Why You Don’t Want A GVM Upgrade And A Massive Tandem

What is probably the worst thing you can do to your 4WD? Equip it with a GVM upgrade whether you needed it or not.

Okay, that probably sent some of you into a spin, so hear me out.

I’m going to pin some of the blame in this yarn on the RV industry and all the attendant businesses sucking on the teat of the Grey Nomad set.

Big caravans are nothing new, they’ve been around forever, but what has changed is their complexity with fit-outs resembling a modern house with all the appliances and then some, and ultimately that makes them heavy. Really heavy!

To take one of these house-on-wheels from caravan park to caravan park you need a tow tug and here is the great lie… 4WDs rated to tow 3,500kgs.

Every vehicle maker selling a 4WD in this country with a traditional mid-size ute or wagon, markets a buggy in their range that is supposedly able to tug 3,500kgs and that little gem is so far removed from reality it is definitely not funny. In fact it’s downright dangerous and I can’t fathom why in this litigious age we live in, that regulators have let this farce go on for so long.

The way I see it, it is just an exercise in numbers and a complicated one at that, getting the GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass) and the GCM (Gross Combination Mass) numbers to marry up within the maker’s definition of what constitutes a maximum load capacity. It has nothing to do with reality, because those same utes and wagons are underpowered, under-braked and definitely under-suspended to pull/carry those sorts of loads.

I see it ALL the time. Take a trip into the Red Centre or to Broome, or anywhere else the nomads are nomadding and you’ll see these vehicles groaning under the mass of their owner’s overloaded kit, nose pointing to the heavens and bum dragging on the ground. That attitude spells trouble with the first big wind-shear event (like passing a b-double semi at highway speeds), whipping the 4WD and van into a shimmy they’ll likely not recover from.

All smashed up on the side of the road, holiday in ruins and passengers likely hurt is a holiday to remember, but for all the wrong reasons.

So to correct that “attitude” problem the lemmings accept the advice that the canny suspension makers peddle in cahoots with the RV industry and that is a GVM upgrade.

With the old suspenders chucked out and new GVM-plus ones installed, you’ll end up with a ridiculously over-sprung vehicle with a detestable ride (and especially so if you’re in the habit of overinflating your tyres), but hey, it’s now legal with its ten percent or more increase in load rating, so that must be good!

The thing you’ve just done is soaked up the last little bit of reserve capacity that vehicle makers keep up their sleeve, knowing that you end users are going to overload them and therefore stress the chassis and driveline. Maxxed out and now with no safety margin nor warranty doesn’t sound smart to me.

I’m pushing back big time here on the ethos of caravanning, because frankly, I couldn’t think of anything worse than spending my precious time on the planet corralled into a caravan park, cheek-by-jowl with a million other similarly afflicted punters in a mini-suburbia, the very thing I was trying to escape!

My version of escape is without the madding crowd and visiting a truly wild space and the only way you’re going to get there is with something nimble, more patrol boat than battleship.

Most road travellers I observe are couples. Just two humans. Two humans really don’t need a lot of space or stuff. I see perfectly comfortable conveyances travelling around the country and weighing in between 2-2.5T that have a compact footprint (which means they’ll go places beyond a caravan park) and truly offer the lifestyle nomads crave and without the baggage and cost.

At that weight it is conceivable that your stock-standard 4WD will be able to tow reliably and predictably and put a smile on your face instead of one of constant angst. Better is changing the suspension to one with a modest lift and a spring-set ample to carry your now reasonable payload will reward you with a comfy ride and some clearance to go exploring. Change the tyres too for ones with a decent carcass in light-truck construction and with a minimum 120 load index and you won’t cop any flats, but leave the GVM plus suspension upgrade alone.

If you’re new to caravanning and the biggest thing you’ve towed previously is a 6 x 4 box trailer, get ready for some surprises. In my private touring time and in my professional career, I’ve lugged just about every trailer/caravan combination you could think of. I can tell you that every time the lump hanging off the back has exceeded 3T there’s been drama.

Overtaking is a classic. You’re belting along the highway and come across a slower vehicle and you’ve been biding your time, when a break in the traffic emerges. Indicators on, increase the acceleration (except you’re a law-abiding citizen and you can’t bring yourself to exceed the speed limit) to get past and low-and-behold you run out of room, a vehicle is approaching and you’ve got nowhere to go.

Ever tried stopping one of these things? Your tow tug likely has the latest and greatest ABS (Anti-Lock Braking) system going with BA (Brake Assist) and EBD (Electronic Brakeforce Distribution) to help the cause and maybe hooked up to a caravan with its own brake electronics, but the reality is with a combination mass of likely 6T it’s going to take you ages to stop that lot at just about any speed (especially when your ute has useless drum brakes in the back). What’s the most frustrating? When some inconsiderate in a hatchback jumps into the gap you’ve left ahead of you at an approach to a set of stop lights and you stand on the anchors and pray. Pray because you’ve now moved his rear numberplate and pinned it to the back of his head and you’re in the wrong. Go figure?

I could go on but I’m running out of space.

Sure, go out and buy yourself a van or a camper, but make it something modest, because you don’t need everything and the kitchen sink. Having a bigger space encourages carrying more and more junk that you won’t ever need. I’ve been guilty of it in the past and it’s a burden that comes with a cost. Learn the art of less is more. A GVM upgrade??? No thanks, not buying it, nor a heavy tandem axle caravan.

Wanting to improve your vehicle’s manners when touring and avoid a ridiculously rough ride? Try Loaded4X4.Store for our suspension kits and opt for “Dynamic” tune shocks… smooth as silk!