After some time working to have the ATM raised on our Jayco Sterling pop top 17.55-7SH, we have now raised it to a reasonable ATM capacity and still under the axle/axle load capacity. Jayco was no help, so we had to go to a Vic Roads VASS engineer not easy to find one that will work on caravans. We didn't have to do anything to the caravan to have the ATM raised, the first question from the engineer was, what is Jayco hiding not to give the design load capacity of the chassis. If Jayco had only put it on their letterhead that our weights were alright, we wouldn't have had to go to an engineer at a cost . Tare weight should be with the caravan ready to go, with gas and water in the tanks. My thought is if the ATM is keep low so they can sell more caravan's to people with low towing capacity vehicles. The caravan industry and caravan manufactures should be more accountable, as this could be dangerous not so much with the caravan carrying capacity but the vehicle not being the right size to tow the caravan.
Tare. Normally.
Is "supposed to be".
Empty van. one gas bottle. empty tanks. NO rollout or any ancilliaries.
Just a basic van
OFF the line.
Weights varying according to suspensions underneath.
THEN. You\They. ADD extra bottle, water tanks. SOlar. Batteries. Roll out etc etc.
THEN. you still have to load personal and foods. water.
while TRYING to stay UNDER Gross on wheels
Ha Ha.
Without going the Offroaders with extra chassis strength and extra load capacity.
Very FEW vans can stay legal on the roads today.
They all built for the Min weights smaller tugs. Back pocket. Market.
Hence the Problems so many are. (Will do) having.
Plus people draging the house round with them.
You're mobile. THINK mobile.
After near 65 yrs at sea. I live Mobile.
help, so we had to go to a Vic Roads VASS engineer not easy to find one that will work on caravans. We didn't have to do anything to the caravan to have the ATM raised, the first question from the engineer was, what is Jayco hiding not to give the design load capacity of the chassis. If Jayco had only put it on their letterhead that our weights were alright, we wouldn't have had to go to an engineer at a cost . Tare weight should be with the caravan ready to go, with gas and water in the tanks. My thought is if the ATM is keep low so they can sell more caravan's to people with low towing capacity vehicles. The caravan industry and caravan manufactures should be more accountable, as this could be dangerous not so much with the caravan carrying capacity but the vehicle not being the right size to tow the caravan. 
