| WORDS : MAX TAYLOR

How legitimate is your van ’ s payload capacity ? Just as importantly , how realistic is it ? First , let ’ s define the term ‘ payload ’. Essentially , payload is the gear you pack , including the water you put in your van ’ s tanks and the gas in its cylinders , as well as the food in the fridge – everything that wasn ’ t on or in the van when it rolled out of the factory door shortly after being weighed . Payload also refers to the weight of all that gear . It is the difference between the van ’ s Tare weight and Aggregate Trailer Mass ( the total permissible weight of the van , stipulated by the manufacturer ). If you ’ ve been around the RV scene for a while , you ’ d know that for many years a 300kg difference between Tare and ATM for a single-axle van and 400kg for a tandem-axle rig was the industry standard . This was commonly accepted . But is 400kg ( or 300kg ) enough for modern caravans ? Frankly , it ’ s almost impossible to give a blanket assessment as we all travel differently . If you pack a generator , or perhaps you ’ ve fitted a second battery , solar panels and the like , then it ’ s probably not enough . But if you travel fairly light , and your van doesn ’ t have more than 100L of onboard water storage , then it ’ s probably okay . It ’ s equally important that you understand your payload and that you do not exceed it .

RUNNING ON EMPTY

The issue of payload is closely tied to another big question , one that ’ s passionately debated in online forums . Are Tare weights accurately reflected on caravans ’ compliance plates ? The bottom line is , without an accurate Tare figure as a starting point , the payload allowance is impossible to calculate . It is the manufacturer ’ s responsibility to accurately describe this figure . And any reputable manufacturer will do so – it ’ s not in their interest to obfuscate on this front . The issue becomes a little clouded , though , when talking about dealer-added options , which won ’ t be included in the Tare and will have to be counted as payload . Some dealers , however , such as Canterbury Caravans in Bayswater , Vic , will work closely with a manufacturer to have certain optional features added at the factory , where they will be incorporated into the Tare figure . This is the preferred way to have options fitted to a new van , at the factory and factored into the van ’ s unladen weight . When buying a van with extra features from a dealer , find out if these features were added by the dealer after the van arrived at its yard , or if they were fitted at the factory , before the van was weighed for Tare . It ’ s possible the dealer has added some accessories as part of an overall sales package to make the van more enticing to buyers . Calculating a van ’ s useable payload becomes more difficult if the van is secondhand . Who knows how many

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