weight of the caravans we are towing, and
importantly the combined weight or gross
combined vehicle mass (GCVM).
"The weight is determined by government,"
says Lamont.
"So they are generally recorded on
identification plates and available for consumers
to understand. The angst that is coming in, is
that consumers go and put it on a weigh bridge
and get a different weight, and that's because
manufacturers can't control it after it leaves
them.
"That's annex poles, jerry can holders, tool
boxes, and it all changes distribution of weight.
A lot of that is being thrown to manufacturers,
when they are quite innocently providing
product."
TESTING THE WATERS
Caravanning Queensland CEO Ron Chapman
says its independent testing with the
Department of Transport and Main Roads, and
Queensland Gas and Petroleum Inspectorate,
has shown most people want to comply with
weight, they just don't often understand what's
required.
The programme pioneered by Caravanning
Queensland has tested more than 1,300 RVs.
Chapman says for the vast majority one of the
worst things is the aluminium boxes on the front
of the caravan and on bumper bars for extra
storage.
"They are the biggest offenders, people think
they have to take everything with them, and
you find chainsaws and generators, tools and
shovels, and at back some have half a forest
in there for the campfire. One thousand one
hundred kilograms is the most we've had over,
and we've had several in the 800s."
He says swaying can be a problem, but the
biggest problem is physical capacity of brakes
and tow bar.
Rob Lucas says CIA VIC has followed
Carvanning Queensland's lead and did 60
tests of its own last year as a pilot, and is now
planning four or five more in regional locations
around Victoria, with Victorian police and
VicRoads.
He says initial testing showed, "there’s a large
trend of consumers overloading the product".
"They put on more tool boxes, generators,
batteries, and solar systems, but the other thing
we found which surprised us is that the cars are
overweight, so the gross vehicle mass was over
... and the car was loaded up with everything
that opens and shuts. It’s not just about caravans
being overweight, what about the car and the
gross vehicle mass."
He says CIA VIC has a strong view around
consumer information and ensuring those
driving RVs are safe, "and there’s an argument
who should do that, and we can have that
argument for ten years and no-one will do it".
"We’ve taken a view to explain it in plain,
Caravanning QLD CEO, Ron Chapman
SAFETY