RV MAIL
LETTERS FROM THE ROAD
POLICE CHECKS KEEPING LEGAL
I love your articles on caravan and car
compliance when stopped for roadside
checks (GoRV #13). My question is, what
do police actually do when they stop you?
Do they weigh the tow vehicle separately,
then the towball weight, then the van?
I have tried to find out information on
this and it seems non-existent.
I'm really hoping someone can give me
some answers. With respect to state law, if I have fitted an
item (to my van) in my state which is legal, but
may not be legal in another state, would I be
fined for not complying with the other state?
Helena Clark
Via email
Hi Helena, the police may weigh the tow
vehicle separately to ascertain its loaded
weight, but they also have with them
certain guidebooks that tell them the
towing capacity, GCM, towball mass,
etc., of all vehicles. In cases where a
vehicle isn’t included in their guidebooks,
they will make further enquiries
as needed.
They will weigh the entire caravan
separately, as well as the ball weight, and
compare their findings concerning the loaded
weight against the ATM figure engraved on
the compliance plate of the caravan. They
will also use their findings, including the ball
weight of the caravan, when assessing if it’s
within the GCM of the tow vehicle. – Ed
POLICE CARAVAN INSPECTIONS
Lindsay Kennedy
Via email
Thanks for the letter, Lindsay. The short answer
is no. As long as the vehicle is legal in the state
in which it is registered, there should not be a
problem. – Ed
HOW IT’S LOADED
I travel with my wife full time while doing some
work. Regarding the issue of caravan roll-
overs, it all comes back to experience. I am an
accredited driver trainer from cars to MC trucks.
Some vans are built better than other but it all
comes back to how they are loaded, and then
the tow vehicle with driver understanding.
We have just arrived at Kalgoorlie for work
and from our trip from the Gold Coast, we
came across so many caravans with incorrect
set-ups. This needs to be addressed urgently .
The way they telecast it on TV (‘The Big RV
Beat-Up, GoRV #11) is incorrect, making out
that all van manufactures are at fault or drivers
are at fault. The amount of vans on the road to
accidents is very minimal compared to trucks
and cars alone.
Dave
Via email
BIG RV BEAT-UP
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