TRAILER ONLY ASSESSMENT

Caravan and trailer weighing

Understand how your caravan or trailer is actually loaded.

PROWEIGHED provides detailed caravan and trailer assessments covering total mass, axle loading, individual wheel loads, tow ball mass, weight distribution, tyre information and selected trailer measurements.

Whether you own a caravan, camper trailer, horse float, boat trailer or another towable trailer, the assessment provides a clear picture of how it is loaded in the configuration presented on the day.

A white Jayco travel trailer with black trim and an open front door, parked outdoors on a paved surface under a blue sky with clouds.

Know what your caravan actually weighs

The weight shown on a compliance plate or in the original manufacturer specification does not necessarily represent what that caravan weighs today. Caravans often change significantly after purchase.

COMMONLY ADDED AFTER PURCHASE
Lithium batteriesAdditional batteriesLarger 12V systemsInvertersExtra solarExtra refrigerationToolboxesSpare wheelsGeneratorsCommunications equipmentStorage systemsBike racksAdditional water capacityOutdoor equipment

These additions may seem small individually, but together they can consume a significant portion of the caravan's available payload. Every kilogram permanently added generally means less payload remaining for water, food, clothing, bedding, camping equipment and personal belongings.

PROWEIGHED measures the caravan as it is actually configured today, rather than relying solely on what it weighed when it left the manufacturer.

WHERE THE PAYLOAD GOES
ORIGINAL PAYLOAD600 kg
BATTERY AND 12V UPGRADE− 85 kg
ADDITIONAL SOLAR− 35 kg
TOOLBOX AND FIXED EQUIPMENT− 80 kg
WATER, 200 LITRES− 200 kg
REMAINING FOR FOOD AND PERSONAL GEAR200 kg

Illustration only. Your report carries your caravan's own measured figures, with what each one means beside it.

Water uses payload too

Water can account for a significant portion of a caravan's available payload. A caravan carrying 200 litres carries roughly 200 kg of water before food, clothing, camping equipment and personal belongings are added.

Where practical, we encourage you to present the caravan with your normal travel water load. If a caravan only remains within its applicable limits because the tanks are empty, that is important information to understand.

Understanding your caravan's weight under realistic travelling conditions, including its intended water load, can help avoid relying on an artificially light configuration that may not reflect how the caravan is actually used. An overloaded caravan may also create insurance implications depending on the circumstances and your policy, so refer to your own insurer and policy documentation.

THE SIMPLE GUIDE
1 litre is about 1 kg
50 litres carriedapprox. 50 kg
100 litres carriedapprox. 100 kg
200 litres carriedapprox. 200 kg

The goal is not the lowest possible number. It is understanding the caravan in a realistic travelling configuration.

Suitable for caravans, trailers and more

Caravans

Single and tandem axle touring caravans.

Camper trailers

Hybrid, hard-floor and soft-floor campers.

Horse floats

Single and multi-horse configurations.

Boat trailers

Recreational boat and marine trailers.

Utility and box trailers

General-purpose, recreational and equipment trailers.

Custom and new builds

Purpose-built or newly completed trailers needing accurate measured weight information.

What we check

A PROWEIGHED caravan or trailer assessment looks beyond a single total weight figure. Individual wheel positions are measured, so the trailer can be assessed from individual wheel level through to axle loading, overall mass and weight distribution.

Weight assessment

Aggregate Trailer Mass
Gross Trailer Mass
Axle or axle-group load
Individual wheel loads
Left-to-right weight distribution
Tow ball mass
Tow ball mass percentage where applicable
Remaining capacity against applicable limits where sufficient information is available

Tyre assessment

Tyre size
Load index
Tyre load capacity
Recorded tyre pressures
Manufacturer or placard pressures where available
Tyre age

Trailer measurements and checks

Rear overhang
Licence plate visibility
Licence plate position
Drawbar length
Relevant trailer identification
Applicable rating information

Everything above is measured, recorded and reviewed as presented on the day. It is not engineering or ADR certification, a roadworthy certificate, a mechanical inspection or registration approval.

Understanding the main weights

ATM

Aggregate Trailer Mass

The total mass of the loaded trailer, including the portion of weight carried through the coupling.

GTM

Gross Trailer Mass

The portion of the loaded trailer mass carried through the trailer's wheels and axles when coupled.

TBM

Tow ball mass

The downward load applied through the trailer coupling.

HOW THEY FIT TOGETHER
THROUGH THE WHEELSGTM
+
THROUGH THE COUPLINGTow ball mass
=
TOTAL LOADED TRAILERATM

Tow ball mass is measured as part of this assessment. How that load affects the tow vehicle is assessed under a vehicle and caravan combination weigh.

More than a total weight

Knowing the trailer's total mass is important, but one figure does not show where the weight is being carried. PROWEIGHED measures individual wheel positions.

Two caravans with the same overall mass can carry that weight very differently. A caravan can also remain within its overall ATM while placing significantly more load through one side, axle or individual wheel position.

HOW THE RESULTS BUILD UP
Front left742 kg
Front right768 kg
Front axle1,510 kg
Rear left695 kg
Rear right655 kg
Rear axle1,350 kg
Left side1,437 kg
Right side1,423 kg
GTM2,860 kg

Illustration only, based on a tandem axle caravan. Your report carries your own measured figures.

Where the weight sits matters

Adding or moving equipment can change more than the caravan's overall weight. Load position can influence tow ball mass, individual wheel loads, left-to-right distribution and axle loading.

This is another reason PROWEIGHED measures individual wheel positions rather than relying on one total weight figure.

ITEMS THAT COMMONLY INFLUENCE DISTRIBUTION
BatteriesWater tanksFridgesToolboxesGas bottlesSpare wheelsGeneratorsStorage compartmentsOutdoor equipmentPersonal belongings

How it works

1

Present the trailer travel ready

Where practical, present the caravan or trailer as close as possible to the way it normally travels, including the equipment, belongings and intended water load normally carried.

2

We measure

PROWEIGHED records the applicable individual wheel, axle, overall trailer and tow ball measurements, together with relevant tyre and trailer information.

3

We review the results

The measurements are reviewed against the applicable information available for the trailer and explained to you.

4

Receive your report

You receive a professional PROWEIGHED assessment report documenting the applicable measurements, findings and recommendations.

Arrive travel ready

For the most useful assessment, present the caravan or trailer as close as practical to the way it normally travels. The goal is to understand it in its real-world travelling configuration, not to achieve the lowest possible number.

YOUR NORMAL
Water loadGasFoodClothingCamping equipmentToolsAccessoriesPersonal belongings

When is a caravan weigh useful?

JUST BOUGHT

After buying a caravan

Understand its current weight and the payload actually available to you.

AFTER UPGRADES

After major upgrades

Particularly after batteries, solar, electrical systems, toolboxes, generators or extra storage.

TRIP PLANNING

Before a major trip

Assess the caravan in a realistic travel-ready configuration.

SETUP CHANGED

After changing the setup

Understand how changes to storage, accessories or equipment placement have affected loading.

COUPLING LOAD

When checking tow ball mass

Measure the tow ball mass in the configuration presented on the day.

PAYLOAD TIGHT

When payload is becoming tight

Understand how much capacity remains for water, food, belongings and travel equipment.

NEW BUILD

For a new or custom trailer

Record applicable measured weight information for a newly completed build.

Caravan and trailer weighing FAQs

Yes. For the most useful assessment, present the caravan as close as practical to the way it normally travels, including the equipment and belongings normally carried.

PROWEIGHED prioritises understanding the caravan with the water load you actually intend to carry. Where practical, present the caravan with its normal travel water load. If the caravan only remains within its applicable limits with empty tanks, that is important information to understand.

Water weighs approximately 1 kilogram per litre. A caravan carrying 200 litres carries approximately 200 kilograms of water, which can use a significant portion of the available payload.

Yes. Permanently fitted upgrades contribute to the caravan’s actual mass. Additional batteries, solar panels, electrical systems, toolboxes and other fixed equipment reduce the payload remaining for water, food, clothing, camping equipment and personal belongings.

Yes. Individual wheel measurement allows PROWEIGHED to assess wheel loads, axle loading, left-to-right distribution and overall trailer mass.

Yes. Tow ball mass is included in the caravan and trailer assessment.

ATM represents the total loaded trailer mass including the portion carried through the coupling. GTM represents the portion of the loaded trailer mass being carried through the wheels and axles when coupled.

Potentially. ATM is only one part of the overall picture. Individual wheel loads, axle loads, tyre capability and left-to-right distribution can also be important.

PROWEIGHED records relevant tyre information including tyre size, load index, load capacity, pressures and tyre age.

A suitable vehicle will generally be required to move and position the trailer, but the tow vehicle itself is not assessed as part of caravan and trailer weighing.

Yes. Customers receive a professional PROWEIGHED assessment report documenting the applicable measurements, results and recommendations.

Understand how your caravan is actually loaded

From permanent upgrades and water capacity to individual wheel loads, tow ball mass and payload remaining, PROWEIGHED provides the measurements needed to understand your caravan or trailer in its real-world travelling configuration.

QUESTIONS FIRST

Call Mitchell on 0456 049 686. Eighteen years in the automotive industry, so most questions about a van and its loading are a short answer.