So, you have or are thinking about buying yourself a new caravan or trailer. This is such an exciting time and will open a whole new world of travel for you.
Whether you have chosen a van stock standard or added every luxury item and off-grid extra that you possibly can, you need to know what all those abbreviations and numbers mean on your compliance plate.
Keep in mind the figures on the compliance plate are your limits from the day you pick it up from the dealership.
Tare Mass
Tare weight is your caravan’s starting weight at the time of delivery, with all inclusions and extras you have ordered at build time.
The tare weight will be different on even the same models of caravan depending on what optional extras have been added.
For instance, if you and your best mate have brought the same caravan but you have added an outdoor kitchen but your mate has not your van’s tare mass will weigh more than his.
The tare weight is the one number that will never change and also bears no legal consequences.
Tow Ball Weight
This is an interesting one, and the slightest thing can change it drastically. Tow ball weight is the amount of weight or downforce that your tow hitch applies onto the tow vehicle (where you trailer connects to your car)
Your caravan compliance plate comes with a tow ball weight on it. Keep in mind this weight is as it sits at its stock tare mass.
As soon as you add things like luggage, appliances, water, bike racks, BBQs and all other travelling accessories. this weight can either go up or down, depending on where things are placed in the van.
For example, if you have a bike rack on the back of your van or behind the axles it will take the weight off the tow hitch, if you add the bike rack to the front or in front of the axles, it will add weight to the tow hitch.
Think of your caravan as a seesaw, and the centre is an axle. Whichever side of the axle you add weight to the other side loses weight.
The maximum tow ball weight of a tow vehicle is normally 10% of what the vehicle can tow. For example, if your vehicle can tow 3500kg (as per manufacturer specifications), it will be able to have a tow ball weight of 350kg.
Remember that your tow ball weight is added onto the tow vehicle’s GVM when hitched together.
Aggregate Trailer Mass
Aggregate Trailer Mass, there is a maximum ATM on your caravan compliance plate. This is the maximum legal weight your caravan can weigh fully loaded when not hitched to your tow vehicle and resting on the jockey wheel (the weight applied to all wheels and jockey wheel).
Keep in mind this DOES NOT mean your caravan DOES weigh this amount, it just means it cannot exceed that weight.
The maximum ATM ensures the load is safe, controllable and that it will not significantly shorten the life of the caravan body and mechanical components.
Gross Trailer Mass
There is a maximum GTM on your compliance plate. This is the maximum legal weight your caravan is allowed to weigh fully loaded when hitched to the tow vehicle and in transit (the weight applied to all wheels of the caravan).
Keep in mind this DOES NOT mean your caravan DOES weigh this amount. It just means it cannot exceed that weight.
The GTM will always be lower than the ATM because part of the caravan’s weight is applied to the tow vehicle. The maximum GTM ensures that the load is safe to be towed at manufactured specified max speeds and conditions. Staying within these specifications will ensure the longevity of your caravan.
Payload
This is the one that everyone wants to be as high as possible. There is a max payload number on your compliance plate. This is the amount of extras, including luggage, water, groceries and all other travel accessories that you can add to your caravan.
It’s a number that can add up quite quickly if you are not careful, so really think of what is important to you and what you really need on your travels.
We recommend a payload of at least 700kgs for a long trip. Payload is quite a simple number to come to! It’s just your caravans ATM minus the TARE MASS.
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