Motorhome and campervan weighing
Know how much payload is really left after the fitout.
A campervan or motorhome can use a significant portion of its available payload before passengers, food, water and personal belongings are even loaded.
PROWEIGHED provides detailed vehicle assessments covering total vehicle mass, front and rear axle loads, individual wheel loads, weight distribution, tyre information and relevant setup measurements. Factory-built motorhome, professional conversion or owner-built camper, the assessment shows how the vehicle is actually loaded.
The fitout uses payload before you start packing
Many campervans begin life as commercial vans built to carry cargo. Once that van is converted, the payload originally available for cargo starts being consumed by the permanent fitout.
PERMANENTLY FITTED, AND PART OF THE VEHICLEWhatever payload the conversion uses is no longer available for your travel load. The remaining capacity still has to carry the driver, passengers, water, food, clothing, bedding, camping equipment, bikes, tools and personal belongings.
A vehicle that looked like it had substantial payload as an empty commercial van can have considerably less once the conversion is complete. PROWEIGHED measures the vehicle as it exists today, with the fitout installed.
Illustration only. Your report carries your own measured figures, with what each one means beside it.
Water can use a large part of what is left
Water is one of the largest variable loads carried in a campervan or motorhome, and freshwater is not the only liquid onboard. Depending on the setup there may also be grey water, black water, hot water storage, fuel and extra drinking water containers.
Where practical, present the vehicle with the water you would normally travel with. If a motorhome only stays within its applicable limits when the tanks are empty, that is important information to have.
The objective is not the lowest possible measured weight. It is understanding how much usable payload remains when the vehicle is configured the way it is actually used.
Before passengers, food and personal belongings are considered.
Suitable for motorhomes, campervans and converted vans
Campervans
Small and medium vans converted for touring and camping.
Motorhomes
Factory-built and professionally converted motorhomes.
Commercial van conversions
Delivery and commercial vans converted into recreational vehicles.
DIY camper conversions
Owner-built vans where the final fitout weight may differ considerably from the original specification.
4x4 camper conversions
Touring vehicles with permanent camper bodies or extensive internal fitouts.
Touring vehicles
Vehicles carrying permanent living, electrical and storage systems for extended travel.
What we check
The assessment looks beyond total vehicle mass. Individual wheel positions are measured, so the vehicle can be assessed from wheel level through to axle loading, total mass and left-to-right weight distribution.
Vehicle weight assessment
Tyre assessment
Vehicle setup information
Everything above is measured, recorded and reviewed as presented on the day. It is not engineering certification, a mechanical inspection, a roadworthy certificate or modification approval.
More than a total vehicle weight
Knowing the total vehicle mass is important, but one number does not show where the load is being carried. PROWEIGHED measures each individual wheel position.
A motorhome can sit within its overall GVM while still carrying significant load through a particular axle, tyre or side of the vehicle.
Illustration only, based on a mid-size van conversion. Your report carries your own measured figures.
Where the fitout is installed matters too
Conversions do not always distribute weight evenly. A large battery bank and water tank on the same side of a vehicle create a very different loading pattern to the same equipment spread out.
HEAVY COMPONENTS, PERMANENTLY POSITIONEDPosition can influence individual wheel loads, front and rear axle loads, left-to-right distribution and remaining axle capacity. That is why wheel-by-wheel measurement is particularly useful on converted vans.
The people travelling with you count too
Payload does not stop with the fitout. A campervan may sit comfortably within its GVM when weighed with no occupants, but that capacity reduces once the driver, passenger and children are onboard.
What is left still has to cover food, water, clothing, camping equipment, outdoor furniture, bikes and personal belongings. For a realistic assessment, bring the passengers who normally travel with you where practical.
The tyres have to carry it too
A motorhome or campervan can have a substantial amount of permanent weight fitted before any travel load is added. PROWEIGHED records relevant tyre information and considers it alongside the measured wheel and axle loads.
Individual wheel measurement means the load at each wheel position can be understood rather than relying on total vehicle mass alone. This is tyre information relevant to loading, not a tyre condition or mechanical inspection.
Helper airbags fitted?
Some motorhomes and campervans use suspension helper airbags to support the vehicle under load. Where they are fitted, PROWEIGHED records the helper airbag pressures being used during the assessment, alongside corner heights, vehicle attitude, individual wheel loads and axle loads.
PROWEIGHED does not prescribe helper airbag pressures, certify the suspension setup or perform a mechanical suspension inspection. The pressure is recorded as part of the setup as presented.
How it works
Arrive travel ready
Where practical, present the motorhome or campervan as close as possible to the way it normally travels, including normal equipment, passengers, water and belongings.
We measure
PROWEIGHED records individual wheel, axle and total vehicle measurements together with the applicable tyre and setup information.
We review the results
The measurements are reviewed against the applicable information available for the vehicle and explained to you.
Receive your report
You receive a professional PROWEIGHED assessment report documenting the applicable measurements, findings and recommendations.
Bring the vehicle the way you use it
For the most useful assessment, present the motorhome or campervan as close as practical to its normal travelling configuration. The purpose is to understand the real travelling weight, not to achieve the lowest possible number.
When should you weigh your motorhome or campervan?
After completing a conversion
Understand how much payload remains once the fitout is installed.
After buying a motorhome
Establish the vehicle’s actual loaded weight and available capacity.
After major upgrades
Useful after batteries, solar, extra water capacity, storage, appliances, air conditioning or bike racks.
Before a major trip
Assess the vehicle in realistic travel-ready condition.
When adding more water or equipment
Understand whether sufficient capacity remains.
When axle loading is uncertain
See how the fitout and travel load are distributed between the front and rear axles.
When payload feels tight
See what remains once the fitout, passengers and normal travel equipment are considered.
Before further modifications
Establish a baseline before adding more permanent equipment.
Motorhome and campervan weighing FAQs
A commercial van’s original payload is progressively reduced as permanent camper equipment is installed. Cabinetry, beds, kitchens, water tanks, batteries, appliances and electrical systems all contribute to the vehicle’s actual mass before passengers and personal belongings are added.
Yes. The weight of permanently fitted equipment forms part of the vehicle’s loaded mass. The more weight used by the conversion, the less payload remains for people, water, food and travel equipment.
PROWEIGHED prioritises understanding the vehicle with a realistic water load. Where practical, present the vehicle with the amount of water you would normally travel with.
Water weighs approximately 1 kilogram per litre. A large freshwater capacity can use a significant portion of the vehicle’s remaining payload.
For the most realistic assessment, regular passengers should be included where practical, because their weight forms part of the vehicle’s actual travelling load.
Yes. Individual wheel measurement allows PROWEIGHED to assess individual wheel loads, front and rear axle loading, left-to-right distribution and total vehicle mass.
Potentially. GVM is only one part of the assessment. Individual wheel loads, axle loads, tyre capability and weight distribution can also be relevant.
PROWEIGHED records relevant tyre information including size, load index, load capacity, pressures and tyre age.
Where helper airbags are fitted, PROWEIGHED records the helper airbag pressures being used during the assessment.
Yes, provided the vehicle is suitable for the PROWEIGHED weighing system. This can be particularly useful once the permanent conversion has been completed.
No. The service is a weight, loading and related measurement assessment. It does not replace engineering certification, mechanical inspection or modification approval requirements.
Yes. Customers receive a professional PROWEIGHED assessment report documenting the applicable measurements, results and recommendations.
Know how much payload is really left
From the permanent fitout and water system to passengers, personal belongings, axle loading and individual wheel weights, PROWEIGHED helps motorhome and campervan owners understand how the vehicle is actually loaded before heading away.
Call Mitchell on 0456 049 686. Eighteen years in the automotive industry, so most questions about a conversion are a short answer.