Choosing a Tow Vehicle Is Trickier Than You Think…
So… you’ve got a big 3.2T caravan and you figure you simply need a car with a 3.5T towing capacity to do the job and stay legal?
Not so fast there!
Let me offer a scenario that shows how you can easily end up in trouble if you are unaware of the intricacies of managing weights. The acronymns GVM, ATM and GCM all matter here.
GVM = gross vehicle mass. That’s the maximum weight your two vehicle is allowed to be. So for example if you have a Holden Colorado like I do then the kerb weight is 2077kg and the GVM is 3150 Your car cannot exceed 3150kg fully loaded on any occasion.
So you figure that’s ok I can load her up and then hitch up the van?
This is where GCM comes into play. The gross combined mass – the total sum of both car and caravan fully loaded – cannot exceed 6000kg. So just having a 3.5T towing capacity doesn’t mean you can actually tow that amount!
It gets confusing, I know.
And if your caravan’s tare weight (unloaded as it comes from the factory) is 3200kg and the ATM is 3500 then it is gonna be near impossible to make this combination work, because you won’t be able to keep it under 6000 for the GCM.
So if you plan on buying a heavy van (3T+) then you really need to do your numbers before you commit or you could find yourself in a bit of a mess and up for a car changeover to a RAM or similar…
Always know the weight of your caravan and the towing capacity of your car before committing to a purchase. And if you aren’t sure then that’s exactly why you need a mobile caravan weighing service!