Weight distribution
When you are carrying your world with you, which means all the clothes, and cooking, sleeping and other leisure gear you need for comfort, the total mass of extras is often at or near the vehicle’s maximum carrying capacity, or GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass), which includes passengers. Remember to add in the weight of all those after-market accessories when calculating your load. The rule is: don’t just keep adding stuff because it’s a nice-to-have. Rather spread it all out before you start packing, delete what you can, and place the heaviest items first, as low down as possible. Next, keep all those heavy items as close as feasible to the centre of the vehicle – this will keep the centre of gravity low, and prevent pitching and wandering off-road.
Keep it inboard of the axles – the lever effect
Think of your vehicle’s axles as the fulcrum points
