MAJOR INVESTIGATION: IS YOUR VAN OVERWEIGHT?

A vanner’s biggest nightmare – we weigh 10 vans to show you how to shed kilos, improve fuel economy and avoid towing disasters!

WORDS BY GRANT HANAH, PHOTOGRAPHY BY CARAVAN AND MOTORHOME ON TOUR

Towing an overweight van or badly unbalanced van is one of the most dangerous things a vanner can do. Too heavy and you put unnecessary strain on your chassis and running gear, causing fatigue: poor weight distribution often results in the dreaded ‘death wobbles’ at speed – this is the number one cause of van accidents. Is van weight important – you bet it is!

How many of you actually know what your van weighs? It’s surprising how easy weight creeps up, especially when you’re packed ready for a few months on the road. In this feature, we are talking everything van weight – why it’s important to weigh your van, the legalities you need to know, and, most importantly, how to ensure your under your legal limit, and how to perfectly balance your van.

In an industry first, we put 10 readers’ rigs on the scales, to prove to you just how common van weight issues are, and exactly how to adjust your setup to perfection. The results of the test were alarming – you have to see them to believe it!

THERE’S A 50% CHANCE YOU’RE TOWING AN OVERWEIGHT VAN

We get the experts on board to show you how to shed the kilos from your RV.

For the purpose of this exercise, the aim was to weigh a cross section of RVs to see how their weight stacked up. On the day, we had a good turn out with single axles, tandem axles, a motorhome and a 5th wheeler participating. Some RVs were set up for how they would travel normally. Others were first timers seeking advice on their recent new purchase. And some were eager to learn whether they would comply if fully loaded.

We used one of the best experts in the industry to oversee the day, Dave Barnes from Barnes Caravans. His facilities at Lansvale in NSW incorporate a public weighbridge which is often called upon by the NSW Police when conducting accident investigations. The RV stats being recorded at the weigh in included the ATM and GTM as well as calculating the ball weight. Results would then be compared to the RV’s VIN plate for compliance. And where necessary, the tow vehicle’s capacity figures would be investigated.

YOUR VAN WEIGHT EXPERTS

Dave Barnes

Barnes Caravans are one of the best in the business and have been operating for 50 years. Headed up by Dave Barnes, Barnes Caravans is a one stop shop for RVers and is loaded with all sorts of good gear. Having a certified public weighbridge on site, Barnes Caravans was the perfect place to conduct the exercise. The weighbridge is a Fairway Balance Beam – a mechanical beam style bridge that works on a series of bearings. This alone makes the weighbridge extremely accurate. It’s also serviced and calibrated a couple of times each year for certification purposes. And with Dave’s wealth of knowledge and expertise, we couldn’t have chosen anyone better to oversee the day.

Grant Hanan

With a background in the motoring industry, and almost a decade of vanning experience, Grant is an absolute guru when it comes to vans, van weight and distribution. Grant has had to deal with a number of issues presented in this article himself on his own travels – and is a wealth of knowledge on the subject. Together with Dave Barnes, there’s nothing these guys won’t be able to fix!

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

For many, van weights are quite an unknown subject. To begin, let’s look at the definitions of some importing van weight terms as published by the Australian Caravan and Camping Industry Association.

GTM (Gross Trailer Mass)

The total permissible mass which includes whatever you add as payload (eg. water, gas and luggage) that can be supported by the wheels of a trailer. This does not include the mass supported by the tow ball.

ATM (Aggregate Trailer Mass)

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

Tow Ball Mass or Ball weight

The weight imposed on the rear of the tow vehicle’s tow ball from the coupling of a trailer or caravan.

THE RESULTS

10 VANS WEIGHED, NOT ALL PASSED – THIS EFFECTS ALL VANNERS!

On the day the results were somewhat a mixed bag ranging anywhere from good to seriously overloaded! For the few that came in under their ATM, the load was well balanced and weight wasn’t an issue. Some RVs came in underweight but were incorrectly packed. Some recommendations were given to these RV owners to achieve the best outcome. For the RVs that were significantly overweight, owners have some serious homework to do to review and reduce their payload.

Here’s a breakdown of the day’s results (all weights are in kilograms).

THE WEIGH IN PROCESS

1. GTM – RVs were first driven onto the weighbridge leaving the RV positioned on the bridge and the vehicle driven off the other side. Leaving the RV connected to the vehicle, any weight distribution hitches were removed. A weight reading was taken and was recorded as GTM.

2. ATM – Whilst in this position, the RV was then unhitched from the vehicle’s coupling and raised using the jockey wheel/jack. This now allowed the uncoupled RV to be weighed as loaded by the owners. Another weight reading was taken and was recorded as ATM* .

3. Tow Ball Mass – On this occasion we would calculate the ball weight by subtracting the ATM weight from the GTM result. The answer would be the weight that is being placed over the rear of the vehicle. As a general rule of thumb, it should come in around 8%- 10% of the fully laden RV.

4. To complete the exercise we took a close look at the RV’s VIN plate to translate the figures from these plates to our worksheets. This would allow us to complete our calculations and be in a position to discuss the results with the RV owners.

* ATM Note – some RVs came with all water tanks and gas bottles full, and the pantry and fridge fully packed to simulate their heaviest towing condition. Others chose to load as if highway touring. How you load your RV will affect the results significantly.

BIG VAN, LIGHT BALL WEIGHT

Here the owner was keen to understand the results if fully loaded with water, gas and pantry contents. Although compliant, the concern was the ball weight as it was a bit light for this size RV. By draining 50 litres from one of the tanks the ball weight increased to 170kg. The other main issue here was the amount of heavy items in the rear storage compartments. By bringing them to the front box, the ball weight was much better, meaning it would tow a lot better at high speeds. It was also suggested moving one of the water tanks further forward.

PUSHING THE PAYLOAD

Being slightly over ATM requires the owner to investigate their exact payload requirements. Items such as annexe, poles, dual power cords, and water hoses all added up. The ball weight was high and this layout configuration can be a trap as the majority of storage is up front with twin boots. This RV also had both water tanks in front of axle. The owner had to reassess what they really need to take on that next trip to reduce their weight.

PERFECTLY BALANCED VAN

The owner’s previous experience towing horse floats meant they knew exactly what to look for when setting up this outfit. The vehicle and RV is a perfect match – and just one look in the front boot showed she isn’t overloading the van. There’s no doubt their experience shone through in the way they had distributed their payload and not overloading the front boot.

FIRST TIME ON THE SCALES

It’s quite a simple fix for this owner – being a beginner to the caravanning world, it’s all about simplifying the setup and carrying only necessary items, and using your water tanks to balance the load.

RIGHT ON THE LIMIT

This van had a number of great mods and upgrades added, and the owners had done a terrific job factoring these into their weight figures. 30kg is quite easy to shed here – whether it be travelling with less water, or simplifying their setup and removing some unnecessary items. The owners were going to make the necessary adjustments to bring the RV back to the ATM target.

WARNING: 2/10 VANS ON THE ROAD ARE SEVERELY OVERWEIGHT

Many of our vans only needed small adjustments to bring them back to correct weight, however two were severely overweight. The main issue here was the amount of add-ons these vans had – in particular generator boxes, extra poles, boat trailer, plus a number of ‘just in case’ items that really were not necessary.

WHAT WE LEARNT

Only a few vans weighed didn’t have room for improvement – here are some tips we can all take away from the weigh-in day! It’s important when purchasing a new or second hand caravan to get it weighed before you do anything else. Let’s take a look at why.

BUYING NEW

Chances are there is a high possibility that the weight might not match the VIN. So some of the payload you thought you had available has already been taken up by accessories! Dave Barnes explained one issue he sees frequently relates to brand new caravans. Many might already have 100 kilograms of payload consumed from accessories that have been fitted to the RV after the VIN plate weigh in. Here’s some examples.

Roll out awning

Jerry can holders

External fold down table

Additional batteries

Additional solar panels

Bike rack carrier

Satellite TV dish

You may logically assume these are included in the VIN’s weight. But be warned… not every manufacturer includes them!

BUYING SECOND HAND

This is one area where many RVers get caught especially when buying privately. It’s not uncommon for an RV that was originally not equipped for free camping to have many aftermarket modifications added to it. This could come from batteries, solar panels, larger A frame gas bottles, additional water tanks, or a generator box added. These may look like they have been there since day one and have been professionally fitted. But the reality is they have taken up many kilograms of payload leaving you with not much left for your clothes and food, etc.

Buying from a reputable used caravan dealer has some advantages. They will often get the van re-weighed and provide you with confirmation of its current weight in the yard. That way you are aware of just how much payload you have left.

GETTING THE BALL WEIGHT RIGHT

Dave Barnes – Barnes Caravans

Tow ball mass is often overlooked as RV owners believe a weight distribution hitch may solve the problem. Tow ball mass is critical to safe towing. It should not exceed the mass listed in the vehicle’s handbook and/ or as specified on the towbar itself. If it’s too heavy, it will tend to lift the vehicle’s front end and will affect the vehicle’s steering and braking capabilities if left in this condition. But if it’s too light, the RV will tend to sway and try to steer the vehicle. So it’s vital to get the ball weight right.

EFFECTS ON INSURANCE

Having insurance cover is a major factor for suggesting you should get your RV weighed. Consider this scenario. Let’s say you’re travelling with your RV and an oncoming vehicle overestimates a corner and veers into your lane. They side-swipe your van all down one side. Police are called to investigate and they call for your vehicle and RV to be weighed. Using mobile scales, they find your setup is over 55 kilograms on ATM and 40 kilograms on ball weight.

Their investigation reveals you weren’t at fault for the cause of the accident. But you do receive a fine for being overweight. What do you think your insurance company will do?

Most insurance companies will investigate the condition of your RV by using a loss adjuster. Although you were found not at fault for causing the accident, you were travelling illegally. They will not pay out your claim. That was a very expensive 55 kilogram of payload you were carrying!

So it’s just not worth it. Get all the advice you can because you need to know your vehicle and RV’s weight and hitch set up is legal.

OUR TIPS FOR LOSING VAN WEIGHT

If you are new to RVing, it’s easy to get caught when looking at buying a caravan. Good RV manufacturers aim to provide a well-balanced RV that tows well. They have already considered where your payload goes in the RV and how you will travel with it during their design phase.

Items such as water tanks are added to the design as if they’re full of water. Batteries are also incorporated as are solar panels. Other areas they consider include clothes storage, food pantry items, linen press, bbq, outdoor chairs, tables and in some cases, the annexe.

STORAGE ISSUES

The storage problems most new RVers face is they look where they can store all their belongings to have “just in case”. RVs with large tunnel boots and front beds that have significant storage capacity soon get filled to the maximum. This “front loads” the RV to the point they exceed the ball weight.

Think of it like a see-saw and the wheels are the pivot.

PACKING TIPS

Dave Barnes – Barnes Caravans

Avoid Doubling Up

Although you may carry light items, they soon all add up. Think about travelling light and only catering for “you”. When it’s time for happy hour ask the guests to bring their own gear. This way you will educate them as well.

Reduce the number of power leads

Avoid taking multiple kettles and toasters (one for electric and another for gas) – you only need one of each

Reduce the number of kitchen items – take enough cutlery/crockery for the two of you, not enough to serve 8!

Water

Carrying water makes a big difference when 1 litre equals 1 kilogram. You need to have a supply for free camping, but consider whether you need to carry it when travelling the highway. Work out how much you really need for your free camp stay. Fill up closer to your destination with fuel and water, and watch the savings at the fuel pump.

Batteries and Solar

It’s nice to have a power supply when free camping. But if you have a three way fridge on gas and you only need the 12 volt system for lighting and water pump, you probably don’t need 2x120ah AGM batteries and four solar panels. Get some good advice based on sound calculations to save on unnecessary spending and weight.

Grey Water Tanks

There is a trend to have these fitted but they come at a cost if not fitted correctly. Installed too far rearward will cause RV sway. Tanks that are not baffled correctly can cause RV instability as water swishes from side to side. So if you are looking at installing a tank, know exactly how it will affect the weight in your van when it’s used. Alternatively, carry a portable vessel that can be sealed to hold one night’s stop over.

Avoid Carrying Everything

Travelling with items that don’t get used is one of the largest contributors to excessive weight. At the time it may be easier to store them in your RV in readiness for your next trip or the trip after that. But it all goes back to having a “travelling light” mindset. It’s re-educating yourself to only take what you need…for the current trip!

ADDING A BOX

Many RVers look to adding a generator box, toolbox and boat trailers to their set ups. These aren’t an issue if they’ve been calculated into the RV’s design and calculated correctly. It’s often when we see an idea on someone else’s set up that we want to add it to our own. But caravan designs are completely different, design requirements also differ, as does the tow vehicle. You can end up with a towing nightmare if it’s not calculated correctly or your van can develop a host of problems.

WHY WEIGH YOUR RV?

Since 1998 vehicle manufacturers are required by law to stipulate the tow ratings a vehicle can tow. The rating provided includes a trailer weight capacity. The ball weight capacity will be in the owner’s handbook, stamped on towbars, and some vehicles attach a data plate with the information. By law it’s an offence not to comply with tow rating specifications and fines and a loss of demerit points can apply. Worse still, it can lead to disqualification of your licence. Dave explained that from the vehicles he’s weighed over the years that more than 50% of RVers don’t comply with the rules. It could be with ball weights, ATM, or the vehicle is simply outside the range. That’s some alarming statistics!

SUMMING UP

In this article we’ve highlighted the importance of getting your set up weighed. Not only being overweight is a safety issue, but it can void your warranty, insurance companies will leave you high and dry, and you’ll feel the force of the law. So it’s definitely not worth it!