Towing
Whenever you are determining the tow capacity of a vehicle make sure you know what the rear axle ratio is. It is quite possible to have the same type and size of vehicle with the same engine and the tow ratings vary by several thousand pounds. The axle ratio is a comparison of how many times the drive shaft rotates, versus the rear wheels. A 4.10:1 axle ratio means the drive shaft or pinion gear rotates 4.1 times for each rotation of the rear axle or ring gear. The higher the numeric value the better the vehicle will tow. Some people have a misperception that a vehicle with 4-WD will have a higher tow rating than an identical vehicle that is two-wheel drive. In reality the 2-WD vehicle will have the higher tow rating. The reason for this is the transfer case in the four-wheel drive vehicle adds additional weight to the vehicle, usually close to 500 pounds, which lowers the tow rating by that same amount. Keep in mind that any weight you add to the tow vehicle takes that same amount of weight away from the vehicles tow rating and Gross Combined Weight Rating.

Deep Cycle Battery
RVs come equipped with deep cycle batteries for the coach’s 12-volt DC electrical system. House or coach batteries need to be true deep cycle batteries that are designed to provide a steady amount of current over a long period of time. Starting batteries and marine batteries should not be used in this application. True deep cycle batteries have much thicker plates and are designed to be deeply discharged and recharged over and over again. Many RVs use a single deep cycle battery. Deep cycle batteries are rated in amp hours. How many amps the battery can deliver for how many hours before the battery is discharged. If you enjoy dry camping, without utility hook-ups, you depend on your deep cycle battery(s) to take care of your 12-volt needs. You can purchase a deep cycle battery with a higher amp hour capacity that will last longer. The higher the amp hour capacity is the larger and heavier the battery is. If you have room for a larger battery and enjoy dry camping you may want to upgrade your deep cycle battery to one with a higher amp hour rating. If your RV is equipped with a marine RV battery you may want to upgrade to a true deep cycle battery.

Water Pressure Regulator
Water pressure at campgrounds can be extremely high and can cause damage to your RV plumbing system. Always use a water pressure regulator when you hook-up to the campground water supply. Always connect the water pressure regulator directly to the campground water source. This way you regulate the water pressure where the water pressure originates. It’s also a good idea to turn the water supply off if you’re going to be away from the campground for extended periods of time.

Water Filters
You never know the condition or quality of potable water at different campgrounds. Always use a water filtration system to filter the drinking water in your RV, or take bottled water with you for drinking water.

Pet Safety
Take updated photos of your pets with you on camping trips. If they should get lost you can use the pictures to assist in finding them.

Safe Drinking Hose
Always use a non-toxic, white RV drinking hose for your potable water connection at the campground. Take a black or green garden hose along for all other purposes such as cleaning the RV or flushing out holding tanks. You will always be able to distinguish the difference by the color of the hose.

Pre-Trip Checks
Before leaving on a trip always check the license plate and inspection/emission sticker on the RV to make sure they are current or won’t expire while you are away. Always make sure your RV insurance is current.

Simple Test for Water Leaks
A quick and easy way to test your RV plumbing system for leaks is to turn the 12-volt water pump on when there is water in the fresh water holding tank. Once it pressurizes the system and shuts off it should not come back on until you open a water faucet. If the pump does come on sporadically, even for short periods of time, water is leaking somewhere.

Trip Routing
Print a detailed map and routes of your entire trip from an Internet trip planning service. It is a free service and it is a great help in tracking distance, routes, and exits that you need to be watching for especially in congested areas. A GPS system helps too.

Proper Tire Inflation
Always check and add air to the tires when they are cold, before traveling. When tires get hot the air expands and you get a higher-pressure reading. If you let some air out they will be under inflated when they are cold.

Awning Protection
Awning tie downs help to protect your patio awning, but you should never leave your awning out during bad weather, or when you’re not physically at the campsite. Wind and rain can damage your RV awning very quickly and it can be expensive to repair.

Wiper Blade Maintenance
Check the condition of your windshield wiper blades before you leave on a trip. This is one of those things we don’t think about until the next time we need them. Periodically clean the wiper blades with windshield washer fluid.

Happy Camping!

Mark J. Polk

Copyright 2008 by Mark J. Polk owner of RV Education 101

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Travel trailers, fifth wheels, RVs – call them what you will but for those of us that love to live in them they are home. And one likes to surround oneself with the amenities of modern living whether the home is mobile or not. Some place the priority of mobile living on escape – going to the country, finding the quiet and relaxing. Others want to embrace the RV lifestyle while remaining connected to current events and their favorite television programs. Still others, especially those with children, find that it is important to bring along with their home TV, music, Internet and video games. The priorities of entertainment vary and are as numerous as the models and options of travel vehicles.

These days technology is certainly on our side. The entertainment system options in RVs have changed dramatically in the last few years. Television screens alone have made an amazing difference to the necessary efficiency of travel trailers and RVs. Where before a small, relatively speaking, 19″ screen required a much bigger devotion of space than do the massive screens of today. Doing away with the tube was perhaps one of the biggest advances in RV entertainment technology. In addition to efficiency of space these flat screen TVs add the possibility of multiple televisions. This is especially helpful for a family traveling with kids.

Often new RVs and travel trailers come equipped with entertainment systems. When shopping for a new vehicle it is important to understand what is included with the quote. Often one sees a show model which is outfitted with the fullest package while the quoted price does not include the full entertainment system displayed. While entertainment system upgrades are generally available make sure that the hike in cost is realistic when compared to the actual cost of the additional components. This is an important consideration when one considers that electronics stores often offer great deals on the various components of an entertainment system. However, the additional cost can be worth it for a vehicle that is fully equipped and ready to roll on day one. A professional or factory installed entertainment system can save a lot of space and do away with the eyesore and hassle of the cables and connecting hardware of additional equipment.

If one already owns a travel trailer or RV and is looking to upgrade the entertainment system it is important to consider such things as size, storage and compatibility. Certain questions should be answered. Can this component be hooked up with minimum hassle such as pulling out existing components to get at the plugs in the back? When not in use can it be stored while respecting the efficiency of space? Can it be plugged into and powered by the existing power sources of the RV?

The options for entertainment on the road are vast and today’s technology makes them incredibly flexible. Finding the right options for you and your travel companions is important. Take the time to make the right choice.

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Trailer sway is a condition that is inherent in most towed trailers. When a trailer is hitched with a tow vehicle with a hitch ball it might sway when the trailer is acted upon by some outside force. This push or pull can be applied by gusting winds, passing trucks, uneven loads or tow vehicle driver reactions into the trailer.

High winds from unsatisfactory weather can induce trailer sway. A wind gust that buffets the side of the towed trailer will attempt to sway the trailer on the hitch ball. This results in the rear of the tow vehicle being pushed to the side when the sway force acts on the hitch ball. When the rear of the tow vehicle is forced to the side the driver might have a natural inclination to steer in a counter direction. This might be disastrous.

Another type of wind that can apply a sway force to the trailer is from a passing truck. Semi trucks push a bow wave of air that passes along the side of the trailer. The unstable pressures of this air will suck the trailer in the direction of the truck. This might evoke a driver reaction that may start the trailer to vacillate.

A uneven load in the trailer might also evoke trailer sway. If a load suddenly shifts or falls to the side during travel that force could allow the trailer to begin to sway.

Whenever any of these conditions occur it is essential that you do not answer in a fashion that will start the trailer to oscillate behind you. It is also imperative that you do not apply the brakes on the tow vehicle because that could evoke a jackknife.

If trailer sway begins there are very clear actions to take to minimize it. The first thing to do is accelerate lightly. This may seem counter intuitive to what you would do but it will make the trailer start to straighten out. The next step is to manually implement the electric trailer brakes. This will also straighten the trailer back behind the tow vehicle.

Trailer sway might be controlled with excellent equipment. The first type of equipment that most people are sold can only be marginally acceptable to control trailer sway. These are usually friction based hitches that will only operate only during light trailer movement. The best performing type of sway control comes through a pivot point projection style hitch. This excellent design will eliminate trailer sway through projecting the location of the pivot point of the trailer. A pivot point projection hitch can control your trailer sway.

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I don’t believe there is an RV-related subject that causes more arguments than RV weight, unless maybe it’s the argument over trailer vs. 5th wheel vs. motor coach. Between the cryptic way that RV weights are reported by the manufacturers, the lack of clear standards by the DOT and the often deliberate misinformation spread by RV dealers; RV weights are confusing at best. We recently purchased a new RV – a process that finally prompted me to attempt to fully understand this subject. The following is what I learned, and in my humble opinion, an authoritative explanation of what the truth really is.

Let’s start with the 2 stickers that are required by law on every RV sold in America. The RV manufacturer is required to include a Weight Sticker on the RV that details all the important weight ratings and maximums. This sticker is usually located on the inside of one of the kitchen cabinet doors. The other sticker required by law is a tire capacities sticker. This is usually outside the RV, somewhere near the hitch on towable RV’s. It can be on the inside door frame, near the engine compartment or on the inside of the service door for motor coaches. In addition to these 2 stickers on the RV, you’ll also need the ratings from your tow vehicle if working with a towable.

The Weight Stickers

The RV’s weight sticker displays all of the most important weights as they apply for your RV. The information on this sticker has changes over the years, but it should contain at least some combination of the following:

• GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating). The maximum gross weight that the axles will carry. This is independent of the weight rating of the tires.
• GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating). The maximum weight that the axles and/or the tires will carry. It is the lesser of the axle carrying capacity or the tire carrying capacity
• UVW (Unloaded Vehicle Weight). The total weight of an RV as it was delivered to the dealer. It does not include any dealer installed accessories.
• NCC (Net Carrying Capacity). This is the actual amount of cargo allowed. It is in simplest terms, GVWR – UVW = NCC. This is sometimes listed as CCC (Cargo Carrying Capacity).
• GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating). This is the maximum weight of this RV plus any towed vehicle combined. This is listed on the RV for motor coaches, but not towables. For towables you can get this rating from the sticker on your tow vehicle.
• Hitch Weight. The maximum weight the hitch can support. In the case of a towable this is the maximum weight the RV’s hitch can support and has nothing to do with the hitch rating of the tow vehicle. In the case of a motor coach this is the hitch rating of the hitch used for towing a chase vehicle.
• GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight). See GVWR
• CCC (Cargo Carrying Capacity). See NCC
• Gross Dry Weight. See UVW
• Dry Axle Weight. The weight of the trailer when the RV is on the hitch. This can be calculated as UVW – Hitch Weight = Dry Axle Weight.

All of these may not be on your sticker since some only apply to certain RV classifications. In addition, there may be other weights listed. In addition to the RV’s sticker, you’ll need to understand the weight rating of your tires. For towables you’ll also need to get the ratings from your tow vehicle. This sticker is usually found on the door frame of the driver door, or can be located in your owner’s manual. It contains many of the same ratings as they apply to the tow vehicle only. 

By this point I was already beginning to feel the effects of information overload. Did I really need to fully understand all of these numbers as well as the mathematics involved? Was it possible to reduce this down to a manageable level and make intelligent, informed decisions? I finally worked it out to a few basic formulas that allowed me to fully comprehend all the important information. With that in hand, we were able to make an informed purchase for our new RV.

Gross Weights

Let’s start with the gross weights since these are ratings that are difficult to modify. It’s easy to adjust the amount of cargo you’re carrying, or reduce the amount of fresh water in the tank. The gross weights are fixed however, and short of making major modifications to the RV, are absolute barriers.

In our case we had already decided on a large travel trailer for our new RV. I don’t intend this article to be a debate in the age-old travel trailer vs. 5th wheel vs. coach argument. Suffice it to say we have very good reasons for choosing a travel trailer over the other classifications. With this is mind, let’s look at the all-important gross weights.

The most important weight to us were the:

• GVWR of the trailer, the
• GAWR of the trailer, the
• Hitch Weight of the trailer, the
• Hitch Rating of the tow vehicle, the
• Load Ratings of all our tires and the
• GCWR of the entire rig as noted on our tow vehicle’s sticker.

These are the ratings we couldn’t exceed regardless of how we configured the RV or what we carried as cargo. There are very good engineering and legal reasons for not exceeding these ratings, no matter how you slice them. In my opinion, these are the most important ratings to consider when buying a new RV, regardless of what the RV dealer may try to convince you of. 

The Dealer Dilemma

In our search we ran across both honest dealers and those that were not so honest about RV weight ratings. The majority of the time however, the dealers were neither. They simply didn’t understand these weight ratings and were either misinformed or had no clue how to truly help. Of the dealers that either weren’t properly knowledgeable or those that were downright dishonest, most tried to convince us that the only weight that mattered was the UVW and whether or not that was at or below our tow vehicle’s max towing capacity. In addition, I don’t know how many dealers tried to convince us that these weight ratings have a little “fudge factor” engineered into them.

One of the smartest things we did was speak to our attorney before making a purchase. He informed us that exceeding any of the weight ratings of the RV or the tow vehicle was nothing more than a negligence lawsuit waiting to happen. If it’s proven that you exceeded the manufacturer’s ratings in any way, it can easily be argued that constitutes negligence on your part in the event of an accident. That can lead to problems ranging from very large settlement amounts to even the possibility of your insurance company refusing to pay the claim due to the negligence on your part. Simply put, don’t exceed these weights under any circumstances.

The best way to look at it is to take each and every maximum rating and make sure you are under every one of them. Especially after you are loaded, fueled and ready to get on the road. Often, the only way to do this is to load up your rig and head for the nearest truck stop with a scale. Weighing your rig and understanding the weights you get are key to a safe outcome.

Weighing Your Rig

Weighing your rig is easy and costs very little compared to the alternatives. Load your rig with everything your think is necessary, fill it with fuel and drive to your nearest truck stop with a scale. In order to get enough information to calculate all the primary weights, you’ll need to get to weighings.

First, weigh the entire rig as being towed, or in the case of a coach with chase car attached. Just make sure both your TV (Tow Vehicle) axles and the TT (Travel Trailer/5th Wheel) axle(s) are on 3 separate weighing pads. That will give you weights for your steer axle, your drive axle and your TT or chase car axle(s). Next, take the TT or chase car and “drop” it in the parking area so you can come back and weigh just the TV or coach; again making sure the steer axle and drive axle are on different pads to get 2 separate weights. From these 2 weighings you can calculate all the weights you need.

GCVW (Gross Combined Vehicle Weight) is the total weight of the first weighing. It is important that you do not exceed your TV’s rating or your coach rating on this. If you do, you could be find yourself facing that law suit for negligence I mentioned earlier, not to mention that fact that it’s unsafe. You coach or TV are only engineered to handle that much weight and you could face brake failure, tire failure of other issues if this weight is exceeded.

TV GVW (Tow Vehicle’s Gross Vehicle Weight) is the total of the second weighing. Like the GCVW, it is important to not exceed your TV or coach’s max rating.

Axle weights. Each of your TV’s axles have a max rating, as does your TT. From the individual weights of the axles in both weighings you can tell if you’re exceeding any of the max ratings for your axles. Pay particular attention to your TV’s drive axle from the first weighing. It will be heavier than it is in the second weighing because of the tongue weight of the TT or chase car.

TT GVW (Trailer’s Gross Vehicle Weight). For this one you need to do a bit of math, but it’s not difficult.

TT GVW = GCVW – TV GVW

Both your TT and your hitch have a max rating for this. This weight must not exceed either the GVWR of the TT as found on the sticker, or the Max Towing Capacity of your TV. Hitches also have 2 max ratings, one for the max towing weight (this weight) and one for the weight of the trailer tongue.

Tongue Weight. For this one you need to do a bit of math as well:

Tongue Weight = GCVW – TV GVW – TT Axle Weight

This needs to be within the max tongue weight rating of your particular hitch.

Tires

One last thing … your tires on both your TV and TT. Many people overlook their tire load rating. The load rating is found on the tires sticker and written on the side of your tires and should not be exceeded. Personally, I want plenty of safety margin here. If you run your tires very close to their max load rating it will wear the tires prematurely. More importantly, if you experience a blowout of 1 tire on a tandem axle, the other tires are now carrying considerably more weight than they are rated to carry; especially the ones on the same side as the blow out. It is possible to damage multiple tires in a situation like this before you can even get the rig stopped.

Conclusion

If you pay the most attention to your gross weight ratings, the rest of the capacities seem to take care of themselves. Not that the others aren’t important, it just seemed easier for me to deal with the gross ratings and let the other level out as needed. Since we’re full-timers that travel a lot, I weigh often. It will surprise you how much “cargo” you accumulate as time goes by.

It’s easy to weigh at commercial truck stops and the cost is usually reasonable. Most truck stops will only charge you full price for the first weighing, then a small additional price for the second weighing. The last time I weighed at a CAT scale at a Love’s truck stop, they charges me $7.00 for the initial weighing and only $1.00 for the second one. A small price to pay for peace of mind.

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