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What Is GVWR? Why Does It
Matter To You?
How does your cargo carrying capacity figure into the GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) calculations?
We have all seen a motorhome lugging itself up a hill doing about 20 to 25 mph. If may even be lower on one side or the other. This is probably due to an overloading condition. They have surpassed their cargo carrying capacity.
This is easy to do, and I'm thinking that we have all done it at one time or another. We may not have abused our motorhome in such a way, but I'll bet in the past, when we were in our formative years, we probably overloaded a pickup truck or even an automobile when moving to a new house or an apartment. It is easy to do. We just don't think about it.
Well, then was then, and now is now. If you have a motorhome, you probably have a significant amount of money tied up into it.
That being the case, it makes sense to not abuse the it. And, if you overload your rig, you are abusing your rig. To keep matters under control, a simple understanding of a few definitions will go a long way to keeping you out of trouble.
If we understand that the GVWR is the maximum weight we can put on our motorhome chassis, then how do we determine the maximum weight limit of our personal stuff... the CCC (cargo carrying capacity) of our motorhome before we exceed this gross weight number?
- It is really pretty simple. You are able to determine your cargo carrying capacity by adding:
- the UVW (Unloaded Vehicle Weight),
- the weight of a full fresh water tank,
- the water heater,
- a full LP gas tank, and
- the SCWR (Sleeping Capacity Weight Restriction).
- Then subtract the above total from your GVWR number.
In the above formula, the UVW is the definition that may not be simple to calculate:
- A full description of the UVW would be:
- The WEIGHT of a vehicle as built at the factory with full fuel, engine (generator) oil and coolants. It does not include cargo, fresh water, LP gas, occupants, or dealer installed accessories.
It is the dealer installed accessories that will add an unknown amount of weight that can hurt you.
- Instead of attempting to list and weigh these things, you should simply fill up the:
- fresh water,
- LP gas, and
- fuel tank, just like you would if you were going on a trip.
- Then weigh the rig to see just what your total weight would be.
If you were to do this, it would be a simple matter of subtracting this figure from the GVWR. You would then, in reality, have determined your true cargo capacity number.
From now on, all you would have to do is keep track of the amount of weight you store on the unit and keep your cargo carrying capacity under the GVWR.
The Four Winds 5000 Has A Good Amount Of Basement Storage!
Here are some rating (limits) and definitions that are established by the manufacturer, which are not to be exceeded.
- Ratings are based on
- structural strength
- drive train strength
- braking power
- stability
- controllability
- performance
Exceeding a rating invites unsafe conditions, potential damage, may void a warranty, may complicate an insurance claim, and in some cases, may violate a law.
- Ratings Definitions:
- GVWR:
- Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
- GAWR:
- GCWR:
- Gross Combination Weight Rating
- GTWR:
- Gross Trailer Weight Rating
- UVW:
- Unloaded Vehicle Weight (1996 RVIA Definition)
- NCC:
- SCWR:
- Sleeping Capacity Weight Rating
- CCC:
- LIQUID WEIGHTS (pounds per gallon)
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