Van and motorhome load planner

How to plan your vehicle’s loaded weight

Predicted gross weight = measured starting weight + sum of additional item weights. Gross headroom = applicable gross limit − predicted gross weight. Each item is the total for that row; if you have four similar boxes, enter their combined weight or make separate rows. Zero-weight rows are allowed but blank weights are not treated as zero.

The result is a planning estimate based entirely on your entries. A measurement is preferable to a guessed item weight. If an item is estimated, say so in its name and weigh it before relying on the plan. The calculator does not insert default passenger, fuel, water or luggage allowances.

Worked example: adding 225 kg

Imagine a vehicle measured at 3,050 kg with an applicable gross limit of 3,500 kg. Add a 75 kg passenger who was absent at weighing, 90 kg of extra luggage and 60 kg of extra equipment. The additions total 225 kg, giving a predicted 3,275 kg and 225 kg gross headroom. These are illustrative figures, not recommended loading allowances. The example button fills this plan.

Before you add an item

• Check whether it was present in the starting measurement. Count it once.
• Include packaging and supporting equipment if they are extra.
• Use the unit selected above; switching unit converts existing numbers.
• Use useful names such as “extra luggage, weighed” rather than passenger names. Shared links contain those labels.
• Keep a note of the starting load condition alongside your printed plan.

Why the planner does not predict axle weights

Gross addition alone cannot tell us the load on an axle. Placement and vehicle geometry matter. The planner does not assume an equal front/rear split and does not ask you to rely on an invented distribution. DVSA’s load securing guidance requires consideration of gross and individual axle limits, including changes during unloading. Read DVSA’s loading guidance.

After loading, obtain actual readings and use the measured payload and axle calculator. Find a weighbridge and check whether it provides individual axle readings for your vehicle.

What limit should I enter?

Use the applicable gross vehicle limit for your vehicle. GOV.UK’s MAM definition concerns the vehicle’s maximum loaded weight; it is not the same as an empty weight or a measured starting weight. Check the official definitions and seek qualified advice if your documentation is unclear.

Limits, sharing and printing

This planner does not assess a tow-car/caravan match, gross train weight, noseweight, licensing, tyres or load securing. Negative headroom flags an exceedance of your entered gross limit. Positive headroom does not establish legal or safe loading, particularly at each axle. No enforcement tolerance is added.

Use “Print or save as PDF” for a copy of your inputs and result. Share links restore the plan on another device; they include the figures and item names. Editing an input clears an old result until recalculated. Reset clears the plan. Kilogram calculations use full precision, with 1 lb = 0.45359237 kg and results rounded only for display.

Sources and method review

Official sources checked 19 October 2026: GOV.UK: vehicle weights explained and DVSA: load securing, the basics. For visit preparation and weight terminology, browse our practical weight guides.