Time to weigh-in

There’s nothing more exciting than planning a RV road trip and a well-executed RV holiday comes down to getting the nuts and bolts right. Towing an RV comes with increased responsibility, and you are a critical member in the logistical team. Wrapping your head around legal requirements, vehicle dimensions, towing parts, weights, braking systems, tyres, and the plethora of towing jargon can first feel overwhelming.

And while Jess Herring (pictured right with Dion, from Weigh Station) might be new to the industry, having recently opened True North RV, in Margaret Street, Mount Gambier, she is all too aware of the need to focus on the safety aspects of hitting the road with a caravan, trailer, boat, horse float or camper.

“After speaking with so many of my wonderful customers about weights of their car and caravan, I realised that it was a really hot topic,” Jess said. “Everyone really wants to do the right thing, but unfortunately, it is not as simple as just putting your caravan or trailer onto a weighbridge to see if the weights are correct, it is a lot more complex than many people realise.

“So this motivated me to try and get something organised to help out my customers and the general public. I’m certainly no expert in this area, but really keen to learn more and have already learnt so much in the past couple of months, to help my customers with their questions”.

Jess started doing some research and the concept of the ‘True Weigh Weekend’ was born – with Jess tapping into the expertise of Victorian based Weigh Station to help locally based customers ensure they are complying with towing laws.

“I had seen some great reviews about Weigh Station in Victoria, so I gave Dion a call and explained that I would like organise a weekend where people can bring along their vehicle and trailer, and have it professionally weighed and assessed right here in Mount Gambier,” Jess said.

That is happening this weekend, from February 9-11 and there are only a handful of places left for the event that is being hosted at BCF – Boating, Camping and Fishing in Mount Gambier in the carpark.

“So far the support has been overwhelming and the weekend is almost fully booked out,” Jess said. “Only a few places are remaining. I am so pleased that owners of caravans, boats, horse floats and motorhomes have taken up this fantastic opportunity to get a ‘True Weigh’ of their outfit offered right here in Mount Gambier”.

Weigh Station are fully accredited and after weighting all aspects of your combination, provide a detailed report, as well as personalised service, helpful tips and honest advice on how to make your vehicle and trailer more balanced, checking ball weight, front and rear axle weight, overall weights and will make sure that you are legal with the weights your vehicle can tow, what your van can carry, and how your combination calculates overall.

Incorrect weights are a nationwide issue and Caravan Industry Victoria (CIV) CEO Daniel Sahlberg said it was time to ensure safety was paramount when people were hitting the road towing their chosen RV.

“We’re finding 60 to 65 per cent of either the car or the caravan is overweight,” he said.

Mr Sahlberg said the CIV, which represents 90 per cent of Australia’s caravan manufacturers, has been working with road authorities in South Australia, Queensland, and Victoria to estimate noncompliance with weight restrictions.

“This is all due to aftermarket fittings – either the car or elements of the caravan are overweight, which is done after purchase,” he said.

Motorists need to be aware of their vehicle’s gross vehicle mass (GVM), their van/ trailer aggregated mass (ATM) and their combined Gross Combination Mass (GCM).

“Incorrect Tow Ball Weight is the major contributing factor to trailer accidents,” Jess said. “Tow ball weight that is too light causes sway, that can result in catastrophic consequences.”

Contact True North RV for bookings 0418 830 248 to claim one of the final available places.

Cost: $350 per combination with personalised service by the experts at Weigh Station.