by Chris Dougherty
You just made the deal of your life on a brand new Class A
motorhome, with all the bells and whistles. With beautiful cherry cabinets,
hard surface counters, tile floors, flat screen TVs, and lots of basement
storage, this is the good life, RV style. Only one small problem… This 35-foot
gas coach has a CCC, or Cargo Carrying Capacity of 675 lbs., including
passengers! So, after you, your spouse, and a couple of suitcases, you can't
put any more in without overloading! No food, sheets, toilet paper, leveling
blocks, patio chairs... you get the point… nothing.
This has been a problem in the RV industry for quite awhile.
Back in the '70s, there were coaches that were overweight right from the
factory. Despite the development of higher rated motorhome chassis, some
manufacturers seem to prefer to use the additional capacity to add lots of
bling-blings to make a coach more saleable, instead of useable.
When it comes to weight and carrying capacity, it is the
consumer's responsibility to make sure that the RV is capable of performing as
they wish it to.
There are a few weight-related terms you should be familiar
with. The values for these terms are required to be posted in every RV built
today. These numbers are not usually included in product literature, so it will
be necessary to see the label to see what the numbers for that coach are.
- GVWR – Gross Vehicle Weight Rating – This is the maximum
weight the coach may weigh, including all cargo, supplies, passengers, etc.
- GCWR – Gross Combined Weight Rating – This is the maximum
that the coach plus a towed vehicle (trailer, car, etc) may weigh. Note: This
is NOT the hitch weight rating, which may be more or less!
- UVW – Unloaded Vehicle Weight – This is how much the RV
weighs empty.
- CCC – Cargo Carrying Capacity – This is the amount of weight
the coach may carry. Usually, this includes passengers for the number of seated
(seat belted) passengers, at 150 pounds each, and full water, fuel, and propane
tanks. The CCC is obtained by subtracting the UVW from the GVWR.
These values are posted in the RV, usually in the closet,
the vanity, or a kitchen cabinet. I have seen coaches at shows without these
stickers, which was suggestive of something the manufacturer wanted to hide.
Ask them where the sticker is. . .if they won't say, move on.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration addressed
this issue on its website: "The wise consumer, before purchase, will
determine if the vehicle has sufficient cargo capacity to carry the weight of
water, additional equipment (such as televisions, and microwave ovens), and
luggage. The manufacturer's certification label must show the GVWR. The GVWR
must not be exceeded by overloading the vehicle. There is little the government
can do to assist a consumer who has purchased a vehicle that has insufficient
cargo capacity for its intended use."
Another way to ensure that the RV you are interested in
purchasing has sufficient carrying capacity is to have it weighed before you
purchase it, and do the calculations yourself. The GVWR rating will be on the
chassis certification label at the least. Travel trailers and fifth wheel
trailers will usually have this sticker on the left front. Weigh the RV empty,
and then subtract that number from the GVWR. That's how much weight you can add
to the unit.
IF YOU ALREADY OWN AN RV, you should make sure that it is
within the weight limitations set forth by the manufacturer. Weighing your RV
can be done at many truck stops, moving companies, and so on. If possible, ask
for weights for each wheel position, but usually these scales can only produce
axle weights. This is better than nothing, but it is still possible to be
over-weight on one wheel position.
RVs are more dynamic than any other vehicle on the road when
it comes to weight. When an RV is built, there are loads that are placed in
different positions in the coach, such as appliances, tanks, cabinets, slide
outs, and so on, which can increase the load on one wheel position over another
on the same axle. So, while the RV is within its GVWR, one wheel position may
be overloaded. Remember, that one wheel position being overweight can cause
premature failure of that wheel's components or tire(s). So, again, it's
important to determine the weight on each wheel position. As an example, one of
my motorhomes required that the slide be removed at the factory for repair work
to be carried out. (See the picture). When the slide was removed, the coach
listed to the opposite side! In order to keep the coach sitting level, shims
were inserted in suspension on the side of the slide-out room. While I never
weighed individual wheel positions on that rig, I can pretty much guarantee to
this day that it was heavier on that side than the other. In addition, as the
kitchen was installed in the slide, it added even more weight to that side.
Questions and Answers
Q: Is there any way to increase the GVWR or CCC of my RV?
A: GVWR no. CCC yes. The GVWR is based on the construction
of the RV and each of the components, so it can't be increased, but it CAN be
decreased if replacement parts are not the equivalent of the originals (i.e.
tires). CCC can be increased by removing weight from the coach. For example,
traveling with 1 person and empty tanks will allow you to carry that much more
of something else. If the coach was built with, for example, a refrigerator,
and you remove the refrigerator, its weight can be substituted with something
else. Since the CCC is based on the empty, completed RV, the removal of the
fridge reduces the UVW, thus increasing the CCC.
Q: If I change the tires to a higher rated tire, won't that
increase my CCC?
A: Again, no. The tires are only one piece of the entire
system. Replacing them with higher rated tires will help prevent blow outs as a
result of overloading (provided the proper tire pressures are maintained) but
the rest of the system is still designed for the posted GVWR.
Q: Is there anyone who can make modifications to a coach to
increase it's GVWR and/or CCC?
A: The quick answer would be no, but that's based on the
fact that I know of no one who would take on that liability. To accurately do
so would require in-depth analysis of the structural design of the coach and
its components, and being able to replace or augment those components. While
nothing is truly impossible, is it logical to do it, based on how much it would
cost, let alone, finding someone to do it?
Operating an overweight RV can be dangerous, and can cost
you money in increased maintenance costs. You can help avoid an overweight
condition right up front by finding the CCC, and making sure the RV has enough
capacity for your use.
Chris Dougherty is the
former technical editor of RVtravel.com. He wrote this for our RV Tech Tips
Newsletter. He is now working as an RV technician in western Massachusetts.
