RV FEATURE
OTHER TRAPS
By now , you might be thinking , “ Gee , this caravanning business sounds like a hassle .”
You couldn ’ t be more wrong . You see , matching a tow vehicle to a caravan is something you ’ d only have to do once , or whenever you up or downgrade . Once you ’ re confident in your figures , it ’ s just a matter of ensuring you don ’ t exceed them , and enjoying this fantastic lifestyle .
However , in case you weren ’ t already confused , some vehicle manufacturers apply stipulations to be aware of . The Y62 Patrol is a case in point . Nissan requires that the vehicle ’ s owner reduce the GVM depending on the amount of ball weight on the back . When there ’ s 350kg on the towball , for example , GVM is reduced by 130kg .
Mitsubishi , meanwhile , requires that you reduce the 300kg towball maximum to 180kg when towing 3000kg or more with the mighty Pajero .
The message is , don ’ t take anything for granted . Read your vehicle ’ s handbook , understand its towing and load-carrying capacities , and look for towball and GVM reductions when towing specific weights .
The D-MAX LS-U + has a payload capacity of 388kg when hitched to
3500kg worth of caravan .
WHAT CAN I DO ?
If you were to find yourself in this situation , is there anything you can do ? Yes . You could investigate a GVM upgrade of your vehicle , and there are numerous companies in Australia offering this service . Others offer GCM upgrades , too ; however , the law here seems thorny and it would be wise to proceed with some caution .
Failing that … the only alternative would be to downsize your caravan , or upgrade to a big American ute . But even then you might run into the same problem . Did you know that with the Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie V6 diesel , you ’ re left with 385kg of payload when hitched to 3500kg worth of van with a 350kg laden ball weight ? For perspective , that ’ s less than that offered by the aforementioned D-MAX !
But take heart , fellow traveller . With research , you can avoid all of this by drilling down into the specs of your tow vehicle and understanding its weight and towing ratings before buying that new , lovely caravan .
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