It seems to be a major topic of conversation with many caravan owners as to how to work out if my vehicle and van are overweight or not! We all want to stay safe and within our legal weight limits but just understanding how it is all calculated can leave anyone with a headache.
In my trying to get my head around this myself and after a lot of internet searches I have come across an illustration created by a fellow caravan enthusiast called Andrew Kennedy. www.australiaontrack.com.au. He has put together the image here and it gives us a clear understanding of all the different weights we need to adhere to so we do not break any laws.
The safest way to get this right is to get yourself sorted with a weighbridge. May take a couple of trips and a bit of planning but making the effort can save lives…including your own. Knowing this information helps you understand your van and can give you peace of mind you are doing it all safely.
If you make sure you do not exceed your GVM, the GTM, ATM and the GCM (yes all 4) you should be within the requirements of the law. This has nothing to do with how you load your vehicles aka weight distribution! This too can play a huge factor in why accidents happen. If you are still not sure talk to an expert.
Ensuring you are within limits helps keep you, your family and other road users safer on the road.
Don’t want to ruin a good holiday with weight issues. (well not the vehicle type anyway)
Happy Caravanning!