Most caravan setups on Australian roads are technically overweight — and most owners have no idea. One unexpected weighbridge stop can mean a fine, an insurance claim refusal after an incident, and a tow vehicle and rig that's dangerous before you even leave the driveway.
Recent studies in Australia have found that more than 70% of fully loaded caravan and tow vehicle combinations exceed at least one of their legal weight ratings. Most owners are good people doing their best — they just don't have accurate numbers.
Manufacturer "tare" weights are notoriously optimistic. Add water tanks, gas bottles, batteries, solar panels, awnings, accessories, and the gear you actually travel with — and a van advertised at 2,500kg can easily be at 3,200kg loaded. If your tow vehicle's max towing capacity is 3,000kg, you're now driving an unsafe and uninsured rig.
We use individual calibrated wheel scales — the most accurate field method available — to measure each wheel and contact point separately. Then we calculate every legally relevant figure and compare it to your vehicle and caravan plates.
The downward force on your tow ball. Critical for stability — too low or too high causes sway. Manufacturer recommends roughly 10% of caravan weight.
Your tow vehicle's total weight, fully loaded with fuel, passengers, gear, and tow ball weight applied. Must not exceed the GVM on the vehicle plate.
Your caravan's total weight when fully loaded and disconnected from the tow vehicle. Must not exceed the ATM stamped on the caravan compliance plate.
The weight on the caravan's wheels when coupled (excludes tow ball weight). Used by police and weighbridges as the primary trailer weight reference.
Individual weight on each axle of your tow vehicle and caravan — flags rear-axle overload (most common safety issue) and uneven loading.
Printed and emailed report showing every measurement vs every legal limit. Use it for insurance, police, or just your own records.
Once you have accurate numbers, you have options. If you're under all your limits — great, travel with confidence. If you're over, you can: redistribute load to better balance your axle weights, leave heavier non-essential items behind, upgrade your tow vehicle's GVM (legal in many cases), or upgrade the caravan's suspension.
Without the numbers, none of these decisions can be made properly. With them, you can travel knowing you're legal, insured, and safe.