Overweight in Queensland.

[bobk]

For educational purposes only. (I hope I am allowed to do this).

From the CARSguide section, Page 7, NT News, Sep 28, 2013. (ntnews.com.au)

Q: I was recently stung for being overweight by the Queensland police, even though I reckon I was within the limits allowed. My Nissan Pathfinder was loaded up to close to the GVM, but not over it, and I was towing a caravan weighing just under the 3.5 tonnes towing limit of the car. The police weighed the rig and said I was almost half a tonne overweight. How can that be? Name omitted bobk.

A: You have to be careful not to exceed the overall GCM, the combination of vehicle and trailer, which is probably what you have done. Weigh the total!

Sorry I'm not able to scan this and had to copy it from the article.

Got to say that after reading of people worrying about this scenario on this forum and others, it is the first time for me that I have seen anything published about anybody actually being done over for being overweight.

Bobk

[pet-els]

I seem to recall that the load on the vehicle, reduces the towing load.
Could anyone confirm this.

PeterH

[BruceS]

Peter you're right to a certain degree.
It'd take a thousand words to go right through every scenario but ...........
There is two basic "measurements" that can NOT be exceeded.
The first basic one that 98% of the countries officials look at is the total weight of EVERYTHING. The whole rig. Front to back & everything on it.
A normal checking station will slap the whole rig on the plate & if it's under the AXLE limits by a little bit, it's toot the buzzer & you're on your way.
If you are right on it or over it then they are most likely to split axle by axle (or group of axles).
Ofcourse the above relates to HEAVY vehicles like semi's & big coaches that have (mostly) 20" wheels. (can carry the max allowed per axle or group)

Now..........
Because 99% of us old buggers run vehicles with much smaller wheels/tyres we have a lower allowed axle weight so the checking stations are much more likely to ignore the total rig weight UNTIL the look at what your vehicle is allowed for it's TOTAL weight. Then they compare the two.
Almost every vehicle involved in the RV scene will be below what is allowed on those big wheels & big rims. (except the bigger ex-coaches etc)
Almost every vehicle that is below it will differ in the GROSS that it can total. It's like one big box of chocolates. It would be highly unlikely any weighbridge operator would know any RV vehicles maximum without looking at the rego label or (now days) doing a quick computer check in real time on his console. (computer linked to every states rego dept..... yes interstate as well!)
Enough from me... starting to sound like Collyn!

[shonky]

Hi, all.

This is second-hand info, but a caravaner I met recently told of 17 caravans stopped for inspection and his was one of the two that got through unscathed. The other owners were told not to move their vans until they could utilise heavier tow vehicles. That would put a damper on their holidays. Incidentally it's surprising how many people do not know the difference between GVM and GCM. I've seen an eight meter Winnebago that displayed on it's rego GVM and GCM of 7300kg, and the same sticker showing that any trailer should be not heavier than 2800kg. Go figure.

[John M]

You have to be careful not to exceed the overall GCM, the combination of vehicle and trailer, which is probably what you have done. Weigh the total!

This is the bottom lime the GCM or Gross vehicle Mass, or in English, the combined allowable weight of any possible combination of that vehicle and trailer.
A recent survey in Qld found that a large majority of caravan car combinations exceeded this total weight, particularly when both the tug and van were loaded, (prompting a dept of transport revenue raising exercise) what the scalies now have is a list of GCMs for common tow vehicles, one of the most common to exceed GCM, I believe to be Nissan Patrols as they have a lower towing weight (than the Tojo) and it doesn't take a lot of weight in the back to push it over the limit.