WATCH YOUR WEIGHT By Ric McDonald, VanWeigh There seems to be a lot of confusion when it comes to vehicle weights and towing capacities. Just because your vehicle is rated to tow 3.5 tonnes, can you? Ric McDonald from VanWeigh attempts to clear up the confusion.
A
lot of the work we do at VanWeigh is giving new caravanners peace of mind that their chosen van and tow vehicle are within the specified legal limits. Information coming from the east coast has revealed that approximately 63% of vehicles pulled over and checked are overloaded. Locally, we have found that 38% of all our clients are overloaded in one or more areas. For some, they have fallen for marketing hype and sales tactics that may not be giving them the complete story before they make a purchase. The following is an example: Recently, a couple, who had just retired came to us after making a purchase of a new caravan and tow vehicle. With plans to travel for between one and two years, they wanted to ensure that they were as comfortable as possible while on the road. Space was a factor, as was the need to be able to travel along rough roads. They decided upon a 21-foot, full off-road van that had an ATM (maximum weight) of 3500kg. They next went in search of a suitable tow vehicle, finally settling on a popular twin cab ute. To ensure that they had the ultimate flexibility when travelling, they opted for 118
| Western 4W Driver #121
a canopy to allow them to leave the van behind and explore areas not suitable for towing. They also opted to increase the fuel capacity of the vehicle, and as a result, chose to also upgrade the suspension. The suspension upgrade increased the vehicle's GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass) by 300kg, which they believed also increased their GCM (Gross Combination Mass). This is due to some suspension brands using marketing tactics that give the buyer the belief that a *GCM upgrade is possible. It is my understanding that a suspension upgrade can only legally increase the GVM of the vehicle and has no impact on GCM or towing capacity of the vehicle. Some states in Australia do allow for a GCM increase but not Western Australia. When weighing a vehicle, we refer to the owner’s manual and the compliance plate. We ask our clients to ensure that the vehicle is fully fuelled and water tanks are full. So, what was the outcome when we weighed this couple’s touring setup? The car was overloaded by 150kg, with the rear axle 230kg over what it should be. The front axle was underloaded by about the same amount. We recommended a weight distribution hitch to resolve this issue.
