Weights

The same applies to almost all sedan 4wds
Landcruiser 200 610Kg
Prado 680Kg
Colarado 610 Kgs
Disco 4 680Kgs
Pathfinder 680Kgs
or the worst of the bunch, Nissan Patrol 582Kg

Take your pick.

The Landcrusier can have a GVM upgrade to over 1 ton. Not sure about the others.

And when you figure in a ballweight of 300Kg or so it wouldnt need to be a big lunch either.

Some dont realise that its part of the payload.
So just to harp on an old violin here are weight definitions
The Tow vehicle

Tare is dry with 10L of fuel only
Kerb is with full fuel tanks and nothing else unless stated
GVM is Gross Vehicle Mass and is the Maximum allowable total weight of the loaded vehicle and if towing includes the ball weight.
The Van

Tare SHOULD be dry weight as comes from the factory.
No gas bottles etc. Anything added after by the dealer comes out of payload.
GTM is the maximum allowable legal weight on the axles only.
ATM is the maximum legal weight on the axles and jockey wheel'
Both the prev are limits, NOT weighable amounts. They are stated limits
GCM is the maximum legal allowable weight of the combination of the tugs GVM and the vans GTM.

What your rig weighs at any one time is its "Actual loaded weight" and is not described as GTM or ATM which is a set amount which you should not exceed

And the winner is: Jeep Grand Cherokee at 749 kilos!

Not even close Notso.

I would say out of the factory second prize goes to a 70 series wagon at 905kg and first prize to a defender station wagon at 1078.

I guess 3rd prize goes to a GVM upgrade 200 unless you can think of a GVM upgraded wagon that beats it.

I don't think the defender is available anymore? Do they still sell the 70 series wagon? I thought it was gone too? I think they only sold 2 of them outside of the mining industry!

Lol. Right!

You can still buy new Defenders if you are quick and believe it or not they didn't ban second hand ones. You can still buy them as long as you like.


As to the 70 series , not sure where you got that they are no longer sold. They are and still will be for sale for at least a few more years. Yep Toyota never sold a single Landcruiser outside a mine, or a Hilux. Even every single Corolla and Yaris went to BHP. They look quite good with the safety lights and mine flags don't you think?

You must have a great source of information notso.

Maybe they have to pass a towing and reversing test wouldn't that shake things up.

Totally agree. Too often we see people reversing their 22 foot vans and they have no clue. They should have to pass a towing test and there should be subject to random weight checks. I bet that would take half the vans off the road.

I have towed trailers and vans around the place and clocked up I would say 120,000 kilometres going forward. Now come to reversing them I would have travelled less than 1 kilometre going backwards.

Yes I found it much easier to back a camper trailer and a 14 foot van than I do my present one.

It is also a little unnerving when you have Jackie sitting on the fence beside his 7 foot long camper trailer snickering and giggling watching some one reverse something 3 times as long into a spot the same size as you did.

The Good Samaritan thing to do, would be go over and show him how to do it, or at least give some assistance.

Cheers

Bluey, I couldn't agree more. You see the fence sitters just waiting for someone to screw up. Many of the sites were made for old 16 foot vans and you have to screw the suspension really hard to get in, it often takes a couple of goes as there is no room. These same people don't offer any assistance by guiding, tutoring or calming the person having troubles.

I have travelled just the odd K over the years and seen many trailer/ camper trailer and single vehicle steerers who couldn't reverse to save themselves. I know of a few MC steerers that can't do it either.

I have just travelled another 4000 + K's, in that time have not come across anyone having problems. Maybe I just don't go to the right places to see it or I am going blind, who knows.

I actually believe we should all pass a test every 5 years, both practical and road knowledge. Some of the type writers maybe surprised how many road rules they break and how many rules they don't know.

Too true, Slow!

Ha ha, I can back a 40' trailer and dolly onto a B triple, but at home, when I want to reverse my box trailer I unhook it and wheel it into position by hand.........or put the 'cruiser into low range. :-)

Slow 'n steady is secret for reversing, along with a lot of regular practice.

Bob

Bob, have been tired and backed your car up with the mirrors and turned the wheel the wrong way. Been guilty of that a few times.

Why should it be the other people in the caravan parks responsibility to help a person to back there big rig. If you do not have the skills to back your rig into a site you should reconsider the rig you are towing or complete some training before competent in reversing. Its not a joke and damn right dangerous.

Don't know, but I myself have always tried to live by these words.

Follow this and the world would be a better place.

It has always been the case that the licence covers you to drive the car. You can tow a caravan with that licence. A bit strange really but that is how it is at the moment but I wouldn't be too surprised in the future to see a special class of licence issued for towing Caravans..

You can drive a tug of 4495 KG GVM plus a van of whatever to make up the GCM on a car licence.

Eg my Cruiser was 3260 GVM plus a van of 2900ATM to give a GCM of 5.860 GCM.

I have a licence up to HR but dont need more than a car for what I was driving.

So any old retiree that has spent their life driving a Corolla can buy a Jeep Commander (if so inclined) and a Bushtracker and off they go around OZ with no additional training whatever. They do and a lot manage as long as nothing goes wrong.
However at one park a lady with an Avan and a Camry had to ask someone to reverse her rig into place. She said she never bothered to learn because someone always will do it for her. Yeah right.

That's 6160 kg if I'm not wrong or is it reduced because of tow ball weight.
Sounds like you can get away with a fairly large gcm on a car licence our last 4WD and van loaded was a bit over 4,200 kg which my wife was happy towing. Thanks

Wondered if I would catch someone Read my weight definitions, the answer is in there.

If you add the GVM and ATM together you have counted the ballweight twice

Jack, not at present, vehicle is in a state of flux, but when mods finished, it will be weighed full tanks etc, as if ready to take wife and myself with trailer to the vast interior of this great country. The planned weight should be well with in GVM, but one never knows until weighed.

You might be in for a shock , I have access to a weigh bridge anytime I want at no cost
The mates and have I have been weighing our 4wd's for years , you might be surprised how it adds up .
I even rode the motorbike over the bridge yesterday , Yamaha FJR1300 = 420Kg including me .

Jack, exactly why it is under going mods. I weighed it and was shocked. I have had a GVM increase done and also cut the back of it, time will tell if I have been successful or not.......... if not, back to the drawing board.

I maintain an Excel spreadsheet that has the basic weight of the vehicle and any items loaded, which is not as onerous as it might seem as the all the gear stays in the vehicle usually.

I’ve defined basic weight of the vehicle as anything that is permanently fixed to the vehicle, but excludes fuel. To calculate this weight I simply put it over a weight bridge with a full tank of fuel, but with all items that are not permanent removed. From the weighbridge figure I deducted the weight of the fuel (180 litres x a specific gravity of 0.82 to arrive at weight in kilograms).

Once the basic weight is known it won’t change unless you add or remove a modification or accessories.

Add the number of people and update for fuel and water carried.

For fuel I simply put in the current kilometres and it works out remaining fuel based on average consumption (so could be out 5% or thereabouts) converts to kilograms and adds to the basic weight to arrive at a total figure when all other items are totalled.

Happy to send a copy of the spreadsheet to anyone, email address is in my profile.

Bear in mind vehicles weights are not just about GVM, but also individual axle limitations.

Cheers, Baz - The Landy

I just read some of their specs their tare is around 2,115 kg and have a gvm 3,300 kg so they can take a fair load plus you can upgrade the gvm which make it even better.

Better than my GQ which only has a gvm of 2,800 kg and no legal upgrade but I read on a 4WD forum that somebody changed the body to a GU then it goes of their gvm which is 3,200 kg. Expensive way to do it but handy if you need a new look or body might be an upgrade I may have to look at later on unless there is an engineer that can legally upgrade mine that is actually recognised by all the authorities.

"Better than my GQ which only has a gvm of 2,800 kg"

But for my maverick wagon the tare is 1,990 giving a respectable 810 kg payload.