Weighing your RV

Understanding RV weight issues can be confusing.

Understanding RV weight issues can be confusing. I want to assist you in making your RV travel safer by understanding and managing your vehicle weights. Remember, getting to your favorite destination safely is half the fun.

Weighing your RV can be the difference between a safe, enjoyable trip and a costly, disastrous trip. The Recreation Vehicle Safety & Education Foundation (RVSEF) has weighed over 10,000 motorhomes and trailers in conjunction with RV events. The results are a real eye opener. Nearly a quarter of the RVs weighed had loads that exceeded the capacity of the tires on the vehicles. On average, these RVs were overloaded by over 900 pounds based on manufacturer specifications. In a separate survey conducted by Bridgestone/Firestone, 4 out of 5 RVs had at least one under inflated tire, a third of which were dangerously under inflated and at risk of failure. Most of the weight was on the rear. 40% of all rear tires were overloaded. Improper weight distribution resulted in 28% of all motorhomes being out of balance by 400 pounds or more from one axle end to the other.

With multiple slide out rooms, amenities like washers and dryers, holding tank capacities and the ample amount of storage space available on modern RVs it’s easy to see why so many RVs are overloaded. Add this to the fact that many RVs are already close to capacity when they leave the factory and the problem is magnified. The purpose of this section is to improve consumer awareness and safety on a topic that is confusing and many times not even brought up. Overloaded RVs are extremely dangerous. That’s the bottom line!

Our goal with this section is to inform you on how to avoid becoming a statistic in relationship to overloaded RVs. I will walk you through the proper steps to ensure that you don’t exceed any of the manufacturers’ weight ratings. Always keep in mind that weighing your RV is a snapshot in time. Weights can and do change according to how you load and distribute the weight in your RV and based on many other factors. You should get in the practice of weighing your RV periodically to stay within all weight ratings. Whenever an overload condition exists resolve the problem before using your RV.

How to Weigh Your RV:

The first step is to find scales where you can weigh your RV. This shouldn’t be a problem; you can look in the Yellow Pages under moving and storage companies, gravel pits and commercial truck stops. There are several different kinds of scales. What is important is to find scales where you can weigh individual wheel positions in addition to the overall weight, and the axle weights. Remember, we said earlier it is quite possible to weigh an axle and be within the Gross Axle Weight Rating, but you can exceed the tire rating on one axle end or the other. Call the number where the scales are located and ask them if it is possible to weigh your RV in these configurations.

The next step is to weigh everything! The day you head to the scales have the RV fully loaded for travel. If you tow a vehicle or trailer behind the motorhome take the loaded vehicle with you. If you are weighing a travel trailer or 5th wheel, have the trailer and the tow vehicle loaded as if you were leaving on a camping trip. Be sure to include all passengers, cargo, food, clothing, fuel, water, and propane.

The actual process of weighing your RV is not that difficult. It may take a little time at the scales, but it is well worth it knowing that you’re traveling safely within all of the manufacturer’s weight ratings. Follow the steps in the enclosed charts that pertain to your configuration and fill in the blanks.

Note: To download a free printable copy of a detailed PDF guide, with worksheets to take along, on how to weigh your travel trailer or motorhome go to.....

Caution: If any overload condition exists it must be resolved immediately.

In some cases it might be possible to redistribute the weight and then weigh it again. If the overload condition still exists you will need to remove some weight from the RV.

Copyright 2007 Mark Polk of RV Education 101