
A simple post on social media about a routine traffic stop has sent shockwaves through Australia's caravan community, and for good reason.
Police across the country are stepping up enforcement of weight limits, catching drivers who thought they were getting away with overloaded rigs.
The viral post, shared by a Queensland caravan owner last week, described being pulled over in Capella where police were conducting random breath tests and weighing caravans.
'We were informed by the officer that they were weighing all caravans to check how many were on the road that exceeded their weight limits,' the driver wrote, sparking over 10,000 responses from concerned caravanners.
While Queensland Police clarified the accompanying photo was several years old, they confirmed the enforcement is very real and ongoing. And if you're thinking this is just a Queensland issue, think again—authorities nationwide are tightening the screws on overweight caravans.
'If you are pulled over and your weights are not within the specifications, you can be fined and lose licence points for every infringement'
The price of ignorance isn't cheap
The penalties vary significantly across states, and they're not trivial amounts. New South Wales leads the pack with fines up to $469 and three demerit points for exceeding weight limits. Queensland follows with fines up to $287 and three demerit points, while Victoria's penalties range from $238 to a whopping $1,580 depending on how much you're over the limit. South Australia rounds out the major states with fines up to $591.
But the financial hit goes beyond just the initial fine. If you're involved in an accident with a non-compliant caravan, your insurance could be voided entirely, leaving you potentially facing massive repair bills and legal liability.
Understanding the weight game
For many grey nomads, the technical jargon around caravan weights can be overwhelming. Let's break it down into plain English:
Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM): The maximum permissible weight of your vehicle when fully loaded, as specified by the manufacturer. This includes you, your passengers, fuel, and all your gear.
Aggregate Trailer Mass (ATM): The maximum fully loaded weight of the trailer or caravan being towed by your vehicle, shown on the identification plate.
Gross Combination Mass (GCM): The total allowable weight of the towing vehicle and caravan combined.
Tow Ball Weight: The amount of weight the fully loaded caravan puts on the tow bar of the tow vehicle. The accepted tow ball weight in Australia is generally around 10 per cent of your ATM.
Did you know?
Did you know?
Australia has around 800,000 caravans and campervans registered. With caravan and camping trips growing by 67 per cent in the decade before COVID-19, more Australians than ever are hitting the road—but many aren't doing it safely.
The shocking reality check
Here's a statistic that might make you want to head straight to the nearest weighbridge: Dave Jason, who runs a vehicle and caravan weighing service across NSW and Queensland, reports that more than 80 per cent of vehicles his team checks before embarking on a trip are over the weight limit and don't meet roadworthy requirements.
'Some people are conscientious enough to want to be safe and legal, and some just aren't. They just don't care and don't want to know,' Jason told media outlets. 'We're not talking little amounts. We're talking about some of these vehicles being over by tonnes.'
Let that sink in for a moment. If Dave's figures are accurate, four out of five caravans on Australian roads could be overweight. Recent roadside checks have revealed a high incidence of overweight caravans, prompting stricter enforcement measures. If your caravan is found overweight at a checkpoint in Australia, the consequences can be significant, ranging from fines and demerit points to insurance complications and safety risks.
Getting it right: Your action plan
The solution isn't complicated, but it does require a bit of effort:
Essential steps for legal caravan travel
- Take your loaded caravan to a public weighbridge before your first trip
- Redistribute weight between car and caravan if you're over limits
- Keep manufacturer specifications handy
- Consider professional weighing services for peace of mind
- Remember: it's not just about avoiding fines—it's about safety
Take your tow vehicle and caravan—all loaded up, including full fuel and water tanks, and ready to tour—to a registered public weighbridge and have it weighed. Hopefully you are under the legal weight limits, if not make all necessary weight reductions and reweigh your combination.
Many public weighbridges charge around $10-15 for this service—a small price to pay compared to potential fines and the peace of mind it provides.
What police are really looking for
Queensland Police have been transparent about their ongoing enforcement strategy. As part of their road safety commitment, officers 'periodically intercept and weigh vehicles towing trailers, caravans, boats and horse floats, and provide unsafe vehicles with directions to fix any issues identified at the next available opportunity.'
The good news? 'Whilst many of the vehicles weighed have been overweight, the majority of the time this can be corrected by moving items between the vehicle and its van/trailer, and vice versa,' police spokesperson said.
This suggests that many weight issues aren't due to fundamental problems with the setup, but rather poor weight distribution—something that can often be fixed on the spot.
The safety stakes are high
Towing a caravan heavier than what your vehicle is designed to handle can affect critical driving functions, such as braking, steering, and overall vehicle control. This can lead to dangerous situations, including loss of control, increased stopping distances, and instability at higher speeds.
Most large vehicle or caravan combinations can weigh between 5,500 kilograms and 6,500 kilograms. With this much weight, the combined load of a car and caravan would be a lot more challenging to handle than your average family SUV.
Did you know?
Did you know?
The maximum speed limit when towing a caravan anywhere in Australia is 100km/h, regardless of road conditions. In some states like Queensland, you must also maintain a 60-metre gap behind other caravans when driving outside built-up areas.
For those who've been caravanning for decades, it's worth remembering that modern caravans are often heavier and more luxuriously appointed than those from years past. That 1980s pop-top might have weighed 800kg, but today's family caravan with all the mod cons can easily tip the scales at 2,500kg or more.
The push for change
Like with caravan parking requirements, it's recommended you check the specific towing laws in your state or territory (or where you plan on travelling) to avoid penalties. But increasingly, road safety advocates are calling for more fundamental changes.
Dave Jason believes mandatory training or a new licence class for motorists towing larger caravans is 'absolutely necessary.' The current system, where anyone with a standard car licence can hitch up a 3.5-tonne caravan and head off into the sunset, strikes many experts as inadequate for modern caravanning realities.
A word of warning
The viral social media post that started this conversation included a sobering message: 'If the limits were excessive, the person would be spoken to about the consequences.' Police aren't just handing out fines—they're educating drivers about why these limits exist.
As Dave Jason puts it bluntly: 'It's scary to think that the oncoming vehicle travelling at 100km/h could potentially be one of the 80 per cent we see' that are overweight.
What This Means For You
With more families turning to caravanning to explore their own backyards, and the number of caravan and camping trips growing by 67 per cent in the decade before COVID-19, ensuring everyone's travelling safely isn't just about avoiding fines—it's about protecting everyone on our roads.
Before your next caravan adventure, take the time to understand your limits, get properly weighed, and load smartly. Your fellow road users—and your wallet—will thank you for it.
What's your experience with caravan weight limits? Have you ever had your rig weighed, or been caught out by police checks? Share your stories and tips in the comments below.
Primary Source
https://au.news.yahoo.com/caravan-d...ake-with-333-fine-consequences-055420779.html
Penalties for Overweight Caravans—Get-A-Weigh | Mobile Vehicle Weighing
Cited text: Recent roadside checks have revealed a high incidence of overweight caravans, prompting stricter enforcement measures. · New South Wales (NSW): Excee...
Excerpt: The penalties vary significantly across states, and they're not trivial amounts.
https://getaweigh.com.au/penalties-for-overweight-caravans/
Towing a Caravan: Check the Weight Limit for Your Vehicle | Youi
Cited text: Not only are there hefty penalties and fines for hauling an overweight caravan, but in the unfortunate event of an accident, a non-compliant caravan c...
Excerpt: If you're involved in an accident with a non-compliant caravan, your insurance could be voided entirely
https://www.youi.com.au/you-connect...avan-warned-to-weigh-in-before-holiday-travel
Navigating Caravan Regulations in Australia—BUCKLEY & HAWKINS LAWYERS
Cited text: Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) refers to the maximum permissible weight of a vehicle when fully loaded, as specified by the manufacturer.
Excerpt: The maximum permissible weight of your vehicle when fully loaded, as specified by the manufacturer
https://buckleyhawkins.com.au/2024/11/19/navigating-caravan-regulations/
Road access for oversize light vehicles | NSW Government
Cited text: ATM—the maximum fully loaded weight of the trailer or caravan being towed by your vehicle, shown on the identification plate.
Excerpt: The maximum fully loaded weight of the trailer or caravan being towed by your vehicle, shown on the identification plate
https://www.nsw.gov.au/driving-boat...ation/road-access-for-oversize-light-vehicles
Navigating Caravan Regulations in Australia—BUCKLEY & HAWKINS LAWYERS
Cited text: For caravan travelers, it’s also essential to understand the Gross Combination Mass (GCM), which is the total allowable weight of the towing vehicle a...
Excerpt: The total allowable weight of the towing vehicle and caravan combined
https://buckleyhawkins.com.au/2024/11/19/navigating-caravan-regulations/
Towing a Caravan: Check the Weight Limit for Your Vehicle | Youi
Cited text: Tow ball weight (TBW): The amount of weight the fully loaded caravan puts on the tow bar of the tow vehicle. The accepted tow ball weight in Australia...
Excerpt: The amount of weight the fully loaded caravan puts on the tow bar of the tow vehicle.
https://www.youi.com.au/you-connect...avan-warned-to-weigh-in-before-holiday-travel
Penalties for Overweight Caravans—Get-A-Weigh | Mobile Vehicle Weighing
Cited text: Authorities across Australia are intensifying efforts to enforce weight compliance among caravans.If your caravan is found overweight at a checkpoint...
Excerpt: Recent roadside checks have revealed a high incidence of overweight caravans, prompting stricter enforcement measures.
https://getaweigh.com.au/penalties-for-overweight-caravans/
Tow Vehicle and Caravan Weights
Cited text: These weights must not be exceeded under any circumstances Knowing the maximum legal weights for your combination; take your tow vehicle and caravan -...
Excerpt: Take your tow vehicle and caravan—all loaded up, including full fuel and water tanks, and ready to tour—to a registered public weighbridge and have it weighed.
https://www.caravanclubsqld.org.au/understanding-tow-vehicle-and-caravan-weights/
Caravan Towing Capacity & Weight Limits Guide | Swag Campers
Cited text: Towing a caravan heavier than what your vehicle is designed to handle can affect critical driving functions, such as braking, steering, and overall ve...
Excerpt: Towing a caravan heavier than what your vehicle is designed to handle can affect critical driving functions, such as braking, steering, and overall vehicle control.
https://www.swagcampertrailers.com.au/blog/caravan-towing-weights-limits-explained/
Caravan Towing Speed Limits Australia | Towing a Caravan
Cited text: Most large vehicle or caravan combinations can weigh between 5,500 kilograms and 6,500 kilograms. With this much weight, the combined load of a car an...
Excerpt: Most large vehicle or caravan combinations can weigh between 5,500 kilograms and 6,500 kilograms.
https://www.lewisrv.com.au/blog/caravan-towing-speed-limits-australia/
Caravan Towing Capacity & Weight Limits Guide | Swag Campers
Cited text: Like with caravan parking requirements, it’s recommended you check the specific towing laws in your state or territory (or where you plan on travellin...
Excerpt: Like with caravan parking requirements, it's recommended you check the specific towing laws in your state or territory (or where you plan on travelling) to avoid penalties
https://www.swagcampertrailers.com.au/blog/caravan-towing-weights-limits-explained/
Towing a Caravan: Check the Weight Limit for Your Vehicle | Youi
Cited text: In recent times, more families have turned to caravanning to explore their own backyards. The number of caravan and camping trips grew by 67 per cent in the d...
Excerpt: more families turning to caravanning to explore their own backyards, and the number of caravan and camping trips growing by 67 per cent in the decade before COVID-19
https://www.youi.com.au/you-connect...avan-warned-to-weigh-in-before-holiday-travel