Jayco Alante 2023 Loading Your Motor Home User Manual
Loading Your Motor Home
Warning
- Never load the motor home in excess of the GVWR or the GAWR for either axle. Overloading your motor home may result in adverse handling characteristics and damage to the chassis.
- DO NOT EXCEED YOUR GVWR! This means you should weigh your vehicle as loaded for your normal travel to determine the actual weight. If you exceed the GVWR, you MUST remove items from the motor home, or drain liquids, then re-weigh the vehicle to ensure you have achieved a safe weight.
- The actual weight of the vehicle, passengers, all options, liquids, the hitch weight of your towed vehicle, and your personal cargo is important for you to know so you do not exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of the motor home. The volume of space available for storage may exceed the amount of available cargo capacity. Large storage compartments have been designed to accommodate normal camping items, which are bulky, but not necessarily heavy.
Store and secure all loose items inside the motor home before traveling. Overlooked items can become dangerous projectiles during a sudden stop.
Distribute cargo side-to-side so the weight on each tire does not exceed one-half of the GAWR for the either axle. Make sure any tie-down straps (if so equipped) on appliances or furniture are secure. Load heavy objects on the floor, or as low as possible.
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Warning
- Your recreation vehicle’s load capacity is designated by weight, not by volume, so you cannot necessarily use all available space when loading the vehicle. Do not exceed your GVWR and ensure you are loading the vehicle as evenly as you can for the best possible handling. Ensure heavy items are secured so they do not shift during travel.
- Store items in areas designated for storage. Do not store anything in the areas reserved for the converter, electrical panels, furnace or water heater, etc.
- For traveling safety, it is important to make sure the tie-down straps are secured on all appliances such as the toaster, coffee maker, etc. Vibration during travel will move the appliances, creating the potential for them to fall out of their cabinets possibly causing injury.
Trailer Plug
If you choose to tow behind your RV, a chassis manufacturer-supplied trailer plug (located at the hitch) is pre-wired into your motor home. Before hitching up to a trailer, please read Using the Rear Hitch, vehicle weight ratings, etc. Your motor home will have a 7-way trailer receptacle. The wiring to operate your towed vehicle brakes must be the same size in both the towed vehicle and the motor home.
The connector plug may build up corrosion with extended use. It should be cleaned periodically to insure good electrical contact. Make sure the connector plug is kept clean and protected from road elements as you travel.
NOTE: a 12V circuit tester is recommended to verify trailer connections.
Weighing Your Motor Home
When your motor home is loaded you should have it weighed. The actual weight of the motor home, passengers, all options, liquids, the hitch weight of your towed vehicle and your personal cargo is important for you to know so you do not exceed the GVWR. There are two important factors when loading your motor home, total weight and balance. It is imperative that you verify compliance within all applicable weight ratings. Overloading your motor home will void the Limited Warranty and the warranties of many component part manufacturers. Periodically weigh your motor home at a public scale to determine proper load distribution. To obtain the side-to-side weights, there needs to be enough space on either side of the scale to accommodate the motor home being partially off the scale.
Different types or scales may require different procedures when weighing the motor home. The motor home must remain as level as possible on the scale (even if an axle is not physically on the scale). To obtain the side-to-side weights, make sure there is enough space on either side of the scale to accommodate the motor home being partially off the scale. If a boat, trailer or other vehicle is being towed, it should be weighed separately. Combine this weight with the motor home’s Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) to ensure the total combined weight does not exceed the GCWR. Once actual weights are obtained, compare them to the Weight Information Label weight ratings to ensure you are below the posted minimum ratings. If there is a difference in the weights on one side of the vehicle as compared to weights on the other side, components (tires, wheels, brakes, springs, etc.) on the heavier side may be overloaded, although the total axle load is within the GAWR.
Caution
It is important to redistribute the load to avoid component failure as well as to improve the handling characteristics of the vehicle.
Warning
Dump the gray and black water holding tanks before traveling to avoid carrying unnecessary weight. Full tanks can affect your fuel consumption, and de-pending on tank location can affect your vehicle handling characteristics. If you cannot immediately empty your holding tanks, reduce your vehicle speed until you reach a dumping station.
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Reference Links
View Full User Guide: Jayco Alante 2023 User Manual
Download Manuals: https://www.jayco.com/manuals
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