Caravan: Overweight vehicles can be a serious safety hazard

Being overweight for many might mean a new pair of jeans or swimmers, but when it comes to a caravan experts warn too many kilos can not only lead to a fine, but it's also a huge safety risk.

"You're dragging a 2.5 tonne missile down the road, what if something goes wrong," RVGO owner Chris Cathersides said.

In his 15 years of repairing caravans he said attitudes are slowly changing. But, there's still some who forget to consider the weight of the extra comforts and conveniences they bring on the road such as washing machines, solar panels, gas bottles and bikes.

Caravan sales have boomed since the COVID-19 pandemic hit and international borders were slammed shut, and people have hit the road in record numbers.

In 2021, more than 42,000 caravans were sold in Australia, this is a 14 per cent spike on previous records set back in the 1970s.

It's no longer only the 'grey nomads' hitting the road, Mr Cathersides said cashed up tradies in their 30s are also buying caravans to travel with their family.

While many tradies are aware of load limits for their car and caravan, Mr Cathersides said some grey nomads opt to complete "tow ed" courses before they head off on holiday.

"They're not just slapping a 3.5 tonne van on the back of their Prado, they're considering the weight now," he said.

"It's not just how much it weighs, it's where the weight is."

Weight restrictions on caravans are "completely about safety" for all motorists on the road.

"A car has a towball capacity which is how much it can drag along and if it's exceeded and there's a crash you might not stop," Mr Cathersides said.

If your car and caravan combo is found to be overweight your insurance may be void.

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Police spot checks on country back roads have seen some holiday makers forced to unload their caravan in the middle of nowhere due to excessive weight before being allowed to drive on. They are then stuck with shipping all their 'overweight' gear back home, often at a huge cost.

Caravan Industry Association of Australia CEO Stuart Lamont said the industry has an annual $23.8 billion impact on the Australian economy.

"The caravan and camping visitor economy strongly rebounded from 2020, generating 12.6 million trips, over 50 million nights, and $7.4 billion in visitor expenditure," he said.

The National Recreational Vehicle Towing Guide, produced by the Caravan Industry Association of Australia, is the go to guide for getting towing ride. The most recent edition, released in July 2021, is available here.

The GVM is the maximum allowable total mass of a fully loaded motor vehicle, consisting of the tare mass (mass of the vehicle) plus the load (including passengers). This also includes any load or weight applied to the vehicle's towbar.

GCM is the rating provided by the tow vehicle manufacturer. The maximum laden mass of the vehicle combination (tow vehicle and caravan) is not permitted to exceed the GCM rating. It is important to note that even if the tow vehicle and trailer are individually within their respective maximum ratings the combination may not necessarily be within the GCM rating of the tow vehicle.

The total permissible weight of a trailer, which includes the weight supported by the tow vehicle (tow ball mass) and whatever you add as payload (e.g. water, gas, luggage). The ATM is specified by the trailer manufacturer and must not be exceeded.

The total permissible mass that can be supported by the wheels/tyres of the caravan. This includes whatever you add as payload (e.g. water, gas, equipment and luggage), but does not include the weight supported by the tow vehicle (tow ball mass).

The total weight of the caravan (load on tyres plus coupling mass) with all options and fittings as supplied by the manufacturer, with empty water tanks, gas bottles, excluding fluids not essential for operation on public roads, and without luggage or personal effects.

The weight imposed on the tow vehicle's tow bar by the coupling. Generally speaking, the tow ball coupling mass specified on a trailer's Vehicle (VIN) Plate will be an actual weight recorded with the trailer at tare mass. The tow ball coupling mass will vary depending on the loading of the trailer.

The allowable load carrying capacity or 'payload' is worked out by deducting the "Tare Mass" from the "ATM". It must not be exceeded under any circumstances. Safety, insurance and warranty may be affected if the specified payload is exceeded.