Bathroom scales won't cut it
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6th Oct 2026 Inside this newsletter👉
Good morning from Adelaide, Knowing the weight of your caravan and tow vehicle is vitally important while travelling. Getting it right can give you peace of mind while you are enjoying your travels, but getting it wrong could lead to unnecessary stress on you, stress on your caravan and tow vehicle, or put you and your family in a dangerous situation. There could be legal and costly implications for being overweight too. So, the good news is weighing your caravan at home is quite simple, and you can easily do it yourself. Let's get stuck into it. Here's a video Tim put together on weights: You can't use bathroom scales for this job!So you need robust, purpose built scales, and there are two key types. Drive on wheel scales are designed to measure the weight of each individual wheel, and something like the Camec 1500kg Drive On Weight Scale does that job. Then there's a tow ball weight scale, which measures the direct downward force of the caravan's hitch on your tow ball, and a Milenco ball weight gauge is a reliable option for that. Just make sure you're on level and solid ground, like a concrete driveway, so your readings are as accurate as possible.
How the weighing actually goesPlace a drive on scale on the ground directly in front of one of the caravan's tyres, drive forward slowly so the tyre is centred on the scale, and record the weight for that single wheel. Then repeat that exact process for every wheel on the caravan and on the tow vehicle. It's crucial to measure each one individually. For the tow ball, with the van hitched on level ground, put the scale directly under the coupling and use the jockey wheel to slowly lower the coupling onto the scale until the jockey wheel is completely off the ground and the scale is taking the full hitch weight. Record that, and that's your tow ball weight. A quick word from our sponsor today:If you're looking to advertise your business here, reply to this email for further information.
What the four sets of letters actually meanGVM, Gross Vehicle Mass, is the total weight of your tow vehicle, so add your tow vehicle's individual wheel weights together. GTM, Gross Trailer Mass, is the weight carried by the caravan's tyres, so add the caravan's wheel weights together. ATM, Aggregate Trailer Mass, is the total weight of the van unhitched, which is GTM plus your tow ball weight. GCM, Gross Combination Mass, is the whole lot, GVM plus GTM. Then compare those against the limits on your compliance plates. It's critical not to exceed any of the manufacturer's specified limits, and for safety and stability, always aim to keep your weights well under the maximums. If you are over, sometimes the issue can be solved by smarter packing rather than leaving things at home, so redistributing weight between the car and the caravan, or moving heavy items closer to the caravan's axles, can make a huge difference. Having your own scales also means you can re-check whenever you like, for example when families grow or when modifications are made.
If you're interested, here are a few articles to have read: Have you ever actually put yours on a set of scales? Hit reply and let us know how close to the limits you came, because plenty of people are surprised. Have a lovely day PS if you'd like a simple schedule for staying on top of the van's checks and servicing through the year, check out Tim's maintenance schedule here​ |
