Once you’ve got all of your other caravan towing weights sorted, you’ll be wondering how much payload you’ve actually got left for your gear.
The vehicle and caravan payloads or ‘loading weights’ are the combined weights of all items that you can add or load into your vehicle and/ or caravan.
Think of payload as your available carrying capacity (i.e. how much “stuff” you can load into it).
Both the Vehicle Payload Calculator and the Caravan Payload Calculator give you a quick and easy way to figure out how much payload allowance you will have while still keeping your set up legal and safe.
Weights you’ll need for using these calculators:
- Vehicle GVM
- Vehicle EMPTY Weight (either Tare or Kerb)
- Caravan ATM
- Caravan TARE Weight
If you’re not sure where to find the above weights, scroll down past the calculators for step-by-step instructions.
More on Towing Weights:
| To be used as a guide only, always do your own due diligence. If you’re not confident with working out your caravan towing weights, it’s recommended that you get a professional to weigh your set-up. This will ensure that you’re complying with all insurance and safety requirements. |
Vehicle & Caravan Payload Calculators
Your payload is the weight allowance you have left above the tare weight (“empty”), but without exceeding the car’s GVM and/ or the caravan’s ATM (maximum allowable “full” weights).
When using the Vehicle Payload Calculator, you can either use Tare or Kerb as your empty weight:
- TARE – Completely empty car with only 10L of fuel
- KERB – Completely empty car with full fuel tank/s
NOTE: If you use Kerb Weight, your fuel has already been accounted for, so now your leftover payload is for driver + passengers + luggage & accessories
Use the Caravan Payload Calculator below to work out your available caravan payload.
Here’s how to work out your payloads manually if you don’t have access to the calculators above…
| VEHICLE PAYLOAD = GVM – Vehicle Empty Weight CARAVAN PAYLOAD = ATM – Caravan Tare Weight |
How to Find Your GVM, ATM, Kerb & Tare Weights
Vehicle GVM
The Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) is the maximum allowable weight of the vehicle including the driver, passengers, luggage, plus aftermarket accessories and modifications.
It’s important to remember that the vehicle GVM also includes the Tow Ball Weight if you are hitching up a caravan or trailer to the back.
The GVM is set by the manufacturer and is the maximum weight that the vehicle must never exceed.
Vehicle GVM:
- Set by manufacturer
- LOCATION: Vehicle’s VIN Plate or find it on Redbook
- INCLUDES: Driver, passengers, accessories, modifications, luggage & Tow Ball Weight
Vehicle TARE Weight
The Vehicle Tare is the weight of an empty vehicle with all of its fluids and only 10L of fuel, but no luggage, driver or passengers.
To find out the Tare Weight of your vehicle, you will need to empty it out of all luggage and gear and make sure there’s only about 10L of fuel in the tank. Then head to your nearest Weighbridge and weigh the car using the instructions below.
How to measure the VEHICLE TARE:
- Ensure the car is empty of all luggage, passengers etc. & has only 10L of fuel
- Drive vehicle onto weighbridge
- The driver must exit the vehicle and get off the weighbridge
- Record the weight
Vehicle KERB Weight
The Vehicle Kerb Weight is the weight of an empty vehicle with all of its fluids and full fuel tank/s, but no luggage, driver or passengers.
To find out the current Kerb Weight of your vehicle, you will need to empty it out of all luggage and gear and make sure the fuel tank/s are full. Then head to your nearest Public Weighbridge and weigh the vehicle using the instructions below.
How to measure the VEHICLE KERB:
- Ensure the car is empty of all luggage, passengers etc., but has full fuel tank/s
- Drive vehicle onto weighbridge
- The driver must exit the vehicle and get off the weighbridge
- Record the weight
Caravan ATM
The Aggregate Trailer Mass (ATM) is the maximum allowable weight of the caravan, which is set by the manufacturer. It’s much like the vehicle’s GVM, but this is the trailer version.
Finding your caravan’s ATM is easy as it should be stamped onto the caravan VIN plate.
Caravan ATM:
- Set by manufacturer
- WHERE TO FIND: Caravan’s VIN Plate
- INCLUDES: Accessories, luggage, full water tanks, gas bottles, toolboxes, bikes, gear etc.
Caravan TARE Weight
The Caravan Tare is the weight of the caravan when it’s completely empty.
When looking at the Tare Weight on the caravan’s VIN Plate, that figure will include any accessories fitted at the time of the build, but with empty water tanks and empty gas cylinders.
However, for the purpose of calculating your caravan’s payload allowance I do not recommend using the VIN plate Tare. The reason is that any additional permanent accessories or modifications that have been made to the van won’t be included in that figure, which will make you think you’ve got more payload allowance that what you actually do.
Follow the instructions below to find your actual current Caravan Tare Weight using a public weighbridge.
How to measure the CARAVAN TARE:
- Ensure the caravan is empty of all luggage, accessories, gear, food, water, gas etc.
- Drive the caravan onto the weighbridge
- Unhitch the caravan from the car and drive the car off the weighbridge, leaving only the caravan on the scales
- Record the weight
If you have a trailer or caravan, use the complete calculator below to work out all of your towing weights.
Use the ‘weights’ column in the Caravan Packing List below to help sort out your payload!
Caravan Packing List
Never forget a thing with the ULTIMATE Caravan Packing List!
- Pre-filled with 600+ items
- 17 categories
- ‘Weight’ column (to organise payload)
- PRINTABLE – fully customisable
- DIGITAL – completely interactive
- Download once, use it over-and-over
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