RV FEATURE
He said that he hoped information on these two aspects would be added in future revisions .
The term ‘ ready for service ’, used in the definition for Tare mass , is open to interpretation , Mr Young believes .
“ The consumer is only interested in what the ( empty ) caravan weighs when fitted with all of the options that were specified on the sales contract , regardless of whether the options were fitted by the manufacturer or the dealer .”
The word ‘ recommended ’, as used in the definition for ATM and GTM (“ The maximum load recommended by the manufacturer …”) is problematic , too , Mr Young said .
“ It is suggested that the word ‘ recommended ’ ( by the manufacturer ) be changed to ‘ specified ’ or ‘ stipulated ’.
Further , My Young believes a caravan ’ s unladen ball-loading should be required to be stated on the van ’ s vehicle plate .
“ The empty ball-loading is a critical item regarding caravan handling and stability , and is paramount in relation to how safely the caravan will handle on the road , both empty and loaded ,” he said . “ This is clearly important information for the consumer to know , to best ensure safe loading and towing of their caravan .”
Ball Weight
WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN ?
VSB 1 – Revision 6 is an important , voluminous document relating to the new Road Vehicle Standards Act . It details a great deal more than the definitions of Tare , GTM and ATM . However , we wanted to focus on these items because they are a constant source of confusion among the caravanning public and felt it would be instructive to report how the federal government defined them .
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