Compliance plates stating max towball weight

[twscoot]

Does anyone know why Jayco have stated putting the 'off the production line' towball weight and a 'maximum' towball weight.

I am about to take delivery of a new van and the weights are very close meaning once gas and water are added there's little room for much else. (164kg towball weight, 212kg maximum towball weight).

They will sort out the issue for me but I wondered what the legalities of having a maximum towball weight was. - Even if they increase it to 10% of the ATM which in my case will be around 265kg.

I am we'll aware of the issues of towing within your means/vehicle capacity etc so my question is just about the use of the 'maximum towball' specification on a compliance plate.

Perhaps it could be treated as a guide only and provided you stay within vehicle specs you'd be fine?

Comments?
Cheers
Andrew

 

[Pace]

Does anyone know why Jayco have stated putting the 'off the production line' towball weight and a 'maximum' towball weight.

I am about to take delivery of a new van and the weights are very close meaning once gas and water are added there's little room for much else. (164kg towball weight, 212kg maximum towball weight).

They will sort out the issue for me but I wondered what the legalities of having a maximum towball weight was. - Even if they increase it to 10% of the ATM which in my case will be around 265kg.

I am we'll aware of the issues of towing within your means/vehicle capacity etc so my question is just about the use of the 'maximum towball' specification on a compliance plate.

Perhaps it could be treated as a guide only and provided you stay within vehicle specs you'd be fine?

Comments?
Cheers
Andrew

Andrew, what van are you getting? If it has twin tanks ,then fill the rear tank to counter the weight to the rear, this will assist. I done some ball weight runs at home and found this to be true, minimal in my case though something.

Yes, the authorities do blitz's on caravans along the highways as they pull out of town's and do weigh towball weights, have seen this for myself. Have read on the forum here to that some stated compliance plates are incorrect, very disappointing to know before you got to hand over the bank cheque to take your van away, i guess. Hope i have helped you.
Cheers Pace.

 

[twscoot]

Thanks Pace. It's a Starcraft 20.62-3 outback.
Cheers
Andrew.

 

[Paul75]

G'day Andrew. I found this a bit strange also. I've got a 18.57-7OB with a plated 171kg ball weight and 218kg maximum. When I took it over the public weighbridge on the way home after pickup it had a 180kg ball weight. I have 3 water tanks, 2 forward of the axles and 1 behind so I imagine with full water and gas on the drawbar I will be getting close to the maximum. When I get a chance I will fill everything up and see how it goes. If it's over I'll be back to Jayco to get it changed as I don't think it would be reasonable to have a maximum ball weight that will be exceeded when factory fitted water tanks are full.
Cheers, Paul.

 

[twscoot]

Hi Paul.
Exactly the same issue. From what I can gather there is no requirement legally from an ADR perspective to have towball weight stamped on a compliance plate (obviously you would want to know though) so put the question out there if anyone has been stopped for a 'weight check' by the authorities - were they interested in this or merely that your vehicle could handle the ATM and towball weight? And of course that you were not exceeding the ATM of the van itself.

 

[twscoot]

Ok.....

Here's the go for those that are interested and it seems to make sense.

Spoke to my very helpful dealer today who has made enquiries for me.

The towball weight stamp is the off the production line towball weight. We are all used to this.

The maximum towball weight now being stamped on our vans is that towball weight plus 10% of the load capacity of the van.

Eg.
Towball weight may be 160kg.

ATM may be 2600kg including a load capacity of 475kg so the equation for maximum towball weight is:

160 (Towball weight) + 47.5 = 207.7kg (Maximum Towball Weight)

It's all about ensuring people load their vans correctly and distribute it evenly.

I know this example doesn't live up to the 10% of the total load 'rule' on thw towball but then again this was just a rule of thumb and it is getting close.

Phew! Glad I got that off my chest.

In my case I have requested they consider a slightly higher Maximum towball weight which they are considering. This will get me closer to the 10% of the ATM. This has to be done by the factory though I understand.

Hope this has been of some help.

Cheers

Andrew

 

[chartrock]

One of the vans I viewed at the Brisbane caravan sellout today had a plate stating Ball weight 235kg, Maximum Ball Weight 240kg. I asked the salesman there about it and he could not understand it so he asked his boss who had a look and said it must be a 'typo'. :nono: Yeah, right. It was stamped into the plate and this on a van that had 2 water tanks in front of the axle and none behind. :noidea:

 

[Paul75]

Thanks for the info @twscoot. Let us know how you go with the increase request through the factory.

 

[twscoot]

So to round this off I have had two different plates subsequently fitted.

The first upped the figure by adding 15% of the payload weight to the unloaded/empty ball weight. This was done within days of delivery (almost a year ago).

Came in around 235kg. Not enough if you view my thread here.

http://www.expandasdownunder.com/threads/andrews-20-62-3-starcraft-outback.3937/page-3#post-92012

It is now 300kg after a further call to our Jayco dealer a couple of months ago who were helpful and understood the issue.

 

[icetechaus]

What really gets my goat on these discussions is Max load, Max Towball weight should be calculated engineering functions and not bend over and pluck a figure from the nether regions. whether the maximum towball weight is the safe allowed load on the coupler to prevent the A Frame from buckling or calculated from safe trailer balance proportions there should be a definite figure and not something that can negotiated willy-nilly between Jayco and the customer.

Rant over.
ps this is a comment directed at Jayco and the industry, not the members that are questioning the decisions and definitions.

 

[rodney]

Haven't seen this yet not that I check the plates on the vans I'll ask the guy tommorrow
Tow ball weight once hitched up I would say goes of the tow bar fitted not the van and the weight on the plate is as it came out from the factory empty everything as most hws systems are mounted in front of the axles along with the gas etc

 

[Flanders]

My plate says tow ball 185kg. Max towball weight 1818kg!! Must be a pretty heavy duty drawbar!

 

[yabbietol]

One of the vans I viewed at the Brisbane caravan sellout today had a plate stating Ball weight 235kg, Maximum Ball Weight 240kg. I asked the salesman there about it and he could not understand it so he asked his boss who had a look and said it must be a 'typo'. :nono: Yeah, right. It was stamped into the plate and this on a van that had 2 water tanks in front of the axle and none behind. :noidea:

Was it a Jayco?
No need to know van brand if not.

 

[chartrock]

Was it a Jayco?
No need to know van brand if not.

No, not a Jayco. Can't remember the brand. :doh:

 

[Drover]

I wonder what mine says ???? It's in the boot so has a heap of stuff in the way, I suppose I should be interested, shouldn't I ????

 

[yabbietol]

No, not a Jayco. Can't remember the brand. :doh:

Thanks, that is a relief.