“Why” should you weigh your caravan?
“Why” should you weigh your caravan?
Have you recently bought, or are you planning to buy a caravan?
Statistics show up to 70% of caravans on Australian roads are overweight and yours could be one of them.
If you are in any doubt, you should have your caravan weighed to make sure your rig is perfectly balanced and safe for you, your passengers and other road users.
One of the leading causes of caravan related road accidents in due to overweight caravans, or caravans that have the wrong weight distribution and safety gear.
One other good reason to make sure your caravan is the right weight, is the cost to your hip pocket.
Police can enforce hefty fines between $600 and $1,500 if you are caught with an overweight caravan at a mobile weigh station. That’s not all, in addition to the fine you could lose up to 4 points off your driving licence.
“When” should you weigh your caravan?
“When” should you weigh your caravan?
For a new van:
Weighing before you buy will confirm the details contained on the ID plate and or ask for a weight confirmation document.
There are cases where caravans have incorrectly marked ID plates from the factory and some with so little payload that necessary items can’t be carried.
For a used caravan:
It’s best to weigh it before you buy it and or ask for a weight confirmation document.
There are many things to consider before buying one, particularly the weight of your caravan and whether your vehicle is suitable for towing it.
For your caravan:
It should be weighed to confirm ID plate details and to confirm the weight of your rig prior to your next trip
Caravans usually have limited carrying capacity (payload) so it can be easy to accidentally overload them.
Common modifications and accessories such as additional water tanks, gas cylinders or tool boxes can eat into the carrying capacity and limit how much you can carry.
Some caravans can even exceed their maximum weight when empty.
Ultimately, you need to know the weight of your caravan to know whether your tow vehicle is suitable and if you can carry everything you need.
What can G-Force Weigh?
What can G-Force Weigh?
Caravans
Boats
Trailers
Vehicle ID Plate Terminology explained
Vehicle ID Plate Terminology explained
Tare mass: This is the mass of your caravan or vehicle with nothing in it.
The correct weight for your caravan is determined by manufacturer’s specification.
For your tow vehicle, the weight is also determined by the manufacturer’s specification and will include fuel and coolant.
ATM: is aggregate trailer mass. This measurement is calculated by adding the tare mass of your caravan to its maximum payload.
This rating is set by the manufacturer and it is against the law to exceed it.
GVM: is gross vehicle mass.
This is the limit of weight that your car can support, including your car, your passengers, and your tow ball mass. Again, this is a rating set by the manufacturer that you cannot exceed by law.
GTM: is gross trailer mass and is the same as above for your caravan.
It does not include the portion of the weight which will be supported by the tow bar or the jockey wheel.
Payload: is any mass which you add to your vehicle or caravan.
This includes passengers, luggage, bull bars or other features put on as accessories or aftermarket additions and tow ball mass.
Maximum payload: is the maximum weight that you can add into the vehicle or caravan on top of the tare mass.
With your caravan, you don’t need to include passengers, it relates to what you have inside the caravan when you are on the road.
It also includes water and gas and anything you have put into the caravan for transport.
TBM: is tow ball mass which is exerted on the tow ball once your caravan is hitched to your vehicle.
The TBM is included in your tow vehicles’ payload.
GCM: Is the combined maximum weight of your Caravan and your tow vehicle.
TBD: Is tow bar download which represents the amount of pressure that the tow bar can handle.
Usually, it should be between 10 to 15% of your GTM.
Another thing to consider is that weight should be distributed as evenly as possible between the front and rear axles of your vehicle.
Having the incorrect weight distribution also means you could be causing undue stress on your towing vehicle and more wear and tear.