Roadside caravan inspections by RTA

Divingbobby · Member

Roadside caravan inspections by RTA

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

They will weigh the mass supported by the wheels. Everything that the wheels support will be included.
If you are overweight, they won't care if it is water or cheese that you are carrying.

Cheers,
Peter

Divingbobby · Member

Thanks for your reply.

I heard also that although you may have empty water tanks, the capacity of the tanks is added to the weight.

In other words the van weight is the measured weight plus the potential weight of your storage tanks, which most probably includes your grey tank As well.

regards Robert.

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

That is like saying they WILL fine you because your car COULD break the speed limit.
It does not work that way...............

Cheers,
Peter

diggerop · Senior Member

Any water in the grey tank has been transferred from the water tanks so it will not add more weight. Unless you're not emptying the grey water but filling the water tanks which would be a bad way to manage things.

Brenda and Alan · Guru

This question seems to recur frequently, and people get paranoid about weights. The authority for heavy vehicles (Trucks over 4.5 tonnes) in most states ( except NT & WA} is the "Australian Heavy Vehicle Authority". Their accepted weigh bridge accuracy for legal prosecution on a single weighing on a class 1 weigh bridge is +/- 250 Kgs. If it takes more than one weighing to get the overall weight or the individual weight (such as tow ball weight) then the error allowance doubles (ie 500 Kgs). No authority in Australia will prosecute or penalise you if you are over weight within these margins. Get over it.

If you are so over weight that this becomes a problem then you deserve whatever penalty you get.

Alan

deverall11 · Guru

Brenda and Alan wrote:
SNIP
If you are so over weight that this becomes a problem then you deserve whatever penalty you get.
Alan

X2

Desert Dweller · Guru

Our relatives have just got rid of a fairly new ''off road'' caravan that they had built with extra tanks, solar panels & 4 batteries!

Despite towing it with a late model Land Cruiser Sahara it was basically illegal with just their socks and jocks in it.

Pamela G · Senior Member

They could have upgraded the Lc to 4 ton with a suspension upgrade from Lovells and had the suspension of the van changed . this solves the problem of not enough payload

Desert Dweller · Guru

Pamela G wrote:
They could have upgraded the Lc to 4 ton with a suspension upgrade from Lovells and had the suspension of the van changed . this solves the problem of not enough payload

They downsized to a smaller new Avida caravan & haven't looked back since. smile smile

yobarr · Guru

Peter_n_Margaret wrote:
That is like saying they WILL fine you because your car COULD break the speed limit.
It does not work that way...............

Cheers,
Peter

Hi Peter...What an absolutely brilliant analogy!

Cheers.

yobarr · Guru

Pamela G wrote:
They could have upgraded the Lc to 4 ton with a suspension upgrade from Lovells and had the suspension of the van changed . this solves the problem of not enough payload

What a great idea! Spend $7000 to make the whole rig even less stable than it already is when towing 3500kg.

Paull · Veteran Member

-- Edited by Paull on Saturday 24th of February 2018 04:32:58 PM

-- Edited by Paull on Saturday 24th of February 2018 04:34:29 PM

Paull · Veteran Member

Desert Dweller wrote:
Our relatives have just got rid of a fairly new ''off road'' caravan that they had built with extra tanks, solar panels & 4 batteries!

Despite towing it with a late model Land Cruiser Sahara it was basically illegal with just their socks and jocks in it.

I bet they didn't bother to tell the new buyers this, I have just been caught out with the same thing, which has ruined the plans i had, to go camping and fishing in the time i have left. People who do this to others are just rip offs.

Ron-D · Guru

Am I wrong I believe if your pulled over and the van is weighed without water in the tank ,thats the way you choose to travel and that is the weight there waying when tested,they cant assume water weights and add things that are not in the van that would be ridiculous....

rockylizard · Guru

Ron-D wrote:
Am I wrong I believe if you're pulled over and the van is weighed without water in the tank, that's the way you choose to travel and that is the weight they're weighing when tested, they can't assume water weights and add things that are not in the van that would be ridiculous....

Gday...

This was posted previously in this thread to a question similar to yours -

Peter_n_Margaret wrote:
That is like saying they WILL fine you because your car COULD break the speed limit.
It does not work that way...............

Cheers,
Peter

Cheers - John

Divingbobby · Member

Thanks for all your comments regarding roadside weight inspections.
It's good to see commonsense prevails.
There is a lot of paranoia out there on this topic. It just goes to show not to believe all what you hear.
I will run the van over the weight bridge before I embark on a big trip to make sure I'm on the right side of the law and I am travelling within safe limits.