GVM UPGRADES

All vehicles are manufactured with a Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) limit, also known as Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR). The GVM is both the legal limit and the manufacturer’s warranted limit for how heavy your vehicle is ever allowed to be. It is not to be confused with the vehicle’s payload – which is the total weight the vehicle is designed to carry.

The GVM is the sum of the vehicle, fuel, oils, luggage, passengers, 4×4 accessories AND for those who tow, it includes the towbar/tow hitch itself, and the tow ball weight, which is transferred from your caravan/trailer/boat etc to your car.

WHAT IS A GVM UPGRADE?

GVM upgrade kits most commonly consist of replacing the original suspension equipment with more capable equipment that is designed to carry greater weight. Replacing components such as springs and shock absorbers allows the vehicle to carry additional weight, without compromising on its handling, function and safety features. Of course, to ensure this is the case, all GVM upgrades are rigorously tested and approved by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and Arts. During the GVM upgrade process, axle load limits are also commonly tested and validated to increase the permissible load over each axle.

A GVM upgrade, will commonly see your vehicle’s GVM and retrospectively your overall payload increase by up to 300kg!

DOES A GVM UPGRADE INCREASE GCM?

Simply put, no it does not. But why?

First of all, what is GCM? It is the Gross Combined Mass (GCM) which is the combined total weight of your tow vehicle and trailer including all the extra weight, whether it be your accessories, your payload, your trailer or your caravan. While you may logically think that it would be the combination of your GVM and your vehicle’s towing capacity, this may not always be the case. This is why it’s always best to check your owner’s manual for a definitive answer. As for why a GVM upgrade doesn’t increase the total GCM, it is due to the fact that the GVM upgrade only affects how much the vehicle itself can carry, rather than the overall total, as it is determined by a multitude of factors set by the vehicle’s manufacturer.

DOES A GVM UPGRADE INCREASE TOWING CAPACITY?

No it does not. Instead, it can actually decrease your towing capacity regardless of whether or not it’s your braked towing capacity or your unbraked towing capacity.

As stated above, the GVM upgrade will not increase your GCM. This means that should you reach the new maximum weight, your towing capacity will drop as you have essentially shifted the weight from the potential caravan or trailer to the vehicle itself.

PRE-REGISTRATION VS POST-REGISTRATION

If a GVM upgrade is installed on a vehicle before it is first registered (pre-registration), the GVM upgrade carries Federal approval. This means that the upgrade is recognised in all states and territories of Australia and is transferrable with the sale of the vehicle into any state.

A GVM upgrade can be applied to a vehicle after it is already registered (post-registration), however, there are some additional steps which include the sign-off from an independent engineer and the GVM upgrade is not transferrable on the sale of the vehicle into any other state. Please note, this does not affect your visiting other states at your increased GVM capacity, it is purely a restriction on the transfer of ownership.