The truck must be weighed with all anticipated
occupants and full of fuel.
Drive onto the scales and note the weight of the total
truck.
Pull forward until the front axle is off the scale and
get the weight on the rear axle.
Subtract the weight on the rear axle from the total
truck weight to get the weight on the front axle.
Weighing Your Camper (Fully Loaded)
With the camper fully loaded with LP and water, (if
you intend to travel with water), pull onto the scales
as before and note the combined weight of the truck
and camper.
Pull forward until the front axle is off the scale and
get the weight on the rear axle.
Subtract the weight on the rear axle from the total
truck and camper weight to arrive at the weight on
the front axle.
Subtract the truck weight from the combined truck
and camper weight for each axle. This amount should
be less than the truck manufacturer’s GAWR, (Gross
Axle Weight Rating). If you are over the GAWR, you
will need to remove or shift weight accordingly.
Once the weight is less than the GAWR, you need to
weigh each individual wheel to ensure your camper is
evenly loaded on each side.
Again, pull on to the scales, but with only the right
front tire on the scales. Pull forward and note the
weight of the right rear tire. Do the same for the left
rear tire. Follow the same procedure for the front tire.
Take the GAWR of the rear axle and divide do the
same for the front. This is the GAWR for each axle
end.
Now subtract the individual wheel weights from the
individual GAWR for each wheel. If the amount is
less, you are within the GAWR for that axle end. If
the amount is more, you are over the GAWR for that
axle end and you will need to adjust how your
camper is loaded to bring the weight down within the
GAWR.
Look in your Yellow Pages under gravel pits, storage
companies or recycling facilities to find certified scales. Call
in advance to determine if they offer public weighing service,
their fees if any, and hours of operation.
NOTE: Cargo can be added to the vehicle up to the maximum
weight specified on the weight label. The combined weight of
the camper and its cargo cannot exceed the stated GVWR.
GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) – the maximum
permissible weight of the fully loaded camper.
GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating) – the allowable weight,
including cargo that can be safely supported by each axle.
UVW (Unloaded Vehicle Weight) – the weight of the camper
as manufactured. If applicable, it also includes full generator
fluids including fuel, engine oil and coolants.
CCC (Cargo Carrying Capacity) – equal to GVWR minus
each of the following:
UVW
Full fresh water (potable water-used for drinking and
cooking) weight, full water heater and full LP gas
weight.
Weight Certification Label
The weight certification label indicates the gross axle weight
(GAWR). This is the most weight the fully loaded camper can
weigh.
Find Center of Gravity for Loading
Truck
manufacturers are also required to provide a ‘center of gravity
zone’ for camper loading. To determine if your truck/camper
combination is within the proper center of gravity limits, allow
these three steps:
Find the center of gravity for your type model.
Determine the recommended center of gravity zone
for your truck, as listed in your truck owner’s
manual. If you cannot find this information, contact
the nearest manufacturer’s representative for your
truck. The zone is normally measured from the rear
or back of the cargo area.
In a properly matched combination of truck and
camper, point ‘B’ (camper center of gravity) will fall
within points ‘C’ and ‘D’, (truck’s center of gravity
zone).
NOTE: Remember that installed options and the storage of
personal items will affect the listed center of gravity. Care
must be taken to properly balance the camper when loading
your personal items.
Camper’s become overloaded when people put too many
things into them. There is no easy way to determine the weight
you’ve loaded, so there’s a temptation to keep loading until
every available space is filled. People are loading by volume,
but weight is far more important. Unfortunately, you may have
exceeded to load-carrying capacity of the tires before
everything is on board. The only way to tell if your
truck/camper is overloaded is to weigh it fully loaded. The
most critical point about weighing a vehicle is that it must be
weighed with everything on board that will be there while
you’re traveling. That means you must weigh the truck/camper
with passengers, supplies, food, water, propane, and the truck
full of fuel. Bear in mind that water weighs 8.3 lbs. per gallon
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