RV FEATURE
This portable fridge was accounted for, too.
WHAT ABOUT GCM?
This is the big one, the figure that arguably
most vanners overlook when hitching up and
heading off.
We know the loaded weight of the van is
2290.14kg. As this figure also includes a
200kg ball weight, we don’t need to count the
200kg again when adding 2290.14kg to the
loaded weight of the vehicle. Therefore, the
equation is 2290.14kg + 2470kg = 4760.14kg.
This is 989.86kg less than the vehicle’s GCM –
well within specification.
SUMMING UP
By weighing the contents of the van and
vehicle, I was able to determine that my rig for
the Christmas break was legal on all fronts.
The caravan was within ATM (with 209.86kg
payload capacity spare) and well below the
the tow vehicle’s 3000kg towing capacity.
The loaded weight of the tow vehicle was a
little close for comfort but still legal, and the
ball weight of the van was well below the
vehicle’s 300kg towbar maximum.
When laden, the van imposed 200kg
onto the tow vehicle's towbar.
The combined weight of both loaded vehicles,
meanwhile, was comfortably within the
MU-X’s GCM.
Finally, I recognise that weighing payload
individually is not ideal as it leaves room for
error. Also, bathroom scales typically weigh
items to the nearest 10 grams, so it’s possible
that my figures are a little out of whack, but
not so much as to invalidate the exercise.
I always recommend taking a loaded rig to the
nearest weigh station for the most accurate
figures; however, for some travellers, the
simple act of getting there could be illegal.
Whipping out the bathroom scales and
weighing everything individually will give you
a close measurement of your rig’s weight, and
might even encourage you to leave some of
that heavy gear behind. Furthermore, it
wasn’t particularly time consuming – I
encourage all vanners to give it a go. I think
you’ll find it very enlightening.
/ 23