18
THESE ITEMS MUST BE SUBTRACTED FROM THE
TOTAL OF THE CARGO CARRYING CAPACITY.
Notice: If your RV is equipped with holding
tanks, empty the holding tanks before filling
fresh water tank otherwise you will limit cargo
capacity.
LOADING TIPS
After you have determined how much weight
you can safely carry and selected those items to
make up that weight, make a list and keep it for
future reference. Load the RV and distribute
the load so that you get proper weight on the
axle(s). Do not load upper cabinets with heavy
items. Secure and brace items so they won’t
move during travel, thereby shifting the load in
the RV. Do not load heavy items near either
end of the RV. Adjust cargo storage to keep the
side to side wheel loads as equal as possible. If
your RV has holding tanks, carry only as much
water as needed for travel use or to balance the
load. Always empty your waste water and
sewage holding tanks before traveling.
WARNING: DO NOT INSTALL ANY TYPE OF
WEIGHT CARRYING RACK OR FRAME TO THE RV.
DAMAGE TO THE RV AND UNSTABLE HANDLING
CHARACTERISTICS MAY RESULT.
WARNING: EXCEEDING THE GAWR, GVWR OR
GCWR OF YOUR RV CAN CAUSE UNDESIREABLE
HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS AND MAHY
CREATE A SAFETY HAZARD. MODIFICATION OF
YOUR VEHICLE BY ADDITION OF RACKS NOT
SPECIFIED BY THE MANUFACTURER TO CARRY
ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT OR VEHICLE IS NOT
RECOMMENDED, MAY CREATE A SAFETY
HAZARD AND MAY VOID YOUR WARRANTY.
Make a loading diagram of your properly loaded
RV. It will help you locate where specific items
are stored, and will help speed the loading
process. Store emergency items in a readily
accessible location. Include tools, first-aid kit,
rain gear, flashlight, highway warning devices
and an electric cord or light.
The difference between the empty weight and
the weight of the RV in traveling configuration is
your usable load. If the loaded weight of your
RV exceeds the GVWR or the weight on any axle
exceeds that axle's GAWR, the RV is overloaded
and you’ll have to remove items to bring the
weight down to or below the GVWR and GAWR.
All items must be considered for their weight
and stored according to how heavy they are.
Heavy items should be placed close to the floor
and in the center of the vehicle. Luggage and
similar cargo carried inside the RV must be
secure to prevent possible damage in the case
of a sudden stop or an accident.
MANUFACTURER’S LABELS
Your vehicle is equipped with several federally
required labels pertaining to the vehicle’s
weight, load capacity and operating limitations.
On the outside of the veh
icle on the driver’s
side is the
sticker that lists the manufacturer’s
serial number, the axle(s) GROSS AXLE WEIGHT
RATING (GAWR), the vehicle’s GROSS VEHICLE
WEIGHT RATING (GVWR), tire and wheel rim
sizes, tire operating pressure, and the VEHICLE
IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (VIN). (FIG 1)
FIG 1
FEDERAL WEIGHT DEFINITIONS
GAWR: The allowable weight, INCLUDING
CARGO AND PASSENGERS, which can be SAFELY
supported by a specified axle.
