How to load your recreational vehicle correctly
Safety for you and other road users – that’s what correct loading is all about. Of course, driving comfort, fuel consumption and technical limits also play a role. But ultimately, these are secondary to the main topic: road safety.
The most important points at a glance
- Weight and weight distribution are the crucial factors for safe driving
- Tips for correct loading and reducing weight
- Key terms explained – from axle load to permissible gross weight
Why correct loading is important
The key factors for correct loading are total weight and weight distribution. Both too much and too little weight can have a negative impact on handling. If both factors are correctly coordinated, you have loaded your vehicle properly. But how do you do this – and what can happen if you don’t?
Key factors for panel vans and motorhomes
Small and large recreational vehicles usually offer lots of storage space at the rear – whether under the beds in a panel van or in the rear garage of a motorhome. At the same time, the payload is limited, especially for models with a maximum permissible gross weight of 3.5 tonnes. The combination of potential overloading and concentrated weight at the rear presents an increased risk if you are careless when loading.
Key considerations for caravans
There is another factor to consider for caravans: the risk of snaking or swaying while driving, which can even lead to overturning. If the trailer is overloaded, underloaded or incorrectly loaded, this can cause driving problems even at moderate speeds. In addition to loading, you should pay attention to a moderate driving speed, be aware of wind on bridges or in gusty conditions, and select an appropriate speed for bends and winding roads. Technical features such as a stabiliser coupling provide support for comfortable, safe driving. If you do find yourself in an emergency situation: immediately reduce your speed and do not perform an emergency stop!
How to load correctly: our top 7 tips
Correct loading means not overloading, not underloading, and choosing a sensible distribution of weight:
- Stick to the specified weight limits.
- Store heavy items in the recreational vehicle as low as possible and close to the axles.
- Keep medium-weight items such as shoes, kitchen appliances or food supplies in the lower storage compartments or under-cupboards.
- Store light objects such as clothing and lightweight camping crockery in the upper cupboards.
- Secure your load so that nothing can fly around the vehicle during sudden braking, turning it into a dangerous projectile – all loose items should be placed in lockable compartments and/or strapped down.
- Pets travelling with you must be secured during the journey, just like vehicle occupants. By law, dogs and cats are classed as load in a car. Use suitable transport boxes, dog carriers (with secure footing) or secure them using a harness and seatbelt.
- For safety, weigh the fully loaded recreational vehicle before setting off.
Weighing your recreational vehicle: here’s how
If you want to weigh your camper, you have several options. If you do not have your own set of scales, you can enquire externally, for example at the ADAC, TÜV, haulage companies or waste disposal sites, to see whether you may drive your camper onto their scales.
Specialist camping retailers also sell small portable scales which can be placed under the wheels or used to measure the nose weight. Caravan owners can weigh more conveniently with the AL-KO VT jockey wheel with load indicator, which features an integrated weighing function. You can find it in our webshop.
What to do if you are overloaded?
How to reduce weight
No matter how you check the weight of your recreational vehicle – if it turns out that the permissible gross weight is exceeded, there is only one solution: reduce your load. Otherwise, you may find that you have to dispose of your equipment in containers provided at the roadside, as continuing your journey may be prohibited if you have overloaded your vehicle.
Effective ways to reduce weight include:
- Do not travel with a full water tank – empty both the fresh water and waste water and fill up on site whenever possible.
- Use aluminium gas bottles – they are more than half as light as steel bottles when empty.
- Pack kitchen equipment and crockery made from lightweight materials.
- Select clothing and shoes carefully and avoid overpacking spare items.
- Where possible, leave luxury goods at home, such as a food processor, extra camping chairs, heavy barbecues or too many books.
- Cosmetic items like shower gel, shampoo, body lotion & co. also add to the weight.
Penalties for poor load securing and overloading
The German Road Traffic Act (StVO) prescribes a fine as a sanction for overloading, as well as penalty points in the register of traffic offenders in Flensburg. Penalties are staggered depending on how much the permissible weight is exceeded. In Germany, there is a tolerance of 2% for vehicles over 7.5 tonnes and 5% for vehicles up to 7.5 tonnes. Other countries may not allow any tolerance and often have stricter rules. You will find the details in our article Fines for overloading.
You may also be fined if items are not properly secured: there are distinctions between inadequate securing of the load to prevent it from falling off, endangerment, and property damage. Fines range from 35 to 75 euros plus one penalty point.
Axle load, gross weight, payload & more
We explain the key terms relating to correct loading and safe travel – including where to find this information in the German vehicle documents.
Unladen weight
- Entry in the vehicle registration certificate (Teil 1) under item G
The unladen weight (empty weight) of a recreational vehicle is the mass that a motorhome or caravan has in a roadworthy state. This includes the factory-installed additional equipment, a fuel tank filled to 90%, a full gas bottle plus full freshwater and toilet flush tanks. You should take this definition with a pinch of salt, as what the manufacturer includes in this figure often varies. Some even include a driver’s weight of 75 kilograms. So: it’s best to weigh the vehicle yourself and calculate the payload from this starting value.
Permissible gross weight (GVW)
- Entry in the vehicle registration certificate (Teil 1) under item F.1
The permissible gross weight of a panel van, motorhome or caravan is the maximum permitted mass (GVW). This is the maximum allowed weight including all items and equipment, permitted for use on public roads. The maximum weight of a car-caravan combination is the sum of the max. permissible gross weight of the towing vehicle + GVW of the caravan = gross train weight.
Payload and up-rating
The payload is the difference between the permissible gross weight of the recreational vehicle and its unladen weight.
- Example: Payload = 3,500 kg (GVW) - 3,000 kg (unladen weight) = 500 kg
If you find that the payload for your caravan is not sufficient, you may want to consider up-rating. Up-rating your caravan increases the permissible gross weight, meaning you can carry more equipment or add accessories. Everything you need to know about up-rating your caravan, including a checklist for your initial enquiry, can be found on our website.
Axle load
- Entry in the vehicle registration certificate (Teil 1) under number 8
The axle load indicates how much weight the axle/axles carry and pass on to the road. This applies equally to panel vans, motorhomes, caravans and towing vehicles.
Tyre load index
- Information can be read in the code on the sidewall of the tyre (also includes tyre size, width, rim diameter and speed code)
The load index (LI, also called load-bearing capacity) indicates the maximum permissible load for a tyre. Each LI value corresponds to a specific load capacity at an inflation pressure of 2.5 bar. For safe driving, the load-bearing capacity must not be exceeded. You should also keep an eye on the age of your tyres.
- Example: If you see 225/65 R16 91 CP 109 Q on the tyre, the 109 is your individual tyre’s load index. This means the tyre can carry up to 1,030 kg. You can find tables explaining LI on the internet.
Nose weight
- Entry in the vehicle registration certificate (Teil 1), item 13
This figure refers to the towing vehicle of a car-caravan combination and describes the weight with which the caravan’s drawbar presses down on the coupling head of the towing vehicle’s towbar. You can measure the nose weight using a nose weight gauge or a built-in scale in the jockey wheel. It can also be calculated with the following formula:
- Nose weight = (Maximum nose weight towing vehicle × drawbar length) / distance from axle centre to jockey wheel centre
Towing capacity
- Entry in the vehicle registration certificate (Teil 1), item O
Towing capacity (also called towing load or trailer load) refers to the towing vehicle and specifies how heavy a trailer it is allowed to pull. This depends on the model and the towing equipment, and is typically between 1,500 and 4,500 kilograms for large off-road vehicles.
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