GVM crap
Submitted: Wednesday, Nov 23, 2005 at 20:32
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Markymark
Just registered the Falcon today and noticed the rego sticker read 1400TARE and 1700GVM. So for an iconic Aussie
sedan that boasts 5
seat capacity, to do so would be illegal.
Lets assume we get 5 adults at 80kg each + fill the 68lt
tank, 70kg approx and its 170kg over(1870kg) its GVM without any luggage. I know Patrols are ordinary too, 500-600kg that soon disappears with bullbars and so on. What worries me is when are the insurance companies going to crack onto this and start refusing to payout claims because you're vehicle is too heavy?
Anyone been pulled over at weighbridge before or do they only check the truckies?
Reply By: Willem - Wednesday, Nov 23, 2005 at 21:07
Wednesday, Nov 23, 2005 at 21:07
I would run 300 to 400kg with the GQ over GVM at most times. Have never ever been pulled over and asked to be weighed. Actually have only been pulled over 4 times in 37 years in Australia and 1 million kms plus and years of towing overweight caravans as
well!
Scalies only target truckies.
I would not worry about the insurance bit. If you are unlucky to make a claim normally you have rescued all the crap out of your vehicle and what is left of the vehicle looks normal
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Follow Up By: Sky Pilot - Wednesday, Nov 23, 2005 at 21:29
Wednesday, Nov 23, 2005 at 21:29
A bit difficult if its a tow truck job or your a hospital case. I think its about time that the manufacturers realised that if a vehicle full of fuel carrying a legal number of passengers and some luggauge is breaking its GVM, which can have enormous insurance ramifications, that is not acceptable. How difficult can it be at the manufacturing level to add a few hundred extra kilograms of GVM. Perhaps some slightly more heavy duty axles and springs?
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Follow Up By: Willem - Thursday, Nov 24, 2005 at 20:59
Thursday, Nov 24, 2005 at 20:59
I am wondering if there are any statistics from Insurance Claims where GVM has been a factor in payouts?
One can worry too much about these insignificant things lol
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Reply By: glenno(qld) - Wednesday, Nov 23, 2005 at 21:08
Wednesday, Nov 23, 2005 at 21:08
Buy a troopy if it bothers you.
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Reply By: Peter 2 - Wednesday, Nov 23, 2005 at 21:56
Wednesday, Nov 23, 2005 at 21:56
I wouldn't rely on a troopy being within its GVM either, having been refused a lift on a tilt tray (the front
wheels of the truck did lift off the ground as he started to tilt the tray level) with a troopy which weighed
well over its GVM (6 seater 3200kg's)
The tare is supposed to be 2205kg, but that is a dry production weight, add lubricants, coolant, battery, fuel, aircon (not included in tare weight on Tojo's) and if anyone can legitimately get one to weigh much less than 2400 they are doing
well. Still only leaves 750 - 800kgs, 6 passengers at 70kg, 180 litres fuel, bullbar, etc etc and they would still be over gvm.
The RTA has had inspection points on the hwy at peak (xmas holidays) pulling over all vehicles towing or fitted with bike racks a few times, quite a few fined and defected too.
I was refused a written weighbridge ticket in the NT for my troopy as the operator didn't want me to get in the poo if pulled over and a ticket stating it was over gvm (4.1t with fuel, food, 5 bods, tinnie, outboard etc) was found in the vehicle.
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Follow Up By: Markymark - Wednesday, Nov 23, 2005 at 22:07
Wednesday, Nov 23, 2005 at 22:07
So do the RTA seriously expect everyone to weigh their vehicles, trailers etc before they go on holidays? If you booked for speeding
well every car has a speedo so at least you have an idea of what you're doing, but to weigh everything that goes in your rig or put it over a public weighbridge before heading off is rubbish. I've never done it before so I have no idea how much they cost but if the RTA are serious then they should be discounting it for everyday motorists. Do you reckon they're going to do that?...
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Follow Up By: Markymark - Wednesday, Nov 23, 2005 at 22:11
Wednesday, Nov 23, 2005 at 22:11
and imagine the line ups at
Easter time. I'm guessing you're going to have to have everyone in the car for a correct weight and if you're over, go back home unload some stuff, go back and line up again for another go...c'mon, where's some common sense here.
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Follow Up By: Member - Blue (VIC) - Wednesday, Nov 23, 2005 at 23:49
Wednesday, Nov 23, 2005 at 23:49
Markymark,
the law would say ensuring your vehicle is within it's GVM is common sense... And it's about $25 to weigh at a public weigh bridge. I have weighed everything that goes into my setup, including the camper both empty and loaded. Then again, I do have the advantage of using the calibrated scales here at work, good for upto 1500kg and still accurate down to 25kg. Every light thing was weighed on bathroom scales.
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Follow Up By: Member - Blue (VIC) - Wednesday, Nov 23, 2005 at 23:56
Wednesday, Nov 23, 2005 at 23:56
Also I was pulled up at the weigh bridge at
Broadford on my way to
Bright... They did a split weigh in for GVM/GCM comparison. There was a bloke there who was grounded, he had bags of cement in the back of the XE Falcon wagon stacked up to window height and a 6x4 trailer with hungry boards and about a metre of gravel in it... Poor car was sitting on it's bump stops.
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Follow Up By: traveller2 - Thursday, Nov 24, 2005 at 08:28
Thursday, Nov 24, 2005 at 08:28
At the moment probably the only time you would get busted would be in the case of a serious accident where someone was seriously injured or heaven forbid killed. Probably wouldn't even be your fault as most of us are aware that driving a heavily laden 4wd is totally different to a car.
But accidents do happen, the idiot coming the other way, the idiot that caused a mate to crash when he changed lanes (in a Landrover!) to avoid an
echidna etc.
But having a vehicle set up to handle the load, under GVM you might have a better chance with brakes and general vehicle control in an emergency situation. We won't get into what loads on roof racks and vehicle lifts do to centre of gravity and response in emergencies.
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Follow Up By: Member - Jeff M (WA) - Thursday, Nov 24, 2005 at 10:53
Thursday, Nov 24, 2005 at 10:53
Hell the surf carries
well over a tonne, and they are right, the Tare weight of the surf according to Toyota is 1700kg!? I went over the weigh bridge at
the tip and I had an empty
tank of fuel, no
water tank or
tools or anything, two blokes in the car and on the way out we were still 2.2T!? Go figure.
Vehicle lifts may effect the COG, however I know the surf handles a hell of a lot better on road with the 2" lift and no sway bar than it did stock. The
suspension is much firmer, the shocks are heaps better and the air bags prevent sway.
But yeah, you do have to remeber what you've got on board. I can
trundle off up the
hill from our place slowly and not realise how heavy we are until we start going down the
hill to the main road and you actually have to stop the bugger, then you realise and it's a good wake up call to remind you that you need more stopping distance!
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Follow Up By: Markymark - Thursday, Nov 24, 2005 at 11:50
Thursday, Nov 24, 2005 at 11:50
Blue the point I'm getting at is legally if I have a full
tank in the Falcon I can only carry 2 adults and myself with no luggage. Now that is ridiculuos, not common sense!
If everyone had access to scales at work then I can pretty much guarantee we'd all be doing what you are too. I certainly don't overload when we go away, I value my family too much for that, and I do cringe when I see rigs overloaded to the hilt...it could be my family they run into.
Vehicle manufacturers need to look at realistic GVM for their vehicles, it's only a matter of time before insurance companies find another reason to not cover their customers.
Mark.
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Follow Up By: Member - Duncs - Thursday, Nov 24, 2005 at 20:52
Thursday, Nov 24, 2005 at 20:52
I did get stopped once and ticketed when carrying the kids pushies on the back of the Patrol. The issue was not weight but the obstruction of the number plate. The Police Officer did say that he usually gets people for obscuring lights as
well but
mine was OK.
I thought that was nice of him and wished him a merry Christmas too.
Duncs
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Reply By: atoyot - Wednesday, Nov 23, 2005 at 22:28
Wednesday, Nov 23, 2005 at 22:28
I believe that it fairly easy to get the GVM updated by an engineer with only a few minor mods, (maybe tyres and springs), but I think it hits you in the hip pocket at rego time. Our 100 series weighed in at about 3.7t with all aboard on the last trip so I've been wondering as
well. Things like axles etc are often under-rated for margin of error, but just because I've had no problems doesn't mean that there's not one lurking in the future,
Andrew
AnswerID:
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