RV FEATURE |
finished, identical vans, would
their Tare weights be exactly
the same?
I knew the answer before he
gave it to me. No. They’d be
close, but due to variances
NO TWO ARE THE SAME
beyond their control, he
Not long ago, I posed a
said, such as the amount of
hypothetical to a senior
galvanising on one chassis
member of one of Australia’s compared to the other, and
well-known caravan
the fact that caravans are
manufacturers.
largely hand-built, it was almost
My question: if
impossible to build them to an
he separately exact weight each time.
weighed
(Some technologically
two of his advanced manufacturers, such
as Track Trailer, can forecast
their Tare weights with
almost pin-point
accessories have been bolted
to the van over the years,
eroding the payload with
each new shelf, bike rack
and satellite dish?
accuracy, it should be said. But
they are the exception, rather
than the rule.)
This is by no means a
scandal, in my view. It merely
reflects the fact the Australian
RV industry hasn’t yet achieved
the same levels of automation
as the car and other industries.
What matters, ultimately, is
that the unladen weight of
the van is accurately recorded
on the compliance plate
and allows for a sensible
payload capacity.
OFFROAD CARAVANS
The proliferation of offroad
caravans since circa 2010
brought with it greater
awareness of the payload
issue. A consensus that
the 300-400kg
payload ‘rule’
was no longer
relevant
began to
form.
gorv.com.au
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