Whilst it is tempting to take as many things on holiday in your motorhome as possible you need to be conscious that you are only allowed to carry a certain weight. In fact, if you do overload your motorhome you are breaking the law and could face prosecution.

Can you imagine being pulled over by say the police and have to remove some of the items in your motorhome whilst parked up at the roadside. It would probably completely ruin your much-needed holiday.

It is also worth noting that you could damage your leisure vehicle such as the suspension system. The tyres could get worn a lot quicker than you would normally expect to happen. It could also increase the braking distance putting you and others at risk of being involved in a road traffic accident. Your motorhome could become unstable and your steering could be impacted.

You should also be aware that if you overload your motorhome your motorhome insurance may not be valid and the insurance company could refuse to meet a claim. You would have paid all those motorhome insurance premiums for nothing.

To calculate your payload that is the weight of the items you can carry in your motorhome you will need to know what the vehicle’s Maximum Technically Permissible Laden Mass (MTPLM). This is the maximum weight your motorhome must be when it is fully loaded. You will also need to know what the Mass In Running Order (MRO) is which is the weight of the motorhome including vital fluids, a full tank of fuel and normal equipment. This information can be found on the vehicle’s Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) plate on the motorhome. You then need to take the MRO away from the MTPLM and that is the payload.

You can weigh your motorhome at a public weighbridge when it is fully loaded to make sure that you have not overloaded the vehicle. If you have then you will need to remove items to bring it within the correct payload before leaving the weighbridge.

As you can see it is important that you do not exceed the vehicle’s payload. Be selective about what you decide to bring on holiday with you. Yes, you may wish to carry a few bottles of mineral water with you but realistically you will no doubt be able to top up your supply whilst on holiday. Do you really need to stock up with 8 tins of beans when a couple will suffice? Don’t overload your crockery cupboards with half a dozen dinner plates when 4 may do and why not bring plastic ones rather than pot ones.

Whilst writing, if your existing motorhome insurance is coming up for renewal in the not too distant future or you are buying your first motorhome, why not get in touch with us to obtain a competitive motorhome insurance quotation without any obligation. We provide access to a panel of specialist insurers.