4 Reasons to Never Overload Your Campervan

8 June 2016
 Categories: , Blog


Campervan trips can be fantastic, but it's often all too tempting to bring more stuff than you need or fill the vehicle with too many people. This is why you need to be aware of how much weight your campervan is rated for; going over that limit comes with a whole heap of potential problems, and here are just four.

1. You'll Endanger Your Safety

If you begin to exceed your campervan's maximum weight rating, you will be pushing it harder than it was ever meant to be pushed. This means that it will not be able to drive properly, and this can seriously inhibit your ability to maintain control. One of the first things you'll notice is an increase in stopping distance, something that could become fatal if you ever need to brake sharply. You'll also find that the vehicle is less responsive and more liable to pull to either the left or right.

2. You'll Burn More Gas

Campervans and Australia go together wonderfully thanks to the country's beautiful open spaces and long, well-maintained roads. This means that most campervan trips will cover great distances, so you need to be as economical with fuel as possible. If your vehicle is weighed down by lots of unnecessary bits and pieces, the engine will need to work harder in order to maintain a proper degree of power. If you don't need something, ask yourself whether you really want to pay for its gas bill.

3. You'll Wear Down Your Tires

A campervan's tires are put under plenty of strain; they already need to take quite a heavy load, and they are usually required to roll for long periods each day across very hot roads. That makes them one of the most vulnerable parts of your vehicle, and a blow-out can go from inconvenient to downright dangerous if you're in the outback. Carrying an excessive amount of weight means that they will have to handle more stress than they were designed for, increasingly the likelihood of a tire problem occurring.

4. You'll Negate Your Coverage

Maybe you have a great warranty, and maybe your campervan is insured right to the hilt. That's great, but it probably won't matter if an accident or breakdown occurs while your campervan is overloaded. Manufacturers and insurance agencies will not pay out if you were using the vehicle improperly.

Remember, overloading your campervan means that you are not using it properly, and that's never wise with any vehicle. Know your maximum weight rating and then have the vehicle weighed frequently if you want to avoid the problems listed above.


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