Exceeding GVWR

Question

I bought my Class B several years ago, and started having problems with the tires and axles recently.  I had previously experienced 2 tire blowouts, but didn't think about weight.  After both rear axles, and front wheel bearings failed, I weighed the vehicle and discovered it to be 1000lbs over GVWR, completely empty.  I contacted the manufacturer who only gave me the run around.  The dealer I purchased it from is not responsive.  Any suggested recourse?  Lawsuit will be expensive and drawn out.  NHTSA have any enforcement authority?  Any possible modifications to the vehicle?

donn0128 · Answer

Sad tale, but you are really stuck.  File a claim with NTSB, your local attorney generals office and see what happens.

theoldwizard1 · Answer

Sadly, a lawsuit is you best hope of recovering any money.

Depending on the chassis manufacturer, you may be able to upgrade to dual tires in the rear. There used to be a "kit", mainly 12-15 passenger extended vans, that did this. The axle was not changed, so the extra tires were outboard and required outboard fenders.

At a minimum, upgrade the tires to ones that can carry your load.

booster · Answer

beaglewillie wrote:I bought my Class B several years ago, and started having problems with the tires and axles recently.  I had previously experienced 2 tire blowouts, but didn't think about weight.  After both rear axles, and front wheel bearings failed, I weighed the vehicle and discovered it to be 1000lbs over GVWR, completely empty.  I contacted the manufacturer who only gave me the run around.  The dealer I purchased it from is not responsive.  Any suggested recourse?  Lawsuit will be expensive and drawn out.  NHTSA have any enforcement authority?  Any possible modifications to the vehicle?It would help to know the model and year, as there are some that have more issues than others, and may have solutions or modifications that might help.The first thing to do is to look at the weight sticker on the RV and see what the factory said it weighed, and then go from there.

gale_hawkins · Answer

I agree on getting a quality set of tires that can carry the real load weight with some margin of safety.

Weighting each corner and each axle might help give you a better picture as to how to manage the over weight issue. Best of luck and know you are not alone with this issue.

tiger02 · Answer

Yes, what company did the conversion, and on what chassis? Good knowledge for those looking at getting a van conversion to have this in mind.

Some upfitters can raise GVWR, but I don't believe any van conversion outfits have that option. I know that Ford has a conversion guide that states that GVWR, GCWR and GAWR cannot be re-rated. Hard to believe that a van conversion outfit could get away with this for any length of time before a class action suit is taken against them.

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Exceeding GVWR

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