No Options Apply 17.56-2 Maximum Ball Weight

[Storm Boy]

Hi all,

We picked up a 2012 17.56-2 several months ago and I’ve been playing with weights and working out how best to set the van up.

One thing that is not clear is the maximum ball weight allowed. The plate shows ATM as 2225kg and GVM as 2095kg (Tare 1750kg), giving a theoretical ball weight of 130kg at maximum GVM, not very realistic with this van. No maximum ball
mass is stated on the plate.

I’ve put the van and tug over a weighbridge several times to ascertain various weights.

Actual ball weight when loaded will be quite different of course, mine is around 200kg when fully loaded.

The tug is a 120 Prado, rated capacity of 2,500kg and 250kg ball.

Is anyone aware of a maximum ball mass for this particular model and year (2012) Expanda? Just want to keep it all within limits for safety and insurance reasons.

Thanks,

Matt

 

[Johnanbev]

Hi Matt,
The placarded ball weight is the ball weight measured on the empty van as it leaves the factory.
Maximum ball weights are not published or placarded.
The limiting ball weight is the maximum allowed for your tug.
Further GVM + Ball Wt. = ATM. It is for this calculation that ball weight at tare is measured. GVM is controlled by engineering and axle limits.

 

[Storm Boy]

@Johnanbev thanks for the reply, much appreciated.

Cheers,

Matt.

 

[Drover]

What @Johnanbev said but GVM is actually GTM, since you have a Prado tug then 250kg is your max ball weight, the only thing to take note of on your compliance plate is the GTM and ATM , axle weights if noted should be more than the GTM, all the other figures are just fluff info, the tare is a mythical figure never to be seen again.........your Prado can tow what it says on its plate when its empty but the figure will decrease as you load it up, if you stay 500kg under the limit your usually okay, the scales should show the GTM of the van plus the GVM (including ball weight) of the tug should be less than the GCM of the tug, as an aside even then you could be overloaded if a tug axle weight is over its limit, there is a lot more to the scales mysteries than many imagine..

The tug ball weight is included in the tugs payload it's not an additional bonus, ie; tug payload is 400kg and ball is 200kg you have only 200kg left to throw in your tug.


http://www.withoutahitch.com.au/caravan/understanding-caravan-towing-capacity/

 

[Storm Boy]

Thanks @Drover . I’ve been keeping an eye on the GCM and tug GVM (loaded) too, fortunately we have some wriggle room there.

Cheers,

Matt

 

[Bluey]

I have a 2014 same model and a 120series prado i know my van is 265kg on the ball with only water on board checked by a professional with excellent scales when van had just been picked up from brand new dont trust what eva plate says its 99.9 % wrong

 

[Storm Boy]

Thanks @Bluey

I put the van over the weighbridge the day after we picked it up, and with full gas bottles, full toilet top tank and empty everything else, our van ball weight was around 180kg. When I checked it about a week ago it was around 200kg loaded. This was perhaps not a perfect weight as it was measured with the garden variety Towsafe ball scales, not a registered set of scales. Also, the van was not perfectly level but was not far off.

 

[Bluey]

A tow ball or reese tow bar dealer will or should be able to weigh it there scales are normally pretty good when i weigh it with the garden variety scale im allways under 200 i trust the reese dealer scales more then mine evan at a multy deck weigh bridge and dropping the car the ball weight on 1 deck still came up over 200 but doing it like that is not perfict

 

[Drover]

Thanks @Bluey

I put the van over the weighbridge the day after we picked it up, and with full gas bottles, full toilet top tank and empty everything else, our van ball weight was around 180kg. When I checked it about a week ago it was around 200kg loaded. This was perhaps not a perfect weight as it was measured with the garden variety Towsafe ball scales, not a registered set of scales. Also, the van was not perfectly level but was not far off.

I think you will be good with those figures, I usually travel with just one water tank full, that way I have 70kgs less on the axles and might drop 2kg off the ball if I'm lucky, does sound like you have it loaded nicely you never want to be running anything at the max be it speed, loadings or throttle position................... I reckon an empty van weighed with full water, full gas with screens, mat, jack and the other basic van gear should be weighed so that then becomes your true base line or tare weight, you can then work out how much junk to add then.

For the first couple of runs experiment with your tyre pressures use the plated figures as a start point then depending how the tyres handle, look adjust to what feels good......check when cold then after a run down the road check again they should be around 4 - 6 psi higher, thats the sweet spot on a day around 25 - 30 deg.........the psi that others may use won't be the same unless they have the same tyres, size and tyre rating changes things so much..............