Gvm upgrade

Insurance "double speak"?
Of course, if you use parts that are of a lower standard than those approved it will not be in "roadworthy condition" and if they are "different" only an RTA approved engineer can determine if they are of a satisfactory standard, or not.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome

But in the event of an accident/claim - the issue is when is a roadworthy vehicle not roadworthy? Especially in states where annual roadworthies are not required.

The modification is only given a tick of approval by an engineer. An insurance company wouldnt have a clue about changing a shock absorber for another...they would say thats fine as long as it is roadworthy. Swapping a shockie to a modded car with a specifc mod would cancel the mod and its GVM capabilities.

If an alternate supplier claimed their part was "equivalent" (or better) then I would contend that they are now accepting legal liability for the alternative that they supply.
You might like to get it in writing though?
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome

Rims and tyres are fully documented items.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome

You must also be very careful selecting rims that are also up to a minimum standard for your vehicle. Plenty of cheap chinese rims that would not be acceptable for a heavy 4wd vehicle. Tyres also need correct speed and load rating.

That is right Michael. I had my D-Max GVM upgrade done as part of my purchase back in 2014.

Mine was done by ARB and it is based on the stock standard, straight of the factory floor. This was the very first thing that was done so the engineering is straight forward. ARB supplied a new compliance plate and the GVM upgrade is registered on a national database.

Once you add anything to the car and then have the GVM done, the engineering needs to be for the vehicle with any extras you have added and it is only recognised in the state of registration. If you move to another state you will need to have the engineering re-done for that state.

It is well worth while to get the GVM before registation.

Maybe buy a vehicle more fit for purpose.

As others have said, if it was done after rego it's legal to drive in other states but you can't change the registration to another state without getting it redone. So unless you live in a border region where you are likely to sell to an interstate person or are looking to move interstate yourself it probably isn't an issue.

Bigfish, define "fit for purpose"?

I have a GVM upgrade done to my PX1 Ranger and I didn't need the GCM increase as well as with our van we're comfortably below GCM, not that it could have happened in the NT anyway back then.

In my experience there's more to a GVM increase than just carrying more load, or a possible GCM increase for a bigger van. There's also the transformation of the vehicle itself.

All vehicles basically come off the production line as a compromise to suit and average market. Comfort becomes more orientated to city use even though those same vehicles are marketed for more extreme use. With our Ranger the stock suspension may suit a lot of buyers but personally I found that it was too soft, wallowing, uneven ride height and diving under braking. Even with a load well under it's rating the rear leaf springs were almost flat, no arch, let alone loaded for touring and a 260kg ball weight. All within Factory limits.

So if this is a case of unfit for purpose then what are the alternatives? I could go to an LC200/300 or the RAM 1500 and its equivalent's but taking a good look at them they fall short as their payload capacity without a GVM increase is less than our Ranger. Although they can actually tow the rated 3500kg it's when you take off the probable 350kg ball weight that they are really likely to be just as illegal when towing. Going to an even bigger tow vehicle is out of the question for most users.

As to our Ranger with a GVM upgrade, it's transformed the vehicle as it now has a level ride height left to right, far less diving under braking and far more stable on the road with undulations, cross winds or passing road-trains etc. The only compromise is the ride height increase and ride harshness, but both are a non issue to us. I did for a period try just an extra leaf in the rear and Bilstein shocks all round but that just exposed more the front spring softness when not hitched to the caravan. A properly matched GVM kit does wonders, in my experiences.

These vehicle types are marketed as off-road capable and for caravan towing but in their standard form they aren't really capable of the wide customer usage that they are sold for. In fact you can option them with GVM upgrades at point of sale so that's an admission that these modifications are Manufacturer approved for "better fit for purpose".

There is nothing wrong with my vehicle and it is completely fit for purpose. It was just that I wanted a bit more payload on the D-Max and because our van is only 2500kg I had plenty to spare and in fact I am 500kg under my GCM.

I had a Pedders GVM upgrade done in the ACT in 2018 on a 2010 Hilux and last month moved to Qld and was told as long as the Hilux had the correct compliance plate there was no problem.
Rego inspection done by NRMA/Mycar and Hilux is now registered in Qld.

Bob, maybe an upgrade to an upgrade, but not legal. I doubt that constable plod would ever be able to pick the difference though

I have the ARB 4015kg GVM upgrade on my LC200. For this to remain valid the factory wheels must be on and standard tyre size that is on the placard. The engineer made a point saying plenty have failed their inspection due to Aftermarket wheels. This is because when the GVM kit was tested it was done with OEM wheels and standard sized tyres.
There is no point paying the dollars for the GVM upgrade then modifying something that makes it invalid.

Because Pedders or whoever you use are certifying their product to perform to the new certification, they know nothing about whatever other product you choose to fit so why would they put their arse on the line to say it is ok? You need to get another engineer to say it is ok.

I just purchased a new 79 and had a Lovell’s GVM upgrade pre-registration, I then had the rear wheel track correction done and I had an engineer modify that certification to include the changes.

It all amounts to nothing until the lawyers get involved and minor technical details like this are a get out of jail card for some and potentially a go to jail for someone else.

Peter56, any emergency or temporary repairs are unlikely to impact your insurance. The roadworthiness or otherwise of a vehicle doesn't effect its insurance directly. The unroadworthiness of a vehicle involved in an accident has to be the primary cause of the accident before an insurer can rely on its policy exclusion. The fact that it didn't comply with an engineering certificate wouldn't be enough.

If it was me I would ensure the emergency replacement was at least capable of doing the job then I would make arrangements for the engineered replacement to be sent to me at a point somewhere down the track where it could replace the temporary one.

Hi Nifty,

Unless you have a “Camper conversion” on the back of the Hilux, I don’t see how it can be classed as a “Camper”.

Macca.