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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,
propane, 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�
MOTOR HOME OCCUPANT AND CARGO CARRYING CAPACITY
VIN #################
THE COMBINED WEIGHT OF OCCUPANTS AND CARGO SHOULD NEVER EXCEED
XXX kg or XXX lbs
Safety belt seating capacity: XXX
A full load of water equals XXX kg or XXX lbs of cargo @ 1 kg/L (8.3 lb/gal) and the tongue
weight of a towed trailer counts as cargo
To arrive at "THE COMBINED WEIGHT OF
OCCUPANTS AND CARGO SHOULD NEVER
EXCEED" number, Airstream weighs the vehicle as
finished and adds the weight of full tanks of LP and
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�
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 and water
heater capacities by 1Kg/L or 8�34 lb/gal�
8-2
CAUTION
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;
on page
4-3�
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
For weighing instructions;
Weighing a Touring Coach on page
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.
see Specifications
see Procedure for
8-3. If you
2024 Interstate 19 SE
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