QLD GCM UPgrades Mar2023

[Drover]

Well a bit of news bouncing around about QLD now allowing GCM upgrades after the vehicle is registered, mind you still a lot of hoops to jump through and if your vehicle has independant suspension I'm pretty sure you can foprget about upping the GCM............ I have read the new LS16 and probably have to read it another dozen times...

Here's a few links;

news report; https://www.aaaa.com.au/industry-advocacy/aaaa-welcomes-landmark-gross-combination-mass-code-in-qld/

and the TMR LS16 ; https://www.publications.qld.gov.au...2-96d8-4b67-a3b2-0aa9433aea4f?inner_span=True

 

[Hitting the road]

I had read the LS16 paper as well, what it has done is narrow down considerably what can be done and what an owner has to do to meet requirements. Probably a good thing as it brings a total set of rules to be complied with to the table.
The way I read it, the "over the counter" upgrades are gone. The cost of any GCM or GVM upgrade will be quite considerable and onerous given the number of hoops that need to be jumped through to achieve the desired outcome.

As you note Drover, if the vehicle does not have a full ladder type chassis with a "bolt on" body then no upgrades can be made. Given many 4wd's are of a unibody type construction they will be excluded from any upgrades.
And then, even if the upgrades are made with required modifications, there is no gurantee given that the vehicle will be able to be re registered!

 

[Drover]

When i first saw it was happening I thought it isn't really going to be the great thing that was being sprouted by some media and it isn't really, before changes to GVM not GCM allowed and some before vehicle was plated so long as it jumped thru many hoops and manufacturers specs, Victoria was the place to go to get it modded and plated, Vic rego then change to state of choice, I think really if your going to spend a bucket load of cash for the job why not buy a vehicle thats more suited......................... I can see many will be dissappointed when they find out their coil spring vehicle doesn't qualify............ I know my Grand could do with a GVM upgrade as do most of these station wagon type vehicles.... once you add some trinkets such as racks, fridges, battery and bull bar not much left for bums and beer.

 

[Hitting the road]

It will be a bonus for the Silverado's, Rams, F250 and Toyota Tundra, as they all have bigger GVM's and GCM's. I agree with you Drover, if you needed to tow or carry bigger loads, why would you buy half the vehicle and then spend a small fortune upgrading it to do the job another vehicle would have done off the show room floor?

I've been doing the sums on my set up in recent days, weighing it all. The Jeep just scrapes in with all the mods and full of fuel, 2 x bods, tools and fridge. Weighs 2873kg with the van hooked up, with a GVM of 2949kg leaves me 86kg's to spare. So I can still carry a couple of cartons of beer!
Rear weight is 1634kg, (Axle capacity 1678kg), front is 1239kg, (Axle capacity 1452kg). Bonus is as I drive it gets lighter using up fuel, and especially so if I drink more beer...lol

The van is a different matter...oops...

 

[Drover]

Mines in the same area, I think dropping Big mal on the back keep the front legal actually........ ................................ Why on earth would you want an upgrade after spending over $100K on a Tundra or RAM, may as well but a proper truck ................... I started to have another read of that document but thought stuff it i don't care all that much....................... most vehicles have chook chaser engines now that don't want the extra load anyway.