Overweight van and towing combinations

[Macca_75]

I took advantage of the free check and Melbourne Leisure expo this weekend and it pretty much confirmed what I thought.

I have a GVM/GCM upgrade on a heavily modified Ranger (set it up for touring High Country before I bought the van).

Without the GVM/GCM upgrade I would have been toast but passed with room to spare. Van had 3 x full tank, no food or clothes.

On "minor" issues were the gas bottles could be a bit tighter/more secure in the front brackets (fair enough), there was no silicone on the inside of the van around the gas line fitted for the gas heater (outside is sealed) but I will fix that pretty quickly and apparently gas regulations require a saddle either side of a gas valve if the valve is inside the van (indicated by the yellow lines). Pretty fiddly but easy DIY. Van came with gas fitters compliance certificate so unsure which if it is a requirement or not (ignore he dust - picture was taken just after fitting and not when it was checked )

 

[Macca_75]

Oh - I'd also support a course/endorsement/something requirement on your licence to tow over 2T (nice round number that the breakaway is regulated at).

 

[Boots in Action]

Depends if you wanted the ticket for just information sake, then your idea would certainly be the way to go and I really think it could be taken up by many dealers but if you wanted a ticket to be a legal proof of weight then it would be far more involved and the portable scales and joe blogs operating it all would need certification........................

We have a fella on here who does weigh tickets for vehicles around Brissie, he comes to you and charges a reasonable rate, I have thought about getting a set of scales for the rig, just for my personal satisfaction and if you were pedantic about checking your weights then they would pay for themselves in short order I believe, not many places will let you over the scales for nothing.........

I certainly think you have a good idea though and there should be regulated confirmation that compliance plates do actually comply and not the self regulated BS.

Yes @Drover , I met that chap at the Dicky Beach Caravan park during the first week of the Qld school holidays. He will be there next September too. Had a very interesting and long talk with Wally (his nickname when working his business called "Weight Check"). He is accompanied by his mate who just happens to be a Transport Engineer and is able to supply a new MOD plate if necessary for those that meet guidelines. Some of his stories about over-weight tug/van combos were frightening. One test resulted in a person being more than 600kg over the limit - full of equipment, firewood, genny, heavy tools and a lot of extras in the van and on the front of the tug!! And just be careful around the Deception Bay weigh bridge. A husband and wife set off from a northside suburb with loaded van and tug to travel to Cairns. Police saw them on freeway just south of weighbridge. Appears that the police noticed that the back of the tug was very low, pulled down by excess weight on draw bar and tail end of van was wagging high in the air. Police directed them to weigh bridge where they were required to unload excess gear and repack van before being allowed to proceed. Off loaded stuff had to remain at station to be picked up later by friend. Wally did not know whether they received an infringement notice for unsafe loading or the Transport guys had them in their sights as well. Great way to start a holiday just 20 minutes from home!!
By the way @Drover, I told him to be on the lookout for a 2013 Holden Colorado tray back with a heavily loaded big Coromal behind it that is sure to be overweight!!

 

[Drover]

Won't see that with mine thankfully but others could be a worry, yep you certainly see a few around that attract attention especially up here.

 

[BJM]

I suppose van owners have seen this internet site.Google . Police roadside caravan safety inspection GoRv. Self explanatory really ,including fines that can be issued for overweight rigs..! In Vic.

 

[Drover]

Had read that ages ago and found it to be one of the few articles that actually said something instead of trying to just make headlines with nothing substantial in the article, at least it provided information, not some journo's half baked assumptions like the recent info less headlines in QLD.

Strange that an online site provided a good article thats got information thats not a disguise for advertisements like some of these caravan/off road sites.

quick link to article https://www.gorv.com.au/3381-2/

 

[wally]

Yes @Drover , I met that chap at the Dicky Beach Caravan park during the first week of the Qld school holidays. He will be there next September too. Had a very interesting and long talk with Wally (his nickname when working his business called "Weight Check"). He is accompanied by his mate who just happens to be a Transport Engineer and is able to supply a new MOD plate if necessary for those that meet guidelines. Some of his stories about over-weight tug/van combos were frightening. One test resulted in a person being more than 600kg over the limit - full of equipment, firewood, genny, heavy tools and a lot of extras in the van and on the front of the tug!! And just be careful around the Deception Bay weigh bridge. A husband and wife set off from a northside suburb with loaded van and tug to travel to Cairns. Police saw them on freeway just south of weighbridge. Appears that the police noticed that the back of the tug was very low, pulled down by excess weight on draw bar and tail end of van was wagging high in the air. Police directed them to weigh bridge where they were required to unload excess gear and repack van before being allowed to proceed. Off loaded stuff had to remain at station to be picked up later by friend. Wally did not know whether they received an infringement notice for unsafe loading or the Transport guys had them in their sights as well. Great way to start a holiday just 20 minutes from home!!
By the way @Drover, I told him to be on the lookout for a 2013 Holden Colorado tray back with a heavily loaded big Coromal behind it that is sure to be overweight!!

Hi Boots, great to hear from you, going to Dicky's next weekend for a couple of days...talk soon, cheers Wally

 

[wally]

Hi Drover , Macca and Boots. Its been a while since i've been on the forum, and I've got some interesting statistics for you. We have been operating WEIGHTCHECK Mobile Caravan Weighing in Brisbane for 16 months now and we are very happy with the way the business is going. We have now weighed over 330 caravan and tow vehicle combo's and our ever expanding data base shows some interesting facts. Of the vans we have weighed 63% have been over their ATM and 32% of tow vehicles over their GVM and only 5 rigs over their GCM. I'll keep you all in the loop with further developments as we are now expanding our business into other areas of the state and interstate. Cheers Wally

 

[wally]

The word is ,QLD Govt will mandate a new law by 2020 to require van owners to have an up to date combination weigh bridge certificate.Considering that 9 out of 10 combinations weighed in Vic and Qld are overweight ,there are many breaking the law.Having just returned from a quick 3 week trip through Central Qld out down to the coast and back to Yamba the number of vans etc loaded to the hilt on the road is unreal(Victorians mainly) )I tow with a 2010 Grand Cherokee diesel.Jayco 16.6 Journey Outback Poptop. Utes such as Raiders, BT50, Colorados, Hiluxes seem to be the flavour of the month.However if you are towing anything as big as a Silverline(as many are) with these utes ,just normal gear /supplies,etc in both van and ute ,I can almost guarantee you will be overweight.!!A good friend bought a brand new Raider trayback with canopy plus a new Silverline got weighed in SA and was nearly 300 kilo over.He wanted to put his tinny on the roof as well.!! Mind you his dog weighed 50kilo.

Hi BJM, do you have anymore information on this mandate, our can you tell me where you saw the information, Cheers Wally

 

[DRW]

I would say having to carry a weighbridge certificate would be BS personally. Did it get weighed with or without water, food, gas, how many were in the car, was the car empty or loaded, did it have fuel etc? Semi's dont have to carry one, but the driver needs to be aware of his units weight.

 

[millers]

Note sure what the point is of carrying a certificate from a weighbridge would be. I am not saying that I do not want to be legal and I would definitiely weigh everything for a big trip (and hope that others would as well). But what is the definition of an up to date weighbridge certificate. Remove all the stuff in the morning have it weighed and then put the stuff back in the van. I have a weighbridge certificate dated for that day which is already wrong, but is it up to date.

Will they require an itemised list of item in the van on the weighbridge certificate.

To me the only prove is to have the van weighed on the spot.

 

[Drover]

I reckon its a furphy, Transport doesn't really take a weigh bridge ticket as legal tender they are really just like an electrical appliance tag, current for that certain time and cannot be used as a proof, I had a computer in a few vehicles , cost a squillion $$ gave a print out of everything and everywhere I went, what gear, temps, revs, speed along with GPS, radar gun gets you the printout isn't worth the paper its written on but can prove if you were in the chair at the time..................................A weigh ticket for a truckie is mainly for compliance and peace of mind for driver as the Transport Scales are the ones that are binding, no matter what....................I very much doubt that any government could or would have the logistics to apply such a law .......

 

[wally]

I reckon its a furphy, Transport doesn't really take a weigh bridge ticket as legal tender they are really just like an electrical appliance tag, current for that certain time and cannot be used as a proof, I had a computer in a few vehicles , cost a squillion $$ gave a print out of everything and everywhere I went, what gear, temps, revs, speed along with GPS, radar gun gets you the printout isn't worth the paper its written on but can prove if you were in the chair at the time..................................A weigh ticket for a truckie is mainly for compliance and peace of mind for driver as the Transport Scales are the ones that are binding, no matter what....................I very much doubt that any government could or would have the logistics to apply such a law .......

I agree Drover , mind you if they start fining overweight van owners they will make a squillion $$...cheers Wally

 

[BJM]

Maybe state transport depts should set up a few more weigh stations and start issuing tickets..As Wally states overweight combos are not few and far between.What these owners also have to remember is the wear and tear on the tow vehicle etc.Checked a guys 2 year old Colorado (trayback ute plus canopy, towing a 22 foot van,huge draw bar, loaded with everything !!) a/t fluid ,yes it had a dipstick! after he had come up the Dawson Hwy to Rolleston,a/t was hunting up and down etc.The fluid was blacker than the diesel oil. only had the a/t changed 4000ks ago.Did not know he could change auto manually if needed. Didnt have a clue what weight he was hauling just bought a big van so his mother in law could come with them .!!

 

[Drover]

It would be a daisy chain as a lot of holiday makers with no van could bounce scales as well.........I always wonder about the Ford Falcon towing a rig up the road is surely over.

Colorado's like most vehicles have stupid oil change intervals of 100,000k or more, mine gets done mostly around 35K for tranny and most have no idea how to really drive with an auto.

 

[Crusty181]

just bought a big van so his mother in law could come with them

OMG ..... thats a more serious fault than the combo weight.

 

[Boots in Action]

Maybe state transport depts should set up a few more weigh stations and start issuing tickets..As Wally states overweight combos are not few and far between.What these owners also have to remember is the wear and tear on the tow vehicle etc.Checked a guys 2 year old Colorado (trayback ute plus canopy, towing a 22 foot van,huge draw bar, loaded with everything !!) a/t fluid ,yes it had a dipstick! after he had come up the Dawson Hwy to Rolleston,a/t was hunting up and down etc.The fluid was blacker than the diesel oil. only had the a/t changed 4000ks ago.Did not know he could change auto manually if needed. Didnt have a clue what weight he was hauling just bought a big van so his mother in law could come with them .!!

Yeah @BJM , unfortunately "some mothers do have 'em"!! Trouble is they are on the road with us. Very disturbing to think of that situation coming towards you on a corner or on wet slippery conditions!!!

 

[Crusty181]

The word is ,QLD Govt will mandate a new law by 2020 to require van owners to have an up to date combination weigh bridge certificate.Considering that 9 out of 10 combinations weighed in Vic and Qld are overweight ,there are many breaking the law.Having just returned from a quick 3 week trip through Central Qld out down to the coast and back to Yamba the number of vans etc loaded to the hilt on the road is unreal(Victorians mainly) )I tow with a 2010 Grand Cherokee diesel.Jayco 16.6 Journey Outback Poptop. Utes such as Raiders, BT50, Colorados, Hiluxes seem to be the flavour of the month.However if you are towing anything as big as a Silverline(as many are) with these utes ,just normal gear /supplies,etc in both van and ute ,I can almost guarantee you will be overweight.!!A good friend bought a brand new Raider trayback with canopy plus a new Silverline got weighed in SA and was nearly 300 kilo over.He wanted to put his tinny on the roof as well.!! Mind you his dog weighed 50kilo.

Any updates on the weighbridge certification ... by my calendar QLD has 3 days to pull the trigger on that one ???

 

[Boots in Action]

Any updates on the weighbridge certification ... by my calendar QLD has 3 days to pull the trigger on that one ???

Nothing heard yet from my sources @Crusty181 and @BJM !! I think they have much more on their plate than drafting new uncomplicated legislation on tug/van combos that is enforceable.

 

[BJM]

Nothing heard yet from my sources @Crusty181 and @BJM !! I think they have much more on their plate than drafting new uncomplicated legislation on tug/van combos that is enforceable.