Illegal caravan trailer plate warning

The Caravan Council of Australia has made the startling claim that the majority of RV manufacturers and importers in Australia are guilty of offering caravans and camper trailers with trailer plates labelled with incorrect or incomplete information.

"I would estimate that maybe 90 per cent of caravan and camper trailer manufacturers and importers have trailer plates that are not fully compliant," claimed the CCA's Colin Young, an automotive engineer and caravan safety expert who set up the CCA around eight years ago as a way to raise RV manufacturing standards and protect buyers from poorly-built caravans.

"The vast majority of these (trailer plates) have incomplete information… typically regarding wheel and tyre specifications," Young said.

Many trailer plates also have "incorrect and potentially dangerous information… especially regarding ratings and masses".

"The worst problem is still the long-held ludicrous belief that: Empty Ball Loading = ATM Rating - GTM Rating, or GTM Rating  =  ATM Rating  -  Empty Ball-Loading."

Young said another serious issue is "incorrect, often grossly inaccurate Tare Mass and Empty Ball-Loading figures".

Last year the Caravan Industry Victoria decided to tackle the problem as part of a project addressing the growing number of overweight caravans on Australian roads.

While in early-2020 the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) ordered Melbourne's Roma Caravans to refund $83,000 to the owner of an overweight caravan that experienced sway at speeds under 90km/h. The Roma caravan’s weight was recorded on a weighbridge on two separate occasions at 3560kg and 3360kg, despite the trailer plate indicating a Tare (unloaded) weight of 2700kg.

Young said that it's not uncommon for the Tare mass figure on the trailer plate to be taken from a 'base' or 'typical' 'van of that model, rather than the actual mass of that 'van measured as it comes off the production line, or after all items stated on the sales contract are fitted.

"Often 'van owners are not aware of the true masses, or are quite naive about their importance, until there is a problem on the road," he said.

Underestimated Tare figures can lead to a caravan's travel weight exceeding its ATM rating as a result of an insufficient payload and subsequent overloading.

"The intent of affixing a Trailer Plate to a vehicle is to provide an assurance from the manufacturer (and) to vehicle registration authorities and the purchaser, that the vehicle is fully compliant with all prescribed legislation, and as such it is ready for use on Australian roads," Young said.

"Sadly, for far too many caravans, this is clearly not the case."

Young said buyers of new caravans should ensure that indicated trailer plate masses are "independently checked for accuracy, as prescribed in the licensing contract".

He said the Tare Mass and Empty Ball-Loading as stated on the trailer plate should be physically checked by certified scales or a weighbridge, before taking ownership of the van.

Young said the minimum information required on the caravan trailer plate includes the manufacturer and model name, 17-digit Vehicle Identification Number, the date of manufacture (month/year), the Aggregate Trailer Mass (ATM) rating, and a Certification Statement:  "This trailer was manufactured to comply with the Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989".

"Negligence, ignorance and assumption are not defences for stating any information that is not in strict accordance with the requirements.  Stating any information that is fraudulent is, needless to say, a very grave matter.," he said

Although not required by VSB1 (Vehicle Standards Bulletin No: 1) national regulations governing trailer construction, Young said that manufacturers should also provide Gross Trailer Mass (GTM), Axle-Group rating and Empty Ball-loading information on the trailer plate  "to best ensure that the tow vehicle and caravan are loaded and used in a safe and legal manner".

"The Gross Trailer Mass (GTM) Rating is needed to confirm what braking system is required; is it above or below 2000 kg?," he said.

"The Axle-Group rating and the Gross Trailer Mass (GTM) rating are needed (for non-load-sharing suspension systems) to confirm if the 120 per cent 'safety factor' has been incorporated in the design of the suspension system.

"The Empty Ball-Loading is needed to ensure that the caravan is suitable for the intended tow vehicle, and to assist in correctly loading the caravan so that load-distribution (in a side view) does not cause any rating to be exceeded, or the caravan to develop hazardous handling and stability problems on the road."

Weight measurements should be made when the caravan (including water tanks and gas cylinders) is "completely empty, and fitted with all equipment that is specified on the sales contract".

Young went on to say that it's "essential that all caravan buyers fully understand all of the information that is provided by the manufacturer on the trailer plate, before they accept the caravan, in order to avoid possible major problems in the future".

"It is most prudent to obtain a copy of the certified measurements of the Tare Mass and the Empty Ball-Loading," he said.

"The spotlight on the actual masses only comes on when there is a serious handling or stability incident, or the driver is booked for exceeding a rating when a regulatory authority stops the driver, measures the various masses, and then issues a ticket for being overweight.

"Obviously, when there is a major accident the actual masses, compared to their respective ratings, become critical."

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