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GCWR: The maximum permissible weight of your
fully loaded vehicle including the weight of any towed
vehicle or trailer.
Determining Weight and Weight Distribution
The total amount of weight carried by your vehicle is
extremely important. It is critical that you weigh your
vehicle prior to taking a trip in order to determine if you
are within the weight limitations of the vehicle’s
suspension. CHECK THE WEIGHT. CHECK THE
TIRE PRESSURE IN RELATIONSHIP TO THE
WEIGHT. See the Federal Sticker for the needed
information (FIG. 1).
FIG. 3) WEIGHING VEHICLE ON SCALES
The Method of Weighing Your Vehicle
There are many locations where you can weigh your
vehicle including grain elevators, scrap iron
businesses, sand and gravel dealers and state and
federal weight stations (usually listed in phone
directory).
NOTE: BE SURE TO WEIGH THE VEHICLE WITH
EVERYTHING IN IT INCLUDING PASSENGERS,
CARGO, FULL LP, GASOLINE AND WATER.
The procedure is as follows (FIG. 3)(unless modified
by the weighmaster):
1. Drive only the front axle of the unit onto the scale.
Have the weight master note this weight.
2. Drive forward and place both front and rear axles
onto the scale. Have the weigh master note this
weight.
3. Drive forward until only the rear axle is on the
scale. Have the weight master note this weight.
NOTE: COMPARE ALL WEIGHTS WITH THOSE
LISTED ON THE FEDERAL ID STICKER.
If any weight exceeds the listed rating, relocate the
passengers and redistribute or remove a portion of the
cargo until the weight is within the proper limit as listed
on the Federal ID Sticker and for which the vehicle has
been engineered.
NOTE: DO NOT FORGET THAT WATER USED
FROM THE FRESH WATER SUPPLY GOES INTO
THE WASTE WATER HOLDING TANK. IF YOU
REFILL THE FRESH WATER TANK PRIOR TO
DUMPING THE WASTE WATER, THE WEIGHT OF
THE VEHICLE IS SUBSTANTIALLY MORE THAN
WHEN YOU WEIGHED IT AT THE START OF YOUR
TRIP.
USEFUL WEIGHTS
Water……………………………8.328 pounds per gallon
Gasoline…………………………..6.0 pounds per gallon
Propane….………………………4.23 pounds per gallon
WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION FORMULAS
Inside Wheelbase: Number of inches behind front
wheel divided by vehicle wheelbase.
Example for a 178 inch wheelbase: A tool chest is
stored 36 inches behind the front wheel. Divided by
the 178 inch wheelbase equals 20 percent of the tool
chest’s weight added to the rear axle and 80 percent to
the front axle.
Outside Wheelbase: Determine the distance the
object is from the nearest axle. Divide by the
wheelbase.
Example: A motorcycle is hung on the rear bumper of
an RV. It is 144 inches behind the rear axle. Divide
the 144 by the vehicle’s 178 inch wheelbase and you
find that the motorcycle equals 80 percent more than
its actual weight….in other words it acts on the vehicle
as though it weighs 180 percent on the rear axle. THE
EXCESS OF 100 PERCENT IS TAKEN OFF THE
FRONT AXLE.
If the motorcycle weighs 300 pounds it acts on the
RV as though it weighs 540 pounds! Two hundred
forty pounds is also taken off the front axle.
Thus, you can see why the addition of any rack to the
vehicle will have an adverse affect on the driving
characteristics.
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