the bench storage compartments or low in the campervan. If you make the campervan top heavy or much too heavy on one side, the campervan can be over- turned and crash in a curve or cause the driver to lose control during an emergency steering maneuver. When the load is properly distributed, your campervan will handle and respond safely, and you as the driver can be more confident and will be more comfortable.