LoadGood Load Calculator
Do you know the effect on your axles and ball load if adding bicycles to the trailer drawbar or adding a spare tyre to the roof of the car?
The distribution of weights when towing matters.
If you cannot answer these questions, download the application ‘LoadGood’ and let it calculate in advance how the placement of what loads in what locations will affect the loads placed on car and/or trailer axles and tow balls.
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What gear should you take camping
Load distribution when towing
If you’re a camper and traveller, there is a huge chance by now that you’ve given at least a moment’s thought to the gear you take and its impact on the car – and possibly your trailer. While I’m not trying to preach to you here, I thought I’d do up a couple of videos that try to take the ‘black magic’ out of the terms and acronyms such as Axle Loads, Gross Trailer Mass (GTM), Payload, Gross Trailer Mass (GTM) and Aggregate Trailer Mass (ATM) – to name a few.
Watch your loads
The loads you put in, and on, your car and/or trailer have a flow -on effect to the axle loads – as does where you physically place these loads fore and aft of the axles.
So, join me now as I work with you to demystify these loads and their effect, using bits of timber, a couple of kitchen scales and some sugar cubes.
Part 1 – Placing loads in and on your tow vehicle
Times have changed. Towing with an underpowered vehicle and towing weights that are not evenly distributed can, in today’s climate, be likened to throwing the kids in the car – all seven of them, without safety belts or putting your newborn into a basket on the back seat of the vehicle.
Accidents happen, but applying these safety tips and understanding the science behind them will make your trip that bit safer.
Imagine, hitting the brakes to avoid hitting a kangaroo, only to feel the backload behind your vehicle swaying – and then the rest of story can end up very ugly.
Part 2 – Naming the loads in and on your tow vehicle
If you’re a camper and traveller, there is a huge chance by now that you’ve given at least a moment’s thought to the gear you take and its impact on the car – and possibly your trailer. This is my second Vlog where I look at taking the ‘black magic’ out of the terms and acronyms such as Tare of the tow vehicle, the Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM), the tow vehicle’s Payload and the Axle Loads. The loads you put in, and on (via the roof and towbar), your car have a flow-on effect to the axle loads – as does where you physically place these loads fore and aft of the axles.
Join me now as I work with you to further demystify these loads and their effect, using bits of timber, a couple of kitchen scales and some sugar cubes.
Also take a look at this ready reckoner that I’ve prepared to help you understand the naming of loads and their limits.
Car and Trailer Loads Explained
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More information on these terms, their definition and how they’re used in caravan, campertrailer and trailer design can be found at the Australian Government’s National Code of Practice for Building Small Trailer’s (click here and refer page 12 for definitions).
Part 3 – Adding trailer loads to your tow vehicle
Remember the distribution of weights when towing cannot be underestimated.
If you’re a camper and traveller, there is a huge chance by now that you’ve given at least a moment’s thought to the gear you take and its impact on the car – and possibly your trailer. This is my third vLog on the subject of loads that we take on our travels and their very impact on the car and the trailer.
Basic Principles around the loads
The first covered some very basic principles around the loads in, or on, the car and how their position affected the loads on the axles. The second, introduced some terminology and acronyms that would help dispel some of the black magic around this subject. Having said that, there is now a lot of chatter on social media around these matters. So, it’s important that your brain doesn’t explode and that you have some sort of basic grasp before your fall into that ‘chasm of despair’ and say it’s all too hard!
Make yourself a cuppa, or pour a good strong drink, and have a look at what I’ve pulled together here using some bits of wood and three kitchen scales. Please take your time and pause, rewind or even give me a yell. (See the end of the blog for links to videos).
Part 4 – Adding, removing and moving loads in your trailer
If you’re a camper and traveller, there is a huge chance by now that you’ve given at least a moment’s thought to the gear you take and its impact on the car – and possibly your trailer. I’ve produced a series of videos that take the ‘black magic’ out of the terms and acronyms such as Axle Loads, Gross Trailer Mass (GTM), Payload, Gross Trailer Mass (GTM) and Aggregate Trailer Mass (ATM) – to name a few.
The loads you put in, and on, your car and/or trailer have a flow-on effect to the ball and axle loads – as does where you physically place these loads fore and aft of the ball and the axles. This is the fourth in this series.
Start at episode pt 1
You may like to start at episode one, as I step you through the concepts and terms that are oh so important to safe travels on the road. So, come with me now as we move on from bits of timber and sugar cubes (see my earlier episodes) and step up to a box trailer and a jerry of water to see how the location of a load behind or in front of the trailer’s axle affects the load on the trailer’s A-frame And, in turn, the load on the tow ball and the car / trailer axles.
After you’ve seen this series, you’ll have a better understanding about the terms used when loading vehicles and trailers; why certain limits are applied by the manufacturers and law makers; and why we all need to be aware of them. Gone are the days of hooking a 25 foot caravan on the back of the old ‘64 EH Holden using a tow bar that your ol’ man made.
To pull all this together in one place, LoadGood steps you through the impacts of adding, removing and moving loads in and on your vehicle and or trailer.
Blog for more understanding on LoadGood Load Calculator
Understanding Terms and Using Them in a Sentence for Travellers
With this knowledge, you can understand what your car / tow vehicle weighs; how much you can add to it; what you need to take away from; it and where to put it or move it to.
GVM – gross vehicle mass
For the purposes of this discussion, your vehicle’s weight is simply that found by driving onto any weighbridge (be it at the local rubbish dump or weigh station). This will be your vehicle’s actual Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM).
For a more educated weighing service with advice on loads and where to place them etc, I strongly suggest that you seek out the services of a weighing specialist. This information becomes even more important if your looking to buy a new trailer, already have a caravan or trailer or looking to upgrade.
This actual GVM (weight) is not to be confused with your vehicle’s maximum GVM – which is the maximum weight the manufacturer has designed the car for (or if it has been modified to carry more). You’ll find this figure inside the vehicle’s manual (possibly in the glovebox), on the manufacturer’s website, from a car sales yard or other third party websites (just check the accuracy).
Tare
The Tare is the ‘empty’ weight of the vehicle as the manufacturer has specified it to be. This figure is somewhat subjective as it does not include all loads such as passengers and a full tank of fuel (refer to the above definitions). Again, this can be found in the manual etc – but it really isn’t worth busting your gut to find.
Payload
Understanding the Payload, on the other hand, as the load that the vehicle can carry between what you would normally drive around town with and those extras you’d take away with you on a trip (eg the family on trips, a dog or two, food, camping gear and extra fuel etc etc) is perhaps the most important thing.
The Art of What to Take and What to Jettison when planning a trip
The trick is pack what you need, what you want and what you think you might need; and not exceed the vehicles maximum GVM – or its maximum axle loads (both front and rear). Then, if the actual exceeds the limit, you’ll need to prioritise what you take and what you leave behind (I suggest that it’s not your partner or the kids).
But Wait… There’s More to Come
Then… just when you understand all that, I’m gonna throw in the loads of the caravan, campertrailer or trailer and how they impact on the trailer itself and tow vehicle’s maximum ball load and axle loads limits – but that’s for next time.
Take this away with you. Think: Distribution of weights when towing.
