Loading; Loading; Weighing; Vehicle And Trailer Weights And Ratings Definitions - Airstream 2023 INTERSTATE 24X Owner's Manual

Driving

Loading

One of the most critical aspects of safely operating
a touring coach is knowing the weight involved and
where it is placed. The first thing to determine is how
much cargo is being loaded and confirming that it
is within the capacity of the equipment being used�
Determining WHERE that load is placed is critical to
the way your rig will handle on the road�
Do not try to guess what your touring coach weighs
loaded� Load your touring coach including water, etc
and take it to a public scale� Weigh each axle of your
vehicle� Refer to your axle weight and tire limits to see
if you are within a safe range� Total all axle weights and
make sure you are below the GVWR� If you are not
overloaded, make sure your load is balanced� Do not
load too much on one side� A balanced load is much
easier to tow or drive�
Front to back balance is also important� Step back and
look at your touring coach� Make sure there is not too
much weight in the front or on the rear of the touring
coach� Be sure to secure all items� Loose items can
cause damage and can be a safety issue�
The Cargo Carrying capacity tag shown below is
installed on every touring coach and can be found on
the inside of the door on your vehicle�
To arrive at "THE COMBINED WEIGHT OF
OCCUPANTS AND CARGO SHOULD NEVER
EXCEED" number, Airstream weighs the vehicle
as finished and adds the chassis fuel. That number
is subtracted from the GVWR of the touring coach
and listed on the tag, The total weight of any and all
cargo, including but not limited to dealer or customer
modifications or additions, fluids (fresh water and
holding tanks), food, clothes, tools, tongue weight of a
towed trailer or vehicle, and passengers should never
exceed the number listed while the touring coach is in
transit�
8-2
The "SAFETY BELT SEATING CAPACITY" is the
number of passengers that seat belts are provided for�
The "A FULL LOAD OF WATER EQUALS" number is
arrived at by multiplying the fresh water tank capacity
by 1Kg/L or 8�34 lb/gal�
When loading the vehicle it is important to keep
the GVWR, GAWR, Tire Weight Ratings (listed on
the vehicle tire Information placard), and the cargo
and occupant capacity in mind and not to exceed
these specifications. Your safety depends on not
overloading the touring coach, axles, and tires� See the
specification section for the weight rating list of these
items�

Weighing

To determine the actual weight of your vehicle with
personal cargo and water, it must be weighed on
scales as you plan to travel� The most common scales
are those used by states to weigh trucks along the
highway� In rural areas, grain elevators, cement outlets
and gravel pits are a good source�
NOTE
Weighing instructions for this touring coach are
explained on the next page. If you have trouble
locating scales, a call to your State Highway Patrol
will usually find them cooperative in assisting you.

Vehicle and Trailer Weights and Ratings Definitions

Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) is the maximum
permissible weight of the touring coach�
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) comprises weight
of vehicle including tools, installed accessories,
passengers, cargo, and trailer tongue weight� It must
never exceed the GVWR�
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) is the maximum
permissible axle weight�
Gross Trailer Weight (GTW) is the maximum
permissible trailer weight to be towed�
Trailer Tongue Weight Rating (TWR) is the maximum
permissible weight of the trailer tongue� This counts as
cargo when loading a touring coach�
NOTE
Check the Sprinter manual for all weights and the
tire information placard location.
2023 Interstate 24X