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disposable cargo load. Water however is a cargo weight to be
disposed. Remember water weighs 8 pounds per gallon. Reducing
water quantity allows more cargo pounds. Understanding this
flexibility will allow you, the owner, to make choices that fit your
travel and camping needs.
When loading your cargo, be sure it is distributed evenly to prevent
overloading front to back and side to side. Heavy items should be
placed low and as close to the axle positions as reasonable. Too
many items on one side may overload a tire. The best way to know
the actual weight of the vehicle is to weigh it at a public scale. Talk
to your RV dealer to discuss the weighing methods needed to
capture the various weights related to the RV. This would include
weights for the following: axles, wheels, hitch or pin (in the case of a
trailer) and total weight.
How Overloading Affects Your RV and Tires
The results of overloading can have serious consequences for
passenger safety. Too much weight on your vehicle’s suspension
system can cause spring, shock absorber, or brake failure, handling
or steering problems, irregular tire wear, tire failure or other
damage.
An overloaded vehicle is hard to drive and hard to stop. In cases of
serious overloading, brakes can fail completely, particularly on
steep hills. The load a tire will carry safely is a combination of the
size of tire, its load range, and corresponding inflation pressure.
It is the air pressure that enables a tire to support the load, so
proper inflation is critical. Since RVs can be configured and loaded
in many ways, air pressures must be determined from actual loads
(determined by weighing) and taken from the load and inflation
tables provided by the tire manufacturer. These air pressures may
differ from those found on the certification label. However, they
should never exceed the tire limitation for load or air pressure. If
you discover that your tires cannot support the actual weights, the
load will need to be lightened.
Note: Tires are warranted by the manufacturer of their
respective brand and are to be serviced and warranted by a service
center. Contact your dealer for information on service centers for
tires.
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