What does CCC weight mean?

In this blog post, we will answer the following question: What does CCC weight mean? We will explain how to calculate the CCC of your RV and how you can increase it. 

What does CCC weight mean?

CCC weight stands for Cargo Carrying Capacity, and it is the maximum weight of all personal effects such as food, tools, installed accessories and options, etc. that can be carried by your RV. The CCC is equal to the GVWR minus the curb weight (not the dry weight).

To calculate the CCC of your RV, follow these simple steps: 

1. Find what is your RV’s Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), usually indicated in the manufacturer’s book;
2. Subtract the RV’s unloaded weight (UVW);
3. Subtract the weight of the freshwater tank (usually 8.3 lbs/gallon)
4. Subtract the weight of the propane tank (usually 4.2 lbs/gallon) 
5. And finally, subtract the weight of the seats (usually 150 lbs x number of seats).

As a result, you have the maximum CCC of your RV!

How to increase the CCC of your RV?

How to lighten your RV and increase its Cargo Carrying Capacity? Remove weight wherever possible, on the motorhome itself, and by sorting out the heaviest accessories you take on your travels as much as possible.

So here are some quick tips to lighten your camper van by distinguishing what is needed and what should not be taken. Don’t expect to gain half a ton, but with some effort the weight gain is significant.

• Remove or replace certain components and accessories  – Remember what the payload of a camper is. The payload is the difference between the Total Authorized Cargo Weight and the vehicle’s curb weight. 

This is basically what you have left as leeway to load your vehicle with added equipment and accessories. You and the passengers are included in the payload. The GVWR includes all the equipment of the RV leaving the factory, nothing more.

• Remove what you do not or little use – RV accessories alone do not necessarily weigh very heavily. But cumulative is something else. So get rid of what you don’t use. The spare tire is both a good and a bad example. You hardly ever use it, it takes up space and weighs around fifteen kilos. I’ve seen some take the risk of leaving it in the garage. 

• Replace some elements with lighter ones – What if you replaced your heavy automatic antenna with a manual antenna? You would certainly gain 5 pounds or more, but you could also make some money by selling it. Gas cylinders also weigh their weight. When they are empty, why not switch to aluminum LPG cylinders? You will gain more than one gallon per bottle.

And if you want to go even further, composite LPG cylinders are even lighter.

• Don’t take unnecessary tools – Your care is understandable, but you should also understand that some tools are heavy. We have seen people carry all the gardening essentials: shovel, rake, branch cutters, etc. Not to mention the complete toolbox and the drill.

It’s true that sometimes you may need some of those tools. And you always have things to do or fix in your motorhome. But we advise you to take only the essentials and tinker with your RV while you’re at home!

Understanding the RV weight terms

For your and your family’s safety, it is essential to understand your recreational vehicle’s weights and adhere to the rating limits that manufacturers require for towing. The weights of the tow vehicle and recreational vehicle fall into two categories:

1. Current weights: These are measured weights and can be averages or estimates of actual weight.

2. Nominal weights (rating): These are weight limits to be observed on vehicles or their components and must never be exceeded.

The most common weight complications occur when the above two categories are combined. We invite you to continue reading in order to better understand the weights of recreational vehicles for the safety of all:

• RV dry weight: This is the weight of the trailer with standard equipment, but without liquids, without cargo, without propane gas and cylinders, without passengers and without optional equipment. Often the battery is an option, so is not part of the dry weight. The dry weight is the first thing to consider when calculating the weight of your load that you want to tow.

• The curb weight or wet weight: This is the weight of the trailer with standard equipment, all liquids, full tanks, full propane gas and its bottles, but without counting the occupants, their personal effects or cargo.

• GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating): This is the maximum authorized weight of the fully loaded trailer. It is the absolute total allowable weight on the wheels and drawbar that the manufacturer requires and which has been determined by weighing.

• GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating or GAWR): This is the maximum authorized weight on the axle or axles of the trailer. Each axle has its own GAWR. The GAWR is prescribed by the axle manufacturer for each axle. It is the lowest nominal number of the axle system, including wheels and tires.

• Nominal tongue weight: This is the maximum tongue weight of your trailer or the tongue load capacity, and this is indicated on the data sheet. The manufacturer also gives you the information regarding the tongue weight as it leaves the manufacturing plant on the trailer identification tag.

• Tongue weight or dry tongue (TW): This is the actual weight that relies on the hitch of the trailer and is usually 10 to 15% of the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR).

• Cargo Carrying Capacity (or CCC): The maximum weight of all personal effects such as food, tools, installed accessories and options, etc. that can be carried by your trailer. The CCC is equal to the GVWR minus the curb weight (not the dry weight).

• Gross Tow Weight (GTW): The maximum allowable towing weight that your tow vehicle can pull and that is specified in the tow vehicle manufacturer’s owner’s manual. You cannot increase this weight by changing the trailer hitch.

• Combined Gross Weight Rating (GVWC): This is the maximum combined total weight specified by the tow vehicle manufacturer. It is the total weight that the tow vehicle is designed to pull and stop a trailer as well as the tow vehicle.

How much weight do you add to an RV?

A good rule is to add an average of 1,500 lbs to the dry weight of your camper, that is the weight of the vehicle without any equipment, cargo, passengers or additional equipment. To better understand how much weight you can add to your camper, you must know the basic terms (explained above) when it comes to the weight of an RV.

Be careful not to exceed the payload of your RV! Most of the recreational vehicles offered for sale have a GVWR of fewer than 3.5 tonnes (light commercial vehicles). Consider taking light materials on board, and renting accessories (such as bicycles or other sports equipment, for example) at your vacation spot, to avoid adding them to the payload.

If the actual weight exceeds the GVWR, you risk first a class 4 ticket, in other words, a fine of $100. If you exceed the GVWR by more than 5%, your vehicle may also be immobilized.

Last thing: keep in mind that your insurer may not appreciate an incident due to the overload and, therefore, increase your contributions significantly.

The bottom line

Now you know the basic concepts when it comes to RV weight: CCC, empty weight (or tare) and capacity. The weight that you can add to an RV should be either 10% of the ATM (Aggregate Trailer Mass) or a maximum of 350 kg ( 770 pounds). The manufacturer should usually specify the maximum permissible ball weight, which should be between 8-12% of the weight of the RV!

Please feel free to get in contact if you have any questions or comments on the content!

FAQ on What does CCC weight mean?

What is a camper’s dry weight (tare)? 

Tare is the “unloaded” weight of the vehicle, that is, the minimum weight of the vehicle, ready to drive with its authorized fixed equipment: fuel, lubricant, brake fluid, spare parts, tools and other mandatory accessories. Without driver, passengers or cargo.

What is the MiRO (Mass in Running Order) of a camper? 

This is the same as Weight in Running Order. It is the Tare plus the weight of a standard driver of 160 lbs. Our personal belongings and/or extras from the camper that we add later do not enter the MiRO calculation.

What does MAM (Maximum Allowable Mass) mean? 

Maximum Allowable Mass is also called Maximum Authorized Weight. It is common for manufacturers to adjust it a lot. In other words, it is very common for the MMO (Mass in Marching Order) of the camper to be just a little lower than its MAM. For example, the MMM of the camper is 2545 lbs and its MAM of 2866 lbs.

References

• How Cargo Carrying Capacity (CCC) Works – Auto | HowStuffWorks
• RV and Vehicle Weight Definitions | Your RV Lifestyle
• RV definitions – Roaming Times