Payload
Payload is the difference between the maximum laden mass and the mass in running order, and it is the total limit for everything you can load into the vehicle. Water, gas bottles, batteries, personal belongings and all retrofitted equipment come out of this margin. Every addition, the levelling kit included, reduces the share left for belongings.
The calculation is simple: payload = maximum laden mass - mass in running order. The critical point is that this margin runs out faster than people assume.
- 100 litres of fresh water means roughly 100 kg.
- A full gas bottle, including the container, comes to tens of kilograms.
- A second service battery adds anything from a few kilograms to tens of kilograms depending on its chemistry.
- Personal belongings, kitchen equipment and outdoor furniture take up most of the margin in most cases.
When adding equipment afterwards, the right method is to take weighbridge measurements before and after installation. Installing a levelling system takes a share of the payload, but in return it removes the need to carry chocks by hand and to manoeuvre. If your margin is tight, not filling the water tank completely for the journey is the most practical way to manage removable mass. Exceeding the limit is problematic not only legally but also in terms of brake and tyre safety.
Context in which this term is used: How to choose levelling leg capacity