Legal information on weight-related claims

The weight specifications and tests for motorhomes are regulated uniformly throughout the EU in EU Implementing Regulation No. 2021/535 (until June 2022: EU Implementing Regulation No. 1230/2012). We have summarized and explained the key terms and legal requirements from this regulation for you below. Our dealers and the PÖSSL configurator on our website offer you additional assistance in configuring your vehicle.

1. Technically permissible total weight

The technically permissible total mass (also: technically permissible maximum mass when loaded) of the vehicle (e.g., 3,500 kg) is a mass specification set by the manufacturer that the vehicle must not exceed. Information on the technically permissible total mass of your chosen model can be found in the technical data. If the vehicle exceeds the technically permissible total mass during actual driving, this constitutes an administrative offense that may be subject to a fine.

2. Mass in ready-to-drive condition

Put simply, the mass in running order refers to the basic vehicle with standard equipment plus a legally stipulated flat weight of 75 kg for the driver. This essentially includes the following items:

The empty weight of the vehicle including the bodywork and filled operating fluids such as lubricants, oils, and coolants.
The standard equipment, i.e., all equipment items that are included as standard in the factory-installed scope of delivery.
The fresh water tank filled to 100% capacity during operation. (filled during driving according to the manufacturer's specifications; 20 liters) and a 100% full aluminum gas cylinder weighing 16 kg
The fuel tank filled to 90% capacity, including fuel;
The driver, whose weight is set at a flat rate of 75 kg under EU law, regardless of their actual weight.

Information on the mass in running order can be found for each model in our sales documentation. It is important to note that the value specified in the sales documentation for the mass in running order is a standard value determined in the type approval procedure and verified by the authorities. It is legally permissible and possible that the mass in running order of the vehicle delivered to you may differ from the nominal value specified in the sales documentation. The legally permissible tolerance is ± 5%. In this way, EU legislators take into account the fact that weight fluctuations in supplier parts as well as process and weather-related factors can lead to certain fluctuations in the mass in running order. These weight deviations can be illustrated using a sample calculation:

Mass in running order according to sales documents: 2,700 kg
Legally permissible tolerance of ± 5%: 135 kg
Legally permissible range of mass in running order: 2,565 kg to 2,835 kg

PÖSSL makes every effort to reduce weight fluctuations to the minimum unavoidable in production. Deviations at the upper and lower ends of the range are therefore very rare; however, even with all optimizations, they cannot be completely ruled out for technical reasons. The actual weight of the vehicle and compliance with the permissible tolerance are determined by weighing.

3. Passenger weight

The mass of passengers is calculated at a flat rate of 75 kg for each seat provided by the manufacturer, regardless of how much the passengers actually weigh. The mass of the driver is already included in the mass in running order (see No. 2 above) and is therefore not counted again. For a motorhome with four approved seats, the mass of the passengers is therefore 3 * 75 kg = 225 kg

4. Special equipment and actual dimensions

According to the legal definition, special equipment (also: optional equipment or additional equipment) includes all optional equipment items not included in the standard equipment that are installed on the vehicle under the responsibility of the manufacturer—i.e., ex works—and can be ordered by the customer. Information on the individual or package weights of the optional equipment that can be ordered can be found in our sales documents. Other accessories that are retrofitted by the dealer or by you personally after the vehicle has been delivered ex works are not considered optional equipment in this sense

The mass of the vehicle in running order (see No. 2 above) and the mass of the special equipment factory-fitted to a specific vehicle are together referred to as the actual mass. You will find the relevant information for your vehicle after delivery under section 13.2 of the Certificate of Conformity (CoC). PÖSSL determines each value individually and states the value according to the scales in the CoC.

5. Payload and minimum payload

The installation of optional equipment is also subject to technical and legal restrictions: Only enough optional equipment can be ordered and factory-installed to leave sufficient free weight for luggage and other accessories (known as payload) without exceeding the technically permissible total mass. The payload is calculated by subtracting the mass in running order (nominal value according to the sales documents, see No. 2 above), the mass of the special equipment (see No. 4 above), and the mass of the passengers (see No. 3 above) from the technically permissible total mass (see No. 1 above). The EURegelwerk (European regulations) stipulates a fixed minimum payload for motorhomes, which must remain available for luggage or other accessories not installed at the factory. This minimum payload is calculated as follows: Minimum payload in kg ≥ 10 * (n + L) Where: “n” = maximum number of passengers plus the driver and “L” = total length of the vehicle in meters. For a motorhome with a length of 6 m and 4 approved seats, the minimum payload is therefore, for example, 10 kg * (4 + 6) = 100 kg. To ensure that the minimum payload is maintained, there is a maximum combination of optional extras that can be ordered for each vehicle model. In the above example with a minimum payload of 100 kg, the total weight of the optional equipment for a vehicle with four approved seats and a curb weight of 2,700 kg should not exceed 325 kg, for example:

3,500 kg technically permissible total mass
- 2,700 kg mass in running order
- 3*75 kg mass of passengers
- 100 kg minimum payload
= 475 kg maximum permissible mass of special equipment

It is important to note that this calculation is based on the standard value for the mass in running order specified in the type approval procedure, without taking into account the permissible weight deviations for the mass in running order (see No. 2 above). If the maximum permissible value for special equipment of (in the example) 325 kg is approximately or completely exhausted, an upward weight deviation may mean that the minimum payload of 100 kg is maintained in mathematical terms based on the standard value for the mass in running order, but in reality there is no corresponding load capacity.

To avoid such a situation, PÖSSL is further reducing the maximum permissible weight of the total optional equipment that can be ordered for each model. The limitation of optional equipment is intended to ensure that the minimum payload, i.e., the legally prescribed free mass for luggage and retrofitted accessories, is actually available for loading in vehicles delivered by PÖSSL.

Since the weight of a specific vehicle can only be determined when it is weighed at the end of the assembly line, in very rare cases, despite this limitation on special equipment, a situation may arise in which the minimum payload at the end of the assembly line cannot be guaranteed. In order to guarantee the minimum payload in these cases, PÖSSL will check with you and your dealer before delivery of the vehicle to see whether, for example, the vehicle can be upgraded, the number of seats reduced, or special equipment removed.

6. Recommendations

Production-related fluctuations in the curb weight may result in deviations in the payload capacity. This means that the figures stated in the brochure/configurator may be exceeded in reality. Therefore, be sure to take the permissible tolerances into account in your calculations and weigh the finished vehicle before setting off to determine the remaining payload.