Weights Explained
The weight of your caravan and tow vehicle is one of the most important factors to consider when planning a trip. Not only does it help you determine where you can safely drive your vehicle, but it also helps you avoid any unnecessary fines. You may have heard of these terms: GVM, GTM, ATM & GCM. We’ll help you understand what they mean.
Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM)
GVM refers to the maximum total mass of a fully-loaded vehicle as permissible and defined by the vehicle manufacturer. It consists of the Tare Mass and the belongings including fuel, passengers, cargo, and add-on accessories if any.
Tow Ball Weight (TBW)
It refers to the weight exerted on the tow ball of the towing vehicle.
Tare Mass Weight (TMW)
Tare Mass refers to the weight of the empty caravan that is not connected to the tow vehicle. It includes no payload like water, gas in bottles or after-market accessories.
Aggregate Trailer Mass (ATM)
It refers to the weight of your fully-loaded caravan when it is disconnected from the tow vehicle and sitting on its jockey wheel.
Gross Trailer Mass (GTM)
The GTM is the combined gross trailer mass (GTM) of your fully-loaded caravan while it is connected to the tow vehicle.
Gross Combined Mass (GCM)
GCM is the total weight of your caravan and tow vehicle (including tow ball weight) combined while they both are fully loaded and hitched together.
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