RV FEATURE
UNLADEN TOWBALL MASS
The unladen towball mass is the weight supported by the jockey wheel or tow vehicle when the van is at Tare . As you load the van with gear for travel , water , gas , etc ., the towball mass will change .
Some manufacturers also indicate the maximum towball mass , which is the maximum weight the van should impose on the tow vehicle or jockey wheel .
You also need to consider the maximum towball mass rating of the tow vehicle itself . It is up to you to ensure the towball mass of the caravan does not exceed the maximum towball rating of the tow vehicle . Tip : invest in a portable ball weight scale . Since ball weight will change from one trip to another , depending on what you ’ ve packed and where in the van it is loaded , periodically checking the ball weight just makes sense .
PAYLOAD
Determining your van ’ s payload capacity is relatively simple . Simply subtract the Tare mass from the ATM . The resulting figure , in kilograms , is the amount your collective gear , water , gas , etc ., can weigh .
For example , if the ATM is 3500kg and the Tare is 2800kg , the total payload for that van is 700kg . Payload capacity is not determined by subtracting Tare from GTM , as some people believe .
The difficulty starts when determining how to load your trailer in such a way that you do not exceed either the GTM or the maximum towball mass . Fortunately , most modern caravans manufactured by better known brands are computer designed , so that when the van is packed properly , the weight of the load is distributed appropriately .
We highly recommend packing and using a portable ball weight scale .
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