Important information regarding vehicle weights
Owning a motorhome gives you the fantastic opportunity to take the road any time. When choosing your motorhome, besides considering the right layout and an appealing design, you should also consider the factors that influence how you can use your motorhome, among which weight plays an essential role. In particular, you should therefore ensure that your motorhome has sufficient pay mass to allow you to take friends, family, optional equipment, accessories and extras according to your individual needs and to enjoy your journey safely.
Hereafter we give you some important information to help you understand
- why motorhome weight matters,
- how to factor weight into your motorhome purchase decision and
- how you can enjoy your motorhome while keeping its weight under the legal limits when driving.
Please bear in mind: The technical data relating to the type approval of the vehicle corresponding to the commercial models is provided for guidance only, as this data will vary depending on the variant and version of the model you choose, as well as the optional equipment or additional equipment you wish to fit to your motorhome.
Our network of authorised dealers and importers has the required expertise to advise you on your choices based on how you intend to use your vehicle. If in doubt, they are in direct contact with the manufacturer’s technical departments.
Important: The actual available pay-mass of your vehicle will depend directly on the intended use and the weight of the planned load, including the actual number of passengers – adults or children. For your safety, this weight must be distributed in accordance with your vehicle’s layout and must never exceed the technically permissible maximum laden mass for which the type approval was granted (further detailed information is provided below).
1. The technically permissible maximum laden mass (M)
It is the maximum authorised laden weight of the motorhome specified by the manufacturer. You will find this information in the technical data (e.g. 3 500 kg, 4 250 kg, 4 400 kg …). This maximum authorised laden weight shall not be exceeded when driving on the road. Failure to do so may result in fines in many European countries, including Germany. As the driver, you are responsible for ensuring compliance with the technically permissible maximum laden mass. We therefore recommend that you check your vehicle before departing and, in case of doubt, to weigh your motorhome at a facility offering the necessary weighing equipment.
2. The mass in running order
The mass in running order is determined as follows:
- the unladen weight of the vehicle including the bodywork and the operating fluids such as lubricants, oils, coolants and exhaust fluid;
- the standard equipment: all equipment items included as standard in the factory-installed scope of layout of the vehicle;
- the fresh water tank filled to 100% in driving mode as specified by the manufacturer (namely 10l or 20l);
- an aluminium gas bottle weighing 6 kg to 20 kg;
- the weight of the fuel tank and the fuel within filled to 90 % of its capacity;
- the statutory weight of the driver set at 75 kg.
Information regarding the mass in running order as set in the type approval procedure can be found in the technical data. It is important to note that this mass in running order may vary during the manufacturing process by -/+ 5%, i.e. by the maximum statutory tolerance in production. As these variations affect the remaining pay-mass of the individual vehicle, the occurrence of legally permissible variations must be taken into account at the stage of configuring and selecting packages and optional extras.
We constantly check the manufacturing process in order to restrain any deviation in production which may derive from variations in weight of supplied parts or the effect of weather conditions (e.g. humidity level). Nevertheless, deviation in production cannot be totally eliminated. Therefore, the actual weight in running order of each manufactured motorhome is checked at the end of the production line.
3. The mass of the passengers
The number of belt-restrained seats in driving mode (including the driver) is determined by the manufacturer in the type-approval procedure. Each passenger is statutorily assigned a weight of 75 kg. When calculating the mass of the passengers, the driver’s mass is not taken into account, as it is already included in the mass in running order of the motorhome.
Example: for a motorhome with four approved belt-restrained seats (including the driver) in driving mode, the mass of the passengers amounts to 3*75 kg = 225 kg.
Please note that selecting certain packages and optional equipment may reduce the number of belt-restrained seats or may require the vehicle’s load capacity to be increased (if possible).
4. Optional equipment
For regulatory purposes, optional equipment refers to any optional feature not included in the standard factory-installed basic equipment of the motorhome which, when ordered by the customer, is installed by the manufacturer (e.g. solar panel, awning, oven, satellite system…).
Information regarding the weight of such optional equipment offered for sale by the manufacturer is displayed in the technical data.
This optional equipment does not include any additional fittings (accessories) that are either offered for sale by your dealer or that you fit to the vehicle yourself. Please note that the weight of these additional fittings reduces the remaining pay-mass. (see point 6. below).
5. Actual mass of the vehicle
The actual mass of the vehicle does not stand for the actual weighed mass of the motorhome.
The actual mass of the motorhome statutorily means the mass in running order plus the mass of the optional equipment ordered by the customer and fitted to the motorhome under the responsibility of the manufacturer.
Please note that the actual mass of the motorhome stated under entry 13.2 of the certificate of conformity (CoC) is a nominal value issued from the data of the type-approval record of the motorhome.
The weighed actual mass of the motorhome may vary according to the possible variation of the mass in running order during the manufacturing process (see point 2. above).
6. Pay-mass and minimum pay-mass
The pay-mass refers to the maximum load that a vehicle can carry. It is calculated by subtracting
- the mass in running order,
- the mass of the passengers and
- the mass of packages (optional equipment) and special equipment (other additional fittings) – see point 4 above –
from the technically permissible maximum laden mass.
When defining the construction features of a motorhome, the manufacturer must distribute the technically permissible maximum laden mass on the axles of the vehicle. In this regard, for motorhomes, a statutory minimum pay-mass (PM) must be distributed and is determined as follows:
PM in kg ≥ 10 (n + L)
Where:
“n” is the maximum number of passengers plus the driver
and
“L” is the overall length of the vehicle in metres.
Example: For a motorhome of 7 m with 4 approved seats in driving mode (i.e.3 passengers plus the driver), the minimum pay-mass amounts to 10kg* (4+7) = 110 kg.
Therefore, when selecting optional equipment, attention shall be paid in order to ensure that the combination of the mass in running order plus the mass of the passengers and the mass of the optional equipment does:
- neither exceed the technically permissible maximum laden mass (M),
- nor fall below the minimum pay-mass (PM).
Example: For a vehicle with 7 m length with 4 approved seats in driving mode (i.e. 3 passengers plus the driver), a technically permissible maximum laden mass of 3 500 kg and a mass of the packages and special equipment of 100 kg:
(a) the minimum pay-mass amounts to 110 kg (10kg* (4+7)),
(b) the remaining pay-mass with no deviation in production of the mass in running order is:
| 3 500 kg | technically permissible maximum laden mass |
| - 2 910 kg | mass in running order |
| - 225 kg (3*75 kg) | mass of the passengers |
| - 100 kg | mass of the packages and special equipment |
| = 265 kg | remaining pay-mass |
(c) the remaining pay-mass with a deviation in production of the mass in running order of + 3 % is:
| 3 500 kg | technically permissible maximum laden mass |
| - 2 997,3 kg | mass in running order (with a production-related deviation of + 3 % in line with the statutory tolerance of -/+ 5 %) |
| - 225 kg (3*75 kg) | mass of the passengers |
| - 100 kg | mass of the packages and special equipment |
| = 177,7 kg | remaining pay-mass |
7. Conclusion
Managing motorhome weights is an exercise of trade-offs.
The combination of optional equipment that can be ordered by the customer for each variant model of motorhome can be theoretically estimated as follows based on the nominal values of the type-approval record:
Example: For a vehicle with 7 m length with 4 approved seats in driving mode (i.e. 3 passengers plus the driver) and a technically permissible maximum laden mass of 3 500 kg:
| 3 500 kg | technically permissible maximum laden mass |
| - 2 900 kg | mass in running order |
| - 3*75 kg (225 kg) | mass of the passengers |
| - 110 kg | minimum pay-mass |
| = 265 kg | maximum permissible mass of the optional equipment |
Finally, please note that when selecting optional equipment, you must bear in mind that the mass in running order may vary by -/+ 5 % during the manufacturing process. Such a variation has a corresponding, inverse effect on the pay-mass, and therefore may reduce the possible maximum permissible mass of the optional equipment.
The weight of a manufactured motorhome can only be actually determined by weighing it at the end of the production line. In exceptional cases, such weighing may reveal that due to the variation in production of the mass in running order within the legally permissible variation of -/+ 5%, the actual pay-mass is less than the minimum pay-mass. In such a case, before the delivery of your motorhome, the manufacturer will check with you and your dealer whether to upgrade the technically permissible maximum laden mass of your vehicle or to reduce the number of approved seats in driving mode (provided that the type-approval allows such a change and that you are entitled to drive such a heavy vehicle), or to remove optional equipment.
Armed with all this information on motorhome weight and pay-mass issues, you are ready to configurate your motorhome with the necessary assistance of your dealer and safely set off on your next motorhome journey.
Nota: Weight specifications and tests for motorhomes are regulated by EU Implementing Regulation No. 2021/535 since June 2022 and, before that, by EU Implementing Regulation No. 1230/2012.