RV MAIL
LETTERS FROM THE ROAD
TAKING ADVANTAGE
Hi guys, love your magazine
but must comment on the
free campsites article
(GoRV #10). When Free
Camps Australia came out,
I thought what a great idea,
and it was, in it's first
few years of publication.
But since then there is an
element on the road that
have rented their homes out
at prime locations and now
make a habit of ‘living’
at free campsites! While
that seems a great idea,
many of these sites are
being used permanently
to the detriment of the
genuine traveller.
It is alarming to arrive
at such places, to see
clotheslines strung out
with washing machines and
generators, extra fridges,
deep freezers, etc. Sadly
we have found through the
years such camps have been
closed down for such abuse,
and councils fining people
for staying overnight.
John Grigg
Via email
MATCHING THE ATM?
I just read your rules
of towing (GoRV.com.
au) and I’m not sure it is
fully explanatory as far as
loading is concerned.
There are many blogs with
different views on whether
a vehicle such as a Prado is
able to tow a caravan with
an ATM of, say, 2700kg if
the van is not loaded and
is within the 2500kg limit
(in the case of the 2500kg-
limited Prado).
Many (including some
caravan retailers) say the
vehicle must be able to
tow the full ATM and even
if the vehicle is not loaded
and actually within the
limits, then the vehicle is
illegal and also subject to
an infringement if stopped
by police.
I have contacted my
insurers and police but they
do not have an answer.
I finally contacted the RTA
and was advised the tow
vehicle can tow the amount
of its rating and whether the
caravan can (theoretically)
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gorv.com.au
be loaded to greater than
that is immaterial. In other
words, I can tow a 2700kg
ATM van with my Prado,
which has a max capacity
of 2500kg, as long as it
actually weighs no more
than 2500kg.
The argument put forward
by many advising that the
vehicle must be able to
tow the ATM of the trailer
is flawed. By way of an
example where, say, a
trailer that weighs 1000kg
but is built to transport a
broken-down vehicle and
is able to be loaded to
4000kg would, by the view
of some, be unable to be
towed when empty by a
Prado as it cannot tow
to the full-loaded ATM.
Dennis Cumming
Via email
Thanks, Dennis. Your
assessment is correct but,
as a general rule, it’s a sensible
policy for caravanners to
match their tow vehicle’s
towing capacity to the van’s
ATM, and it’s what we always
try to do when testing new
caravans. But there are times
when that’s not possible, such
as when towing the Grant
Cruiser in this issue. – Ed