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ATHOL : Upgrading GCM of Ford Trader

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Shane Hurenkamp

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Feb 10, 2003, 4:54:50 AM2/10/03
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Hi Athol,

I have a 1991 Ford trader SWB 4495KG GVM Truck. Able to be driven on a Car
licence.

The Truck is fitted with a real heavy duty tow bar. Problem is the the
compliance plate state the GCM is 6000KG so I am only able to tow a trailer
that weighs 1500KG including load.

Is it possible to uprate the GVM to a increased figure?. I find it strange
that my Nissan Patrol is allowed to to 2500Kg but my Truck which weighs more
and is better epuiped to tow can only tow 1500Kg , this is bullshit, you can
even legaly tow a car trailer with a falcon and commodore on it with out
being over the limit.

Shane Hurenkamp

Graham

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Feb 10, 2003, 8:31:42 AM2/10/03
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Shane Hurenkamp wrote:
> I have a 1991 Ford trader SWB 4495KG GVM Truck. Able to be driven
> on a Car licence.

> The Truck is fitted with a real heavy duty tow bar. Problem is the
> the compliance plate state the GCM is 6000KG so I am only able to
> tow a trailer that weighs 1500KG including load.


Not quite.
The GVM is the maximum permissable mass of the vehicle and contents and
trailer drawbar load. If the truck is loaded to it's GVM then you can
only tow a further 1505kg.

BUT...

If the truck weighs 3000kg, fuelled and with you on board, then you can
tow a further 3000kg before reaching the GCM of 6000kg.

Any extra mass you add to the truck, up to it's GVM of 4495kg, reduces
the mass of trailer you can tow, since the GCM is the total of both
truck and trailer.

athol

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Feb 10, 2003, 7:56:35 PM2/10/03
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> BUT...

All correct and good, but...

The higher spec model 0509 Trader (as opposed to your 0409)
has a GVM of about 6000kg for a '91 IIRC and a GCM of about
7500kg. The stupid bit is that there is very little
difference between the two, and IIRC the brakes are
identical. I don't remember the exact difference in a '91
but I think that it may still have been the extra leaf in
each rear helper as per the earlier models...

The problem is that to get the GCM up, the GVM should also
go up, taking it out of car licence category.

--
Athol
<http://cust.idl.com.au/athol>
Linux Registered User # 254000

Shane Hurenkamp

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Feb 11, 2003, 7:40:34 AM2/11/03
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Seems I will just have to continue towing cars illegally.
Because of the GCM being 6000Kg The manafactur of the towbar (BOON, In
Dandinong , Vic) has rated it to a maxium of 1500Kg Capacity

Shane

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