warning - Fleetwood RV

• Do not exceed Maximum Tongue Weight
as listed on the Federal Certification Tag.
Heavier tongue weights can change your
vehicle’s handling and response, can cause
a vehicle to crash, and will restrict your coverage
under the Owner Care Warranty.
• Do not tow anything weighing more than
the GTW listed on the Federal Certification
Tag. Heavier towed loads can exceed your
chassis’ ability to pull and stop the load and
cause a vehicle crash, damage the motor
home structure or drive train, and restrict
your coverage under the Fleetwood or chassis
manufacturer’s warranty. Changing the
trailer hitch will not increase the tow capacity
of the motor home.
• The Bounder Diesel has a limited towing
capacity of 5,000 lbs. With a hitch weight
of 500 lbs. However, in the dinghy weight
application, the towing weight may be
increased up to 7,000 lbs. by reducing the
weight carried by your coach to 2,000 lbs.
less than the maximum gross vehicle weight
rating (GVWR) of 28,000 lbs.
• Consult the Chassis Operator’s/Owner’s
Guide/Manual, and U.S. state and Canadian
provincial laws for towing weight limits and
for guidelines for installing supplemental
braking systems that operate with your motor
home’s brakes.
• Towing equipment to consider includes a
weight distribution system, a sway control
system, a brake controller, and a supplemental
brake control system. The weight
of your towed load in comparison to the
towing capacity of your motor home should
be evaluated during this consultation.
Installation of tow equipment must be performed
by a competent installer. Make sure
the installation follow the tow equipment
manufacturer’s instructions.
!
WARNING
Do not exceed the rated load of the motor home, or
the rated load of any axle. Exceeding the GVWR,
GAWR, GTW or GCWR of your motor home can
cause handling problems, a vehicle crash, damage
your motor home and void your warranties.
!
CAUTION
On The Road
Towing a trailer which weighs the maximum rated
amount of the trailer hitch may in some cases exceed
the Gross Combined Vehicle Weight Rating (GCWR)
of the vehicle. In these cases personal cargo and/
or fluid capacities (fresh, gray and black water) may
have to be removed or reduced. Driving any vehicle
while towing a trailer that exceeds the GCWR or
exceeding the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)
without a trailer may result in an unsafe condition due
to handling issues and increased stopping distances.
Example: The GVWR (loaded vehicle without trailer)
of a unit is 28,000 lbs. The GCWR (with trailer) of
the unit is 35,000 lbs. The trailer hitch rating is 7,500
lbs. Calculating the amount of cargo that must be
removed is as follows: 35,000 lbs (GCWR) – 28,000
lbs (GAWR) = 7,000 lbs. The trailer hitch is rated for
7,500 lbs. therefore 500 lbs of cargo capacity must be
removed or reduced from the vehicle. .
The way your motor home handles and responds
will be affected by the way the towed unit is
loaded . If the tongue weight is too light in relations
to the GTW, handling and response will
change and your motor home will operate less
safely . Careful load planning and safe experimentation
with different loading patterns in
what you are towing can avoid this risk and
make your driving and towing experience safer
and more enjoyable .
Your motor home is equipped with some of the
equipment required to tow a trailer, automobile
dolly, or other towed load .
The equipment supplied with your motor home
is called the “hitch receiver” . This component is
attached to the motor home frame . The square
tube opening “receives” any of a wide variety of
hitch head assemblies . The “hitch head” is the
component that includes the hitch ball .
Hitch head assemblies are available in both
“Weight-Distributing” (load-equalizing) and
“Weight-Carrying” types . A weight-distributing
hitch uses spring bars attached to the trailer
tongue A-frame assembly to transfer some of
the trailer tongue weight to both motor home
axles .
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