Overweight caravan problem getting worse

The overweight caravan epidemic in Australia appears to be getting worse, with Queensland Police reporting a majority of caravans pulled over in roadside blitzes are overloaded or overweight.

Most recently, a roadside safety check conducted by Longreach Police Constable Chris Curtis along the Landsborough Hwy near the caravan park found three quarters of the caravan rigs pulled over, overweight on at least one measure.

"Results have also shown that 9 (out of) 10 caravans and caravan combinations on the road are overweight, and this week in Longreach, 9 out of 12 were shown to be overweight," Constable Curtis said in a social media post.

An overweight or unbalanced caravan rig is a major safety issue as it can lead to uncontrollable caravan sway, the trailer 'jack-knifing' and a roll-over, particularly at higher speeds and when travelling on busy major thoroughfares like Queensland's Bruce Highway.

Queensland Police said no tickets or fines were issued during the most recent roadside blitz, with the main aim of the exercise to increase road safety through community engagement and education.

"We're not ticketing anyone today, it's about coming in and getting your van weighed to see if you're overweight or not," Constable Curtis said. "Most people are over in some way."

He said RV travellers should be aware of how much extra weight they put in both their tow vehicle and caravan, as they don't always get the chance to weigh the fully-loaded rig either on a public weighbridge or by using a mobile weigh station service.

However, he warned that police may decide to penalise 'overweight' caravanners in the future.

"At the moment, it's all about education, but there may come a time when you could incur a fine for being overweight."

It's not the first time the spotlight has been shone on the problem of overweight caravans, with more than half of the caravans pulled over in a Victoria police operation in 2017 found to be overweight, while other evidence provided by mobile weigh specialists deliver similar statistics.

Caravan Industry Victoria in conjunction with VicRoads launched a program in 2019 to gather data around the prevalence of overweight caravan rigs. A voluntary weight and safety check conducted by the industry body at the Bendigo Leisurefest show in 2019 found many owners were unaware that their tow vehicle and/or caravan were over the 'plated' weight limits.

It's prompted some safety campaigners to argue for improved education for caravan buyers, or even a mandatory recreational towing licence.

Meanwhile, the Caravan Industry Association of Australia recently produced a short educational video to explain basic towing weights to inexperienced caravanners as well as those concerned about carrying too much weight when towing a large caravan...