The NSW police have released the results of a recent caravan weighing event they held near Sydney … and the results were eye-opening.
Macarthur Highway Patrol weighed a total of 44 combinations of towing vehicle and caravans/camper trailers last month at the Cataract Activity Centre near Appin. There was no enforcement conducted at the education event.
Some of the results were as follows:
VEHICLE LOADING AS A PERCENTAGE OF GVM:
Overweight: 16
90% – 99%: 20
80% – 89%: 8
TRAILER LOADING AS A PERCENTAGE OF ATM:
A total of 44 combinations of towing vehicle and caravans/camper trailers were weighed at the event. PIC: NSW Police
Overweight: 17
90% – 99%: 19
80% – 89%: 7
<79%: 1
TRAILER LOADING AS A PERCENTAGE OF THE GTM:
Overweight: 6
90% – 99%: 19
80% – 89%: 15
<79%: 3
* 1 van had no listed GTM
OVERALL COMBINATION STATUS OF GCM:
Overweight: 8 (18% of all weighed combinations), with the highest overweight reading being 699kgs).
90% – 99%: 19 (43% of all weighed combinations. 9 of these 16 were between 96% and 99% of their listed GCM).
80% – 89%: 9 (20% of all weighed combinations).
<79%: 8 (19% of all weighed combinations).
In a statement on Facebook, NSW Police said it recommended that anyone who tows caravans / loaded trailers should know their limits and weights of their own tow vehicle and trailer. It said that weighing should be re-done any time one of them is replaced.
“Don’t wait on the hope for a free quick weigh day … there are many reputable businesses who are mobile, and they will come to you for a relatively small charge, where they will invest more time with you and your vehicles to help you understand where you are currently at in relation to your weights,” the statement said. “They can shift weights around inside your van or tow vehicle whilst they are on the scales and you can make a more informed decision on what you are going to take away with you and how you should load it.”
Police said anyone buying a caravan brand new, should be aware that the original van tare weight, and the actual weight once options have been added may have in fact resulted in a compliance plate that no longer displays the correct weights.
“This is an issue which may cause you a few hundred extra kilograms of stress that you didn’t know about,” the statement said. “We would suggest that before you make changes to your standard tow vehicle, talk to qualified industry experts about what GVM upgrades are available for your vehicle, and then weigh your loaded caravan before you choose which level GVM upgrade you should choose … do it once and do it right.”
Click here to see the caravan weighing companies listed on the GN website.
Are you a Grey Nomad member yet? Click here to find out about the discounts, competitions and other benefits on offer.
The results are not a surprise as people just don’t worry as they know there is no enforcement of the laws. Start issuing fines and making them unload on the side of the road like truck drivers. Sooner the better and they might as well learn how to drive to the speed limit when they are correctly weighted.
Why?
Do you mean why start enforcing the regulations? If so, I would have thought that obvious, to maintain a safer driving system…
As far as I am aware in 40 years of driving trucks i have never seen a driver unload on the side of the road and in trucks there is a one ton tolerance so why should caravaners not get the same or some sort of tolerance.
thats the posted speed limit which is as fast as one can go you dont have to drive to it if you dont feel that its safe
No surprises here, overweight rigs are common knowledge. Why do two elderly retired people need a gigantic rig anyway?
Probably to impress other people.
14 years of retirement travelling 140,000kms with the same 16ft caravan, not a problem. We don’t have any weight issues. Not interested in up-sizing at all.
It’s really got nothing to do with anyone what other people’s rigs are..
even if they are big or small.
People are entitled to choose their type, weight, length and make of caravan..its really THEIR business.
But not if your overloaded van causes an accident and kills somebody
I feel a bit sorry for some sad negative people who spend all their days worrying about this..and worrying about that..!!
How can they ever relax have a good time and enjoy life..as theres not too long to go..
Do they ever enjoy anything without whinging..?..just stay at home and play cards or learn to knit or something..
Aussies have really become a nation of poor bugger me whingers..!!
Try and enjoy life and stop worrying yourself all the way to the grave..
True but you will soon worry if you have a prang and your insurance company refuses to pay out coz you’re overweight!
This elderly retired traveller says it is none of your business what size rig I drive
And anyway, a small rig like yours can just as easily be overweight as a big rig.
Well said.
This is the real problem
“Police said anyone buying a caravan brand new, should be aware that the original van tare weight, and the actual weight once options have been added may have in fact resulted in a compliance plate that no longer displays the correct weights.”
And initial enforcement action needs to be taken against manufacturers and dealers who allow rigs out of their front gate with incorrect compliance plates.
Absolutely correct. If the police know that manufacturers are supplying false compliance plates why aren’t they doing anything about it?
Why cant we get axle weights on the compliance plate.
I have long been advocating carrying capacities should be written into all new van contracts. This would negate incorrect Tare information and if the ATM had to be increased to achieve this desired capacity, that needs to be explained to the buyer so they can ensure their tow vehicle is suitable.
It’s like all the retailers who sell products knowing that when fitted to the customers vehicle, it’ll become illegal. Shouldn’t be allowed.
Anyone towing a caravan,boat larger than a 6×4 trailer should do a accredited course and have knowledge,endorsed with licence before owning
An endorsed license won’t stop accidents, common sense which can’t be regulated would improve the accident statistics. Drive to the conditions.
We certainly don’t need more regulations
As a retired truck driver and now a Grey Nomad I have spent my whole working life getting the weight in the right place but not excessive as that was what I was paid to:do.
These days I am horrified by the couldn’t care less attitude of Grey Nomads that have no idea and don’t want to learn “Anything” about making our roads safer.
Hit them a fine that says “ Showed no concern whatsoever for the safety of all other road users”.
A couple of years ago I mentioned to a friend about the amazing of stuff he had in/on his van and whether he knows how much it weighs. The answer was “what are you talking about look at my van compared to yours “
I tried to explain that his van was probably overweight and he should weigh all the stuff he is carrying and the stuff he has added to as permanently load and then compare to the load the manufacturer said he could carry and all his extras. But as the saying goes You can take a horse water but you can’t it drink.
Perhaps the transport authority should write to everyone that owns a caravan to supply a certificate of their van when empty and one when fully loaded from a reputable agency.
It is good to see the emphasis now being placed on loading of vans. It really is an important safety issue that has been largely ignored for many years. The NSW educational approach is I hope a forewarning of stronger action to be taken in the future to counteract the “she’ll be right mate” attitudes of some van owners.
Maybe, if all caravan retailers were made to provide a written weighbridge report on everything they sold as it left their yard, new owners would have a starting point for their “on the road” weights.
The compliance plate should include the weight of all the permanent things added to the caravan including the extra solar cells, extra battery, extra fresh water tank, grey water tank, etc., so that new owners know where their weights starts from. And yes the manufacturer should provide a weighbridge report so new owners can see that the compliance plate is correct. Manufacturers should not be allowed to sell a caravan which cannot be used legally.
Nothing new in this. I’m interested to know the GCM failure rates of all the utes, Mazda and so on. Our legislative bodies in Qld need to be to fix the situation of GCM upgrades for these utes. A Gvm upgrade is only part of the solution.
I am sure that there are some Cruiser and Patrols out there over there GCM and GVM
Before imposing fines for so called overweight vans that are based on manufacturer’s plates, there needs to be a standard imposed on the manufacturer. Car weight limited are not based on safety issues but rather the mechanical ability of the vehicle to tow it including such things as the the car’s drive train. Caravan manufacturers design vans to suit a demand from the market with no enforced standard set for them to comply to. This is the reason why the owner ends up on the side of the road having his rig weighed. Get the compliance standards right first.
Have read all the comments. So far, the best comments came from Peter ( certified weight certificate supplied before you drive out of the retailer’s gate ).
But what if you buy second hand from a private seller, they probably wouldn’t have any certified weight certificates.
It is as has always been “buyer beware”,. T
You can ask the seller what accessories have been added post delivery, but the van has a compliance plate with the weights clearly shown on it, you take it and get it weighed.
No mention of tow vehicle axle weight compliance. Most vehicles in the 90 – 99% group in the results above, probably would fail on rear axle weights, especially when towing single axle vans