Road Traffic Authorities (RTA) Weighing Caravans on Highways

Two Strays · Senior Member

Road Traffic Authorities (RTA) Weighing Caravans on Highways

ozjohn · Guru

I hear of this happening at least once a month, but in more than 40 years of vanning I've yet to meet anyone that it's happened to.

Cheers, ozjohn.

Smokeydk · Guru

I have been a few times......some say I'm the most unlucky person around......

I suggest get the van weighed .even to just know it complys with the compliance plates

Tare Mass the unladen weight of the caravan or camper trailer when not carrying any load. See kerb weight or kerb mass above.
ATM (Aggregate Trailer Mass) - is the total mass of the caravan or camper trailer when carrying the maximum load recommended by the manufacturer. This weight includes the tow ball or pin mass imposed on the tow hitch plus whatever you add as a payload (eg: water, luggage, gas being the sum of the GTM plus the weight on the towball).
ATM is measured by placing the fully loaded trailer on a vehicle scale. The entire weight of the trailer should be supported on the scale

GTM (Gross Trailer Mass) this is the total permissible mass or weight recommended by the manufacturer of the caravan or trailer fully loaded which includes what you add as a payload (eg: water, luggage, gas) that can be supported by the axles and wheels of the trailer. This does not include the mass supported by the towball. ie. the weight of the trailer fully loaded in its actual hitched up towing condition.

GCM (Gross Combined Mass) this is the total mass of the tow vehicle and the caravan/trailer, with everything loaded in the vehicle and van/trailer.

ozjohn · Guru

Quote"
"ATM is measured by placing the fully loaded trailer on a vehicle scale".

Unfortunaely this is not 100% correct even though you may have read it on the RACQ website or elswhere.
The weight measured on the scale is the Actual Loaded Weight of the van.

The legal definition of ATM is:
ATM is the total mass of the trailer when carrying the maximum load recommended by the manufacturer. This includes mass imposed onto the towing vehicle when the combination vehicle is resting on a horizontal supporting plane.

The same applies to the GTM. The weight shown on the scale is not the GTM, but the actual weight supported by the wheels.

Cheers, ozjohn.

Wombat 280 · Guru

The entire situation is becoming rather confused can someone simplify the weighing results in non techo jargon or legal mumbo jumbo that legislators like to use.

If I load up the van ready to hit the black top and take it to a weigh bridge and unhitch onto the jockey wheel on the scales this will register what.?

If I take the hitched up van and tug onto the scales that will register what ?

If I take the load van and place the scales under the tow hitch only that will register what?

Cupie · Guru

Hi ..

Yes it does get rather confusing.

When I need to revisit the subject, I refer to the extract that I attached as a JPEG file

ozjohn · Guru

Wombat 280 wrote:
The entire situation is becoming rather confused can someone simplify the weighing results in non techo jargon or legal mumbo jumbo that legislators like to use.

If I load up the van ready to hit the black top and take it to a weigh bridge and unhitch onto the jockey wheel on the scales this will register what.?
Answer: The loaded weight of the van. (Must not exceed the ATM)

If I take the hitched up van and tug onto the scales that will register what ?
Answer: CVM (Combined Vehicle Mass) It may have other descriptions in the vehicle handbook. The figure provided should not be exceeded by the combined weight of the vehicle and the van.
If I take the load van and place the scales under the tow hitch(Coupling) only that will register what?
Answer: Tow Ball Weight. (not to exceed the maximum tow ball (or down weight) shown in the vehicle handbook or stamped on the tow bar).

If your going to put the van on a weighbridge also consider taking the weight of the van wheels on the scale when the van is hitched to the car and the car wheels are OFF the weighbridge.
This loaded weight on the wheels subtracted from the Loaded Weight of the van will give you the Ball Weight.

Cheers, ozjohn.

ozjohn · Guru

Cupie wrote:
Hi ..
Yes it does get rather confusing.
When I need to revisit the subject, I refer to the extract that I attached as a JPEG file

LEGAL DEFINITIONS:

Aggregate Trailer Mass

ATM is the total mass of the trailer when carrying the maximum load recommended by the manufacturer. This includes mass imposed onto the towing vehicle when the combination vehicle is resting on a horizontal supporting plane.

Gross Trailer Mass (GTM)
GTM is the mass transmitted to the ground by the tyres of the trailer when coupled to a towing vehicle and carrying the maximum load recommended by the manufacturer or importer, approximately uniformly distributed over the load bearing area.

Tare Mass

Tare Mass is the total mass of the trailer when not carrying any load, but when ready for service, unoccupied (if relevant) and with all fluid reservoirs (if fitted) filled to nominal capacity except for fuel, which shall be 10 litres only, and with all standard equipment and any options fitted. This includes any mass imposed onto the drawing vehicle when the combination vehicle is resting on a horizontal supporting plane. (Fluid reservoirs do not include water tanks and waste water tanks fitted to caravans).

Cheers. OJ

old briney · Senior Member

as a caravan is "NOT A LOAD CARRYING VEHICLE" i am not sure the RTA have the rights to weigh caravans

ozjohn · Guru

Road authorities only have the power to weight caravan/vehicle rigs if they believe the combinded weight exceeds 4.5 tonne.

Some larger van/vehicle combinationjs certainly exceed 4.5 tonne.
Unless a OPEN weighbridge testing station sign specifically excludes caravan tha legally these heavy combinations should pull in to be weighed.
However the inspectors don't have the tow weight info for your vehicle or van. Pre June 1989 vans didn't require VIN Plates.
99.9% of the time a van will just be waved straight through the weigh station inless they're extemely quiet and it looks to be really extremely overloaded and unroadworthy.

Just drive straight past weigh stations and if they really want to weigh you, they'll chase you down.

Have a safe day. Ozjohn.

-- Edited by ozjohn on Wednesday 29th of February 2012 11:36:20 AM

-- Edited by ozjohn on Wednesday 29th of February 2012 11:46:28 AM

-- Edited by ozjohn on Wednesday 29th of February 2012 11:53:49 AM

mr glassies · Guru

good point brian im guna ask my friend that works for the rta and a solicitor hehe just for s(*&s and giggles

dibs

carpaidiem · Veteran Member

Yes Ozjohn they will chase you if there board gives them somthing extra to do LOL biggrin

Aggregate Trailer Mass

ATM is the total mass of the trailer when carrying the maximum load recommended by the manufacturer. This includes mass imposed onto the towing vehicle when the combination vehicle is resting on a horizontal supporting plane.

Gross Trailer Mass (GTM)GTM is the mass transmitted to the ground by the tyres of the trailer when coupled to a towing vehicle and carrying the maximum load recommended by the manufacturer or importer, approximately uniformly distributed over the load bearing area.

Tare Mass

Cheers. OJ

Gross Trailer Mass (GTM)
GTM is the mass transmitted to the ground by the tyres of the trailer when coupled to a towing vehicle and carrying the maximum load recommended by the manufacturer or importer, approximately uniformly distributed over the load bearing area.