MORE
THAN
MEETS
THE
EYE
GROSS
COMBINED
MASS.
YES, IT’S
CONFUSING.
WORDS AND IMAGES: MARTY LEDWICH
WWW.RVEETHEREYET.COM
GCM: THE BASICS
When Max, the editor of this mag, asked
me to write an article explaining the ins and
outs of a vehicle's Gross Combination Mass
(GCM), I said, “Yeah, mate, no worries at
all. It’s right up my alley. I should be able to
knock it out in no time.”
I sure dribbled a bibful that day. Three months
later, after many hours of research and
talking to people in the know, I've come to
the conclusion that GCM is a riddle wrapped
in a mystery inside an enigma, and that
any discussion about it is akin to opening
Pandora's box.
12 \
It’s not that GCM is a difficult rating to
understand. It is simply the maximum
combined weight of a particular tow vehicle
and attached trailer. It’s also very easy
to assess whether your rig is within its GCM
limits. Simply visit your local weighbridge, put
your tow vehicle with the trailer attached on
the scales, and note the total weight.
If it’s less than the GCM of the tow vehicle,
you’re okay. If it’s over, you've got work
to do. But finding your vehicle's GCM can
be a challenge. Many of the popular tow
vehicles on Australian roads don't have a