IMPORTANT LEGAL AND TECHNICAL INFORMATION

1. Technically permissible gross weight

The technically permissible gross weight describes the layout-based maximum permissible weight specified by the manufacturer that your motorhome is allowed to weigh when loaded (e.g. 3,500 kg, 4,500 kg). This is entered in Part I of the registration certificate. You can find information about the technically permissible gross weight for each layout in the technical data which is shown in our sales documents (e.g. in the price lists).

The technically permissible gross weight of the vehicle (e.g. 3,500 kg) must not be exceeded under any circumstances while driving. If the vehicle exceeds the technically permissible gross weight while driving, this constitutes an administrative offence which may be punishable with a fine. We therefore urgently advise you to check this before each journey and ensure that you and your vehicle do not exceed the technically permissible gross weight (e.g. 3,500 kg).

2. Weight in driveable condition

The weight in driveable condition corresponds to the (unladen) weight of the vehicle with standard factory equipment (including lubricants, tools, tyre repair kit and a fuel tank that is 90% full) plus a statutory flat-rate weight of 75 kg for the driver.

The weight in driveable condition essentially includes the following items: 

• the unladen weight of the vehicle including the body and filling with operating materials such as lubricating grease, oils and coolants; 
• the standard equipment, i.e. all equipment items which are included as standard in the  vehicle,
• a fresh water tank that is 100% full when driving (filling when driving in accordance with the manufacturer‘s specifications. You will find the manufacturer‘s information about filling in the vehicle in the sales documents (e.g. in the price lists). This is 20 l or 50 l depending on the model series) and an aluminium gas bottle that is 100% full, weighing 16 kg;
• a fuel tank that is 90% full;
• the driver, whose weight is set at a flat rate of 75 kg, regardless of the driver‘s actual weight. 

The weight in driveable condition is therefore the basic configuration of the vehicle model you have selected with standard equipment plus a statutory flat-rate weight of 75 kg for the driver. This changes after selecting additional equipment (equipment packages, special equipment, options).

You will find information about the weight in driveable condition for each layout in our sales documents (e.g. in the price lists).

It is important that the value given in our sales documents for the weight in driveable condition is a standard value which is determined during the type approval procedure and checked by the authorities. It is legally permissible and possible for the weight in driveable condition of the vehicle which is delivered to you to differ from the nominal value specified in the sales documents due to production-related tolerances. The legal tolerance is ± 5%. The EU legislator has taken into account the fact that there are certain fluctuations in the weight in driveable condition due to fluctuations in the weight of the supplied parts as well as process and weather-related factors. Please take this into consideration when you are selecting and configuring your motorhome.

Example calculation illustrating these (permissible) production-related weight deviations:

Weight in driveable condition according to sales documents: 2,900 kg

Legal tolerance of ± 5%: 145 kg

Legally permissible range of weight in driveable condition: 2,755 to 3,045 kg

The specific range of permissible weight deviations for the weight in driveable condition for each layout can be found in the technical data shown in our sales documents. As a manufacturer, we endeavour to restrict weight fluctuations to the minimum that is unavoidable in terms of production technology. Deviations above and below within the legally permissible tolerance range therefore only occur very rarely. However, in spite of constant technical optimization of the production process, these cannot be completely avoided.

In order to ensure that all of the vehicles which are actually delivered comply with the legally permissible tolerance, the actual weight of the vehicle and compliance with the permissible tolerance of ± 5% is checked by us as the manufacturer by weighing the vehicle upon completion in the production area at the end of the production line. Your dealer will inform you of the actual weight of your vehicle that was measured at the end of the production line. This gives you full transparency about any weight discrepancies that may be present in your vehicle.

 

3. Number of maximum permitted seats / weight of passengers

The maximum number of permitted seats while driving is determined by us as the manufacturer during the type approval procedure. The weight of the passengers results from the maximum number of permitted seats. The weight of the passengers is a flat rate of 75 kg for each approved seat which we as the manufacturer have provided for the vehicle, regardless of what the passengers actually weigh. This is also a legally prescribed calculation. Since the weight of the driver is already included in the weight in driveable condition, i.e. 75 kg (see section 2.), this is not taken into consideration in the weight of the passengers. In a  motorhome with four approved seats, the weight of the passengers is 3x75 kg = 225 kg.

The specification of the maximum number of permitted seats in the sales documents refers to the respective vehicle weight in the standard condition without additional equipment (see section 4 for additional equipment) and reflects the maximum possible number of people who can be seated whilst driving. 

However, the number of seats depends on the weight and the axle load. It can therefore be reduced by installing additional equipment (e.g. by selecting equipment packages, special equipment and options) or, depending on the model, it can only be achieved by increasing the permissible gross weight and/or by omitting additional equipment.
 

4. Actual weight and additional equipment

The weight in driveable condition (see section 2.) and the weight of the factory-installed additional equipment (equipment packages, special equipment, options) in a specific vehicle are collectively referred to as the actual weight of the vehicle. 

You can find information about the actual weight of your vehicle after it has been handed over in section 13.2 of the Certificate of Conformity (CoC), which will be given to you by your dealer when the handover takes place.

Please note that the actual weight specified in the Certi-ficate of Conformity (CoC) is also a standardised value. Since there is a legally permissible tolerance of ± 5% for the weight in driveable condition – as an element of the actual weight (see section 2.), the actual weight can deviate accordingly from the specified nominal value accordingly.

According to the legal definition, the so-called additional equipment includes all optional equipment parts that are not included in the standard equipment and is fitted to the vehicle by the the manufacturer (i.e. ex works) and can be ordered by the customer (e.g. awning, bicycle or motorcycle rack, satellite system, solar system, oven etc.). Information about the individual or package weights of the equipment packages, special equipment and options which can be ordered can be found in our sales documents. Other accessories that are retrofitted after delivery of the vehicle from the factory by the dealer or by you personally are not included in the special equipment in this sense.
 

5. Manufacturer’s specified maximum weight for additional equipment and payload

Since the installation of additional equipment is also subject to legal and technical limits, we determine the value of the maximum weight for additional equipment for each layout and vehicle which can be fitted to the vehicle in addition to the standard equipment (e.g. by selecting equipment packages and/or special equipment). This value must not be exceeded when you are selecting and configuring your vehicle.

You will find information about the manufacturer‘s specified maximum weight for additional equpment in our sales documents (e.g. in the price lists).

The maximum weight for additional equipment specified by the manufacturer is intended to ensure that the legally prescribed so-called minimum payload is also actually available for additional loading after the vehicle has been delivered by the manufacturer. This means that only so much additional equipment can be ordered and installed at the factory that there is still sufficient free weight for luggage and other accessories (the so-called payload) without exceeding the technically permissible gross weight.

The payload is calculated by deducting the weight in drive-able condition (nominal value in accordance with the sales documents, see section 2.), the weight of the passengers (see section 3.) and the manufacturer-defined maximum weight for additional equipment from the technically permissible gross weight (see section 1.).

For motorhomes, the European legislation prescribes a fixed minimum payload, which must remain for luggage or other accessories which are not installed in the factory. This minimum payload is calculated as follows:

Minimum payload in kg ≥ 10 * (n + L),
Whereby the following applies: “n” = maximum number of passengers plus the driver and “L”= total length of vehicle in metres (including decimal places).
For motorhome with a length of 7 m and 4 approved seats (including the driver), the minimum payload is 10 kg * (4 + 7) = 110 kg, for example.

When you are configuring your motorhome, please note that the payload must not fall below the minimum.

To ensure that the minimum payload is adhered to, there is a maximum combination of additional equipment which can be ordered for each vehicle model. In the above-mentioned example with a minimum payload of 110 kg, the gross weight of the additional equipment for a vehicle with four approved seats (including the driver) and a weight in driveable condition of 2,900 kg should be a maximum of 265 kg:

3,500 kg Technically permissible gross weight
- 2,900 kg Weight in driveable condition
- 3*75kg Weight of passengers
- 110 kg Minimum payload
= 265kg Additional equipment

Please note that this calculation is based on the standard value for the weight in driveable condition that is specified during the type approval procedure, without taking into the permissible weight deviations for the weight in driveable condition (see section 2.). If the maximum permitted value for the additional equipment of 265 kg (as per the example) has almost or completely been used up, an upwards deviation in the weight in driveable condition may mean that the minimum payload of 110 kg is mathematically maintained using the standard value of the weight in driveable condition, but in actual fact there is no appropriate possibility of having a payload.

Here is also an example calculation for a vehicle with four approved seats whose actual weight in driveable condition is 1% above the nominal value:

3,500 kg Technically permissible gross weight
- 2,929 kg Actual weight in driveable condition of the vehicle (+ 1% on comparison to compared to the 2,900 kg specified in the sales documents)
- 3*75kg Weight of passengers
- 265 kg Weight of additional equipment
= 81kg Actual payload (< minimum payload of 110 kg); in this example, the minimum payload is therefore undershot by 29 kg

In order to avoid such a reduction of the minimum payload, the weight of the additional equipment which can be ordered is reduced by the manufacturer on the basis of the layout. Limiting the amount of additional equipment is intended to ensure that the minimum payload, i.e. the legally prescribed free weight for luggage and other accessories, is also actually available for the payload in the vehicles which are delivered by the manufacturer.

Since the actual weight of the specific vehicle is only determined when it is weighed at the end of the production line, it cannot be completely ruled out that in rare exceptional cases situations can arise whereby the minimum payload at the end of the production line is not guaranteed, despite this limitation of the additional equipment. In order to ensure the minimum payload in these cases as well, before delivery of the vehicle, the manufacturer will check with you and your dealer whether, for example, the vehicle weight is increased, the permissible number of seats will be reduced or additional equipment will be removed to reduce the weight so that you receive a vehicle which provides you with the legal minimum payload. The weights for additional equipment installed in the factory can be found in our sales documents (e.g. in the price lists).

The additional weight of additional equipment (all equipment items not included in the standard scope) increases the actual weight of the vehicle (= weight in driveable condition plus the selected additional equipment) and reduces the payload. The specified value shows the additional weight compared to the standard equipment of the respective layout. The gross weight of the selected additional equipment (equipment packages, special equipment and options) must not exceed the maximum weight for additional equipment specified by the manufacturer.

 

6. The effects of weight in driveable condition tolerances on the payload

Regardless of the minimum payload, you should also note that unavoidable production-related fluctuations in the weight in driveable condition have an effect on the remaining payload:

If you order our example vehicle (see section 5.) with additional equipment with a gross weight of 150 kg, the calculated payload is 225 kg based on the default value for the weight in driveable condition. Due to the tolerances, the payload that is actually available may deviate from this value and may be higher or lower. If the weight in driveable condition of your vehicle is about 1% higher than the weight specified in the sales documents, the possible payload is reduced from 225 kg to 196 kg:
 

3,500 kg Technically permissible gross weight
- 2,929 kg Actual weight in driveable condition of the vehicle (+ 1% on comparison to compared to the 2,900 kg specified in the sales documents)
- 3*75kg Weight of passengers
- 150 kg Additional equipment ordered for the specifically configured vehicle
= 196 kg Actual payload

In order to be sure that the calculated payload is actually available, you should take the possible and permissible tolerances for the weight in driveable condition into consideration when you are selecting and configuring your vehicle. We also strongly recommend weighing the loaded motorhome on a weighbridge before every journey and, taking the individual weight of the passengers into consideration, determine whether the technically permissible gross weight and the technically permissible gross weight on the axles are complied with.