GVM, GCM, ATM, GTM, TBM…….. What do they all mean?

We will go through everything in detail during your appointment and we will then give you all that information for you to take home in our final report. In the meantime, head to the bottom of the page where you find a link to receive a copy of our easy to read acronym worksheet.

Why should you get your vehicle and caravan/trailer weighed?

Tow vehicles and trailers/caravans have specific limits that are enforceable under the law. If one or both are overweight they are classified as an unroadworthy vehicle and you could be fined and lose demerit points. Worst still, your chances of being involved in an accident increases when you are overweight and/or unbalanced and if your insurance company deems that being overweight contributed to the incident, they may choose not to pay your claim.

Further more, an overweight trailer/caravan can put stress on our vehicle and its parts, you will use more fuel, they can become more unstable and cause an accident and can make it harder to recover from an emergency situation such as sway and slippery roads etc.

Testing conducted in QLD in July 2022 showed that 90% of car and caravan combinations were overweight whilst testing conducted around the same time in NSW showed 75% were overweight . If you are part of this statistic, you are putting the lives of yourself, your family and other road users on the line.

What types of equipment do we use and what can we weigh?

AusWide Weighing & Safety uses NuWeigh state-of-the-art, wireless, weighing equipment to weigh each wheel of your vehicle and trailer individually as well as the tow ball. We can weigh up to 4 wheels at a time to a total of 8 tonnes including, but not limited to cars, 4WDs, trade vehicles, motor homes, caravans, camper trailers, vans, horse floats, and boat trailers.

Our weigh pads are calibrated every 12 months, by Newcastle Weighing Services, a NATA Certified business, to ensure their accuracy. All 4 pads and our tow ball scale weigh in 1kg increments ensuring the most comprehensive results.

Where are appointments conducted?

To ensure we get the most accurate reading we need a flat, level surface, generally concrete or tar, that is large enough for both the vehicle & trailer to be driven whilst being safe and away from traffic.

As we are travelling Australia we are often in towns for the first time so at each location we will source a suitable area where you can meet us, or if you have something suitable at home or where you are staying we can come to you.

You will be required to drive your vehicle on to the weigh pads and unhitch and hitch your caravan/trailer throughout the appointment.

What do you need to prepare for the appointment?

To give you the most accurate reports for your set up we require your vehicle and caravan/trailer to be fully loaded, or as close as possible, as if you were about to leave for a trip, go to work or go fishing etc. We like to work off ‘worse case’ scenario. Remember, there is no point being underweight empty but then being overweight when you pack your things to hit the road.

This includes, but is not limited to; full fuel tanks, full water tanks, full gas bottles, all accessories that are going to be fitted to the car and caravan, spare tyres, jerry cans, bull bars, generator, sporting equipment, cooking equipment, bedding/linen, groceries & alcohol, extra fridges/freezers, appliances, tools, chairs and outdoor furniture, toiletries and clothes.

This will also help when we look at your load distribution, especially if we need to move or remove any contents to help bring you within manufacturers limits or to make you more balanced.

Why not just go to a public weigh bridge?

Weigh bridges are not set up for light vehicle and light trailer use specifically, and therefore do not provide ALL the weights needed to consider when towing a caravan or trailer. They also are not as accurate as they usually weigh in 20kg or 25kg increments where as our scales weigh in 1kg increments.

Weigh bridges do not provide any education or follow-up assistance and do not work with you to look at your load distribution to ensure you are as safe as possible whilst on the road. At AusWide Weighing Services we do all of that and pride ourselves on the information and education we provide.

To find out what to expect from your appointment head to our ‘service & pricing’ page'.

What does our service cost and what do we get out of our appointment.

Head over to our ‘service & pricing’ page to find out everything to do with how much our service costs and what you get from your appointment.

What payments do we accept.

We accept direct credit (Osko) Payments on the day of the appointment or cash. We now also offer card payment however you will incur a merchant fee of 1.7% of the transaction cost.