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Thread: Large Caravan TARE weights

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    Large Caravan TARE weights

    Have been in katherine NT for past 4 months and probably get to see the biggest fleet of road travellers anywhere passing through, many with large caravans.
    It seems all state police intend to start targeting caravanners for their tow ball weights and total caravan weight being towed.
    (Some rigs did look a bit scary with the front wheel almost off the ground, or the back of the vehicle almost touching the road.)

    Just wondering what the average tandem (dual axle) caravans of 5.5 to 6 meters would be at TARE weight?
    Have noticed that most seem to be about 1900- 2300kgs (TARE).
    Is that about the average TARE weight of a large caravan?
    Australian design rules allow for minimum 10% at towball, and evidently prefer <15% for "safety", which might start to put a loaded caravan of that size beyond the allowed towing capacity of many vehicles (possibly except Land Rovers). Which is likely why the pilce have announce a plan to target caravan travellers.

    My interest is that having built a 6 meter enclosed trailer totally of aluminium with a TARE of 1175kgs (wasn't intended as a caravan because it runs tri-axle, which adds 200kgs), I'm wondering if switching to all aluminium construction for caravans (chassis N' all), might start to look like a viable option, especially as vehicles become lighter (as in the new Disco), and as the police start to crack down on overall/towball weight.

    Any thoughts on that?

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    I am pretty sure it isn't the vans themselves that are heavy, It's more likely that its all l the junk people tend to try and cram into their vans that is causing the problems.
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    It is hard to look at a van and know its tare. Generally single axle caravans are 18' or less in body length. They can range from 1600kgs to 2300kgs tare weight. Mine is 16' off road and tare is 2100kg with 400kg load so all up 2500kgs. Tandums are over 18' and most manufacturers make vans upto 23' in length. These can range from a Tare as low as 1800kg upto about 3200kg. At the top end that means in many cases the van is heavier than the tow vehicle especially if its a twin cab ute, and that in most experts opinion is dangerous.
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    Quote Originally Posted by trout1105 View Post
    I am pretty sure it isn't the vans themselves that are heavy, It's more likely that its all l the junk people tend to try and cram into their vans that is causing the problems.
    Vans are soooo much heavier than they used to be - sometimes with good reason, but I think many people don't really consider what they'll actually be doing with said van. Everyone seems to go for big, heavy 'off road' vans which weigh heaps because the chassis are built like brick dunnys. All well and good if you actually will take it down dirt roads, etc on a regular basis but most simply don't and end up in caravan parks each night. Add to this is that everyone wants every mod con, nick nack and new shiny thing on the market in there $100K monsters which again adds weight.

    Go back to the mid 70's and vans weighed bugger all - and there was bugger all in them apart from beds and a sink with a hand pump, but they were half the weight of modern vans. Roads were far worse and despite them being made out of very light materials including the chassis, most stood up to what the average punter would do with them.

    There's still 100's of thousands of these old vans out there in various states of repair - most ending their roving life as on site vans in caravan parks around the country, but there is a growing wave of people who see these old vans as viable alternatives and many are now being restored and put back on the road.

    Those that know me know I'm one of these people. Yes, I like the classic look inside and out and I get why people don't, and that's fine but my 19' van weighs 1,500kg fully loaded and 300 of that is what I've added as extras - batteries, solar, ensuite, etc. It's tare weight from the factory was 1,200Kg - I'd like to see modern 19 footer these days come close to that...
    If you need to contact me please email homestarrunnerau@gmail.com - thanks - Gav.

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    Where in the ADRs does it mandate a minimum of 10% ball weight ?
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    Quote Originally Posted by pop058 View Post
    Where in the ADRs does it mandate a minimum of 10% ball weight ?
    The ADRs are about the technical specifications towbars have to meet to be legal in Australia

    The vehicle or tow bar manufacturers have to specify tow ball down load AND max trailer mass (and GCM) all of which can impact what you can tow (and get booked for exceeding!)

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    Quote Originally Posted by pop058 View Post
    Where in the ADRs does it mandate a minimum of 10% ball weight ?
    Quote Originally Posted by Wilyms View Post
    The ADRs are about the technical specifications towbars have to meet to be legal in Australia

    The vehicle or tow bar manufacturers have to specify tow ball down load AND max trailer mass (and GCM) all of which can impact what you can tow (and get booked for exceeding!)
    I think you missed my point. The OP stated the ADRs require a 10% minimum ball weight. ( which I do not agree with BTW). I was asking where this is written ?
    PaulT

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    Quote Originally Posted by pop058 View Post
    I think you missed my point. The OP stated the ADRs require a 10% minimum ball weight. ( which I do not agree with BTW). I was asking where this is written ?

    I’m pretty sure the ADRs do not specify 10%
    I’ve just skim read the ones I thought applied and did not see a reference

    The 10% rule is more a guide relating to stability of a pig trailer and the tow vehicle.

    This is a good article (I think) on this enormously complicated issue which is not helped by both vehicle and caravan sales people and potential owners having no clue about all the various parameters involved

    Everything you need to know about towing heavy trailers | Practical Motoring

    Also, going back to the OP - there are a few lightweight vans around such as Bailey. The are called Euro vans and have low towball weight because in Europe people tow with, gasp, sedans and hatches and not massive 4x4s to go from one caravan park to another.
    Yes in Oz we have to option to go genuinely off-road to camp and therefore there is that niche market, but from what I’ve seen not many take their up to $200k tow package anywhere except up a few dirt roads.

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    IMHO the reasons that modern vans are heavy is that public demand has made things like ceramic toilets, ceramic wash basins, glass splashbacks, air conditioning,large fridges ,etc seen to be desirable by the buyers . Add 2x100litre tanks and that 200Kg is added to the tare in real life.

    Friends of ours bought such a van and then found ,whoops! my Prado will not tow it as it is over 2500KG, so they bought a Colorado to tow it. Lucky they have lots of money.

    Also there is a demand for immense chassis on off road vans. I would love to see what finite item analysis would make of the chassis on off road vans. but if they were lightened then people probably would not buy them, as they would "look weak".

    A 2003 Coromal Seka offroad 17 foot weighs about 1400Kg tare and they are regarded as one of the most reliable vans on the market , with their aluminium frame. It just amazes me that modern vans are so heavy.
    I could sound sexist here and say that IMHO , wives/partners etc demand these things if they are going to slum it in a van.
    Luckily my wife is happy with our 750Kg tare Camp-o-matic.

    Regards Philip A

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    Quote Originally Posted by Wilyms View Post
    The ADRs are about the technical specifications towbars have to meet to be legal in Australia

    The vehicle or tow bar manufacturers have to specify tow ball down load AND max trailer mass (and GCM) all of which can impact what you can tow (and get booked for exceeding!)
    As pop058 says, Which ADR?
    Is it the same one that stipulates I must use rated shackles on my pigtails? (Still trying to find that one.)

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