Calculate payload and axle load
The gross vehicle weight is only one of three limits. Enter what goes into your van and where it sits — the calculator shows you all three.
Step 1 — vehicle
Wheelbase, kerb weight and gross vehicle weight are required. Empty fields are filled in exactly as the app does: kerb weight split 60/40 across the axles, permitted axle loads at 55 % and 65 % of the gross weight, overhang 100 cm.
Step 2 — what goes in
You enter weight and position yourself — without a weight an item does not count. Only the lengthwise position matters for axle load; left, right or high up changes nothing.
The three rows are example values. Overwrite them with yours.
75 kg each, level with the front axle. The driver is already included in the kerb weight.
Remaining payload
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Legally required remaining payload
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75 kg per passenger plus 10 kg × (seats + vehicle length in m), under DIN EN 1646-2.
With real furniture instead of estimates
In the app you draw every piece of furniture with its dimensions, material and build method — the app works out the weight itself, and axle loads and centre of gravity follow live.
Open the app in your browserHow it is calculated
Every item acts through its distance from the front axle. The calculator adds up weight × distance for all items into a moment and divides it by the wheelbase — that gives the share on the rear axle. What is left is carried by the front axle. On top of that come the axle loads of the empty vehicle.
Rear axle = sum (weight × distance from the front axle) ÷ wheelbase
Front axle = payload − rear axle share
The distance is entered from the cab rear wall; the calculator adds the stretch from the front axle to that point itself. An item ahead of the front axle may produce a negative result — the rear levers the front axle up, and that is exactly how the app calculates too.
The legally required remaining payload is (seats − 1) × 75 kg + 10 kg × (seats + vehicle length in metres). The indicator stays green up to 90 per cent, amber up to 100 per cent and red above that — for all three values.
The kerb weights in the vehicle list come from the catalogue in the VanLogic app and are guide figures. What counts are the numbers in your registration document, and only the weighbridge is exact.
Sources
- 75 kg per passenger: Regulation (EU) No 1230/2012, Annex I, Section 2.6.2.
- Minimum payload 10 × (seats + length in m): DIN EN 1646-2, explained consistently by GÜMA, Hymer and Carthago.
- Vehicle dimensions and weights: manufacturer data sheets and the ADAC vehicle catalogue, taken from the app's vehicle catalogue.
- Fields in the registration document: Part I, F.1/F.2 (gross mass) and 7.1/7.2 (axle loads).
Frequently asked questions
How much payload does a motorhome have to keep free?
75 kg per passenger plus 10 kg times the sum of seats and vehicle length in metres. For a 5.41 m panel van with two seats that is roughly 149 kg which must stay free for people and luggage.
Does the driver count towards the payload?
No. The kerb weight under EU rules („mass in running order“) includes the driver at 75 kg and a largely full tank. The front passenger and everyone else count towards the payload — which is why the calculator has a „passengers“ field.
Can an axle be overloaded even though the gross weight is fine?
Yes, and it is the most common case. On a front-wheel-drive panel van the front axle is usually the first to get tight, because it already carries about two thirds of the weight when empty. The weighbridge still shows reserve while one axle is already over its limit.
Where do I measure the position from?
From the cab rear wall, that is the front edge of the load area, towards the rear. Only this lengthwise direction matters for axle load; whether something sits left, right, high or low does not change the split across the axles.
The calculator uses the same formula as the VanLogic app. The kerb weights in the vehicle list are catalogue figures and can differ depending on equipment; what counts is your registration document, and the weighbridge settles it.
Vehicle data: 44 models, as of 2026-10-22.