VEHICLE LOADING
Your vehicle’s load capacity is designed by weight, not volume, so you
cannot necessarily use all available space with large or heavy loads.
Maximum safe vehicle weights as well as tire, rim sizes and inflation
pressures are specified for your vehicle on the Safety Compliance
Certification Label. A Safety Compliance Certification Label was supplied
by Ford Motor Company to the Motorhome Manufacturer. The
manufacturer uses this information and supplies a Compliance
Certification Label which is located inside the vehicle to the left of the
driver.
Before loading a vehicle, familiarize yourself with the following terms:
•Base Curb Weight: Weight of the vehicle including any standard
equipment, fluids, lubricants, etc. It does not include passengers or
aftermarket equipment.
•Payload: Combined maximum allowable weight of cargo, passengers
and optional equipment. The payload equals the gross vehicle weight
rating minus base curb weight.
•GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight): Base curb weight plus payload
weight. The GVW is not a limit or a specification.
•GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating): Maximum total weight of
the base vehicle, passengers, optional equipment and cargo. The
GVWR is specific to each vehicle and is listed on the Safety
Compliance Label on the driver’s door pillar.
•GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating): Carrying capacity for each axle
system. The GAWR is specific to each vehicle and is listed on the
Safety Compliance Label on the driver’s door pillar.
•GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating): Maximum combined
weight of towing vehicle (including passengers and cargo) and the
trailer. The GCWR indicates the maximum loaded weight that the
vehicle is allowed to tow.
•Maximum Trailer Weight Rating: Maximum weight of a trailer the
vehicle is permitted to tow. The maximum trailer weight rating is
determined by subtracting the vehicle curb weight for each
engine/transmission combination, any required option weight for trailer
towing and the weight of the driver from the GCWR for the towing
vehicle.
Driving
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