Weight Checking Experience

Look here

Have a look on there its been beaten to death endlessly

Very few actual anecdotes from anyone who has been done Plenty from sisters boyfriends cousin.

However its probably not a good idea insurance wise or for the longevity of your vehicle to exceed legal weights

They will give a slight amount of leeway. Once they have weighed it and it is overweight, they are obligated to have you rectify it, by either redistribution of weight or the reduction of weight before you can travel on.

If you are grossly over weight then an infringement notice may be issued and this can also include points on your licence.

I haven't seen anyone pinged but some would have been. There was a post on here about a caravan club and the DMT doing weighing in Longreach to educate owners on caravan/ vehicle weights, it was also stated that there would be no penalties for those found to have broken the law.

We live near Canberra, and have been told, the Rta were pulling over people towing, be it a van, boat or normal trailer, all getting the once over. This was the other side of Braidwood, on top of the Clyde mountain.. Was a year or two ago, but haven't heard anything recent.. Certain times of the year, it's just bumper to bumper, with Canberrans heading down the coast, personally, it's great around town those times of year, place is empty.. Ha.. Cheers Odog

In well over 10 years of towing firstly a campervan then caravans all across the country we were never pulled up for any of these reasons, or met anyone who had been.
Maybe it will change as there do seem to be more frequent accidents involving caravans however maybe it is just because there seem to be increasing numbers of them on the road each year.
regards,
Heather

Done to death alright.

But keep bringing up this myth and they might start doing these checks.

Let sleeping dog's lye.

I wasn't towing a caravan, just a 30 tonne trailer (with a 10 tonne prime mover). It was about 10 years ago, and the then RTA (NSW) were also calling in cars with caravans and large trailers (like car trailers etc). Yep, a long time ago I know but the RMS can and do do it. It was on the Pacific Hwy on the North Coast of NSW in town. And YES, I was called in and so were car/caravan combos whilst I was there. Haven't seen it since though.

Never had it done personally over the last 8 years of vanning. The only time I have been told first hand was from a guy who said he had been weighted was maybe 4 or so years ago in 80 Mile Beach CP. He pulled in next door to us with a 20 something foot Kedron. Can't remember the tow vehicle. He had come up via the Gt Northern Hwy and had been stopped just out of Newman. They were pulling in every truck and a few vans. According to him he weighed 30 kg over and just got a warning and sent on his way.

Cheers
Pop

Our esteemed travelling editor Fred Wright from the Caravan and Motorhome mag, reckons they are getting pinged over east, where unsure, can try checking their web

I would be very surprised if Transport Inspectors, Safety Inspectors (or Police, where they still use them to weigh vehicles) would be interested in weighing cars and caravans.

It would probably only be a couple of highly "conchie" blokes in either Transport, Safety or Police who would start anything like that.

There are a couple of reasons for this. One is, the Transport Inspectors mandate (in W.A., anyway) is for "Heavy Vehicles". The general interpretation is, that this is trucks generally more than 12 tonnes Gross Vehicle Mass.

I've run around heavily loaded, overwidth, and dragging a 10 metre (32') tri-axle trailer, all over W.A. and as far East as Adelaide - with 3 tonne and 5 tonne trucks - and I can assure you, I have been regularly waved through random weight checks, and fixed weight-checking weighbridges.

They are just not interested in "small fry". They are particularly interested, when someone is hauling 40 to 120 tonnes, and they are overweight.

The other angle is, you would be weighing 20 cars and caravans an hour on most major highways, during caravanning season.
That's an impossible task, you'd need 50 people and 25 sets of scales!

All the Police will do, is look carefully at anyone who appears to be unroadworthy, driving dangerously (this includes badly-loaded caravans and trailers), has improperly secured items, or is under the influence of something that is affecting their ability to drive.

Many a time, Police will stop all vehicles to do a "licence check". Naturally, this is purely an excuse to check for unregistered or unroadworthy vehicles, felons with outstanding bench warrants, drug-smugglers, and people "under the influence" (of drink or drugs).

If they happen to find a vehicle and caravan/camper/trailer combination that looks seriously overloaded, unbalanced, or otherwise unroadworthy - then yes, you can expect to be given a "working over" - and probably weighed as well.

As far as the authorities specifically targeting overloaded caravans - that is a rare event.
The following webpage shows one of these rare events - and the writer also notes, that it IS a rare event.

It's likely in this photographed case, that statistics were being sought, as to just what percentage of caravans were overloaded - and whether it was sufficiently high enough to pose a danger to other road users.

The Police are hot on statistical figures, and use them to conduct "campaigns", where they see a rise in statistical figures.

Authorities targeting overloaded caravans - VicRoads (unknown area)

Cheers, Ron.

I've never seen it despite it often being spoken about.

In my view it is something that should be self regulating in so far be aware of your vehicle and van weights and ensure you are not exceeding the weight limitations of either.

Do this and it won't matter if the authorities do start checking, after all, it is about being safe...

Cheers, Baz - The Landy

probably the more relevant and pertinent question is
Has anyone who has had an accident/mishap while towing, then been weighed or measured at the scene?
As that is where the real consequence may occur-loss of insurance cover?

Just 3 weeks ago on a week end NSW barrier command (Broken Hill where I live) Had a road block atCockburn on the SA / NSW border they checked for every thing

drugs driver license and rego drugs and M/V weights the event was very successful and will do this again in a more regular basis they said

One of my traveling buddies was weighed on the beach at Fraser island immediately after disembarking the ferry. He wasn't towing but his truck is very heavy and he carries a NSW GVM upgrade cert.
QLD cop refused to look at the NSW cert stating its only certified in NSW and this is QLD so its irrelevant.
He was defected and had to remove a lot of gear just to get back off the beach.
Lots of legal to and fro and several months later the problem went away.

It does happen.

Instead of my question being lost in the mist of the other threads, I will ask it here. Well there is mist and thick fog here, at -3 degrees!!!!!!

People above have stated that the police did not accept the GVM upgrade papers. I was wondering if they weren't accepted because a new compliance plate showing the latest approved GVM was NOT fitted to the car.

The RTA inspectors here in the ACT made a big issue of having the new compliance plate, that they supplied, duly engraved with the new GVM etc, fitted to the door frame. Did those above also get a new GVM engraved plate or was it just noted in the computer. Note that I had to get the plate engraved and they checked it before it was fitted to the car. They even watched me rivet it to the car.

The police in states, other than where the car is registered, may not have access to all the data and thus not been able to confirm the authenticity of the drivers claim. RTA staff may have access but not the police. Maybe all they get is the basic, car registered yes/no, owner, address and registration date.

Phil