Overloading

Dobbie

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Jun 18, 2014
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Is Dot a Dalmatian?
We once knew a guy who had a Dalmatian called " stripe".

Hey Crusty?

Do you have a diesel heater? I'd love to know about it.

We were on a barge to Moreton island a few years ago and were behind a camper trailer and ute with a huge fridge and a dishwasher packed in with the usual camping stuff. Couldn't believe it. In the days before we all had huge amounts of solar and there were no powered sites on the island so we couldn't work out how it was going to be used. He was camping, not moving into a shack.

I still can't post the photo of the big pizza oven as the file is too large to upload and my iPad hasn't got anything to reduce the size. At least I don't think it has.
I'm over computers at the moment.
 
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Where to next

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Aug 25, 2015
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I still can't post the photo of the big pizza oven as the file is too large to upload and my iPad hasn't got anything to reduce the size. At least I don't think it has.
I'm over computers at the moment.

@Dobbie, using the iPad if you email the photo to yourself you will have the opportunity to reduce the size of the photo. Go to the photo that you want to send to yourself, select the box at the top right hand corner of the screen with the square symbol and the arrow coming from the top of it, then choose the email icon, it should either reduce the file size automatically or give you the option to. Would love to see that pic.
 
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Dobbie

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Jun 18, 2014
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I'll give it a go. Thanks

Oh well...I tried but it's still too large.
 

Drover

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Nov 7, 2013
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Blood## hell, I just threw out a washing machine like that and needed a flamin' forklift to put it in the ute............check out the rigs that the Show people or pickers drag around, boy do they load up some gear.........................................

I suppose technically if your van was over the limit they could charge you like they do truckies, by the ton or part there of and we aren't talking a couple of hundred per ton either.
 

Rockape

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Nov 20, 2012
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Hills District, NSW
Hi all,
This has been a very interesting thread to read. I have had my Ranger and caravan weighed with the axle and ball weighed separately. I have also weighed each item in the van individually including all the mods I have done. I then created a spreadsheet of all the weights in the van and car including where they are located. The spreadsheet automatically calculates the weight in the front, middle and rear of the caravan and the weight in the Ranger including ball weight. It also tells me my combined gross vehicle mass and caravan ATM. I know it's overkill, but I can adjust the weights around the caravan to balance it according to what we take and who comes with us. I also know that I am under the maximum ATM of the caravan and both GVM and CGVM of the Ranger.
To me safety is paramount. I have often wondered how many overloaded cars and caravans there are when I see people unloading and setting up.
Cheers
Nick
 

Drover

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Nov 7, 2013
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Wow @Rockape thats really ticking the boxes, for sure, don't think I could be that diligent though..........................With all this checking and weighing how many follow up on equally important things such as checking tension on U bolt nuts, tyres the age of and rating not to mention pressure, tension of tow bar fixings and hitch connections all of these are equally important but I suspect are left to some hoped for service which happens maybe once a year and probably doesn't get done.
 

Rockape

Well-Known Member
Nov 20, 2012
300
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Hills District, NSW
Wow @Rockape thats really ticking the boxes, for sure, don't think I could be that diligent though..........................With all this checking and weighing how many follow up on equally important things such as checking tension on U bolt nuts, tyres the age of and rating not to mention pressure, tension of tow bar fixings and hitch connections all of these are equally important but I suspect are left to some hoped for service which happens maybe once a year and probably doesn't get done.
I also crated a checklist on my iPhone that ticks off all my departure checklists. Left the u bolts off the list, so thanks for that. Saw a big caravan accident years ago, so I don't take any chances.
Cheers
Nick
 
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Drover

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Nov 7, 2013
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How many actually look at the GCM of the rig ?????? My Colorado has a GVM of 3150kg and a GCM of 6t and I reckon for me to put a 3t van on the back I would have to shed some gear out of the ute for sure to make the weights.

After looking at the weight specs of quite a few ute's I very much doubt that those who tow close to their max weight are under the GCM for their tugs especially when you have to add the ball weight into the payload of the ute. The bull bar, racks, tinny on roof, fridge in back, canopy, bodies, food etc bingo you are sure to have blown it....before you hook the van on.

Like on trucks there are a few boxes to tick before you get the gold star.

But you would have to attract the attention of the scallies I think for them to pull you over, a $1000 fine for overloading would have the Nomads screaming blue bloody murder, from the tree tops. If they applied the overload penalties as in QLD for trucks then over but not more than 5% of GCM, I think it is just over a grand for first offence, basically we used to say a grand a ton or part there of.

Actually getting me intrigued to do some weighing but that would mean a couple of trips over the bridge..tare for tug, tare for van, tare GCM then load them up and do it again that would mean about 5 runs, nah too much work and my old boss would probably get jack of me dodging trucks on his bridge.
 

Smergen

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Jun 8, 2014
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Bacchus Marsh
@Drover... I've been looking at weights quite carefully recently in planning for the Big Lap and what van we can get. I've worked out that a van fully loaded, with a safety margin for the GCM, with the truck loaded up, can't really be greater than around 2700kg. Any more than that and you're going to be close.

As I add to the truck, I keep a pretty close eye on what everything weighs.

This forum has really opened my eyes as to our responsibilities before we throw some serious heavy metal onto the road...