GORV - Digital Magazine Issue #31 | Page 13

RV FEATURE Police can and do conduct roadside checks to ensure Gross Combined Mass is not exceeded. GCM rating displayed on their compliance plate – surprising, given how important it is. Fortunately most will have this specification listed in the user manual or on the manufacturer's website. the engine, transmission or even wheels and tyres. The Land Rover Discovery 5 TD4 has a GCM of 6090kg. The SD4 variant has a GCM of 6630kg. The top spec TD6 has a GCM of 6670kg. Be careful, as some manufacturers don't call it GCM. Land Rover, for example, calls it Gross Train Weight or GTM. Other manufacturers may refer to Gross Combined Weight Rating or GCWR. Another term used is Maximum Authorised Mass or MAM. How GCM is calculated is also something of a mystery. Logic would say that it should be equal to the tow vehicle's Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) plus its maximum towing capacity, and for many manufacturers that's exactly how it is calculated. To make matters more confusing, some manufacturers have a different GCM rating for the same model of vehicle, depending on For others, there doesn't seem to be any logic behind how the figure is calculated. See the table on page 16. / 13