The compliance plate carries the ratings for that exact vehicle, options included, rather than the model figures in a brochure. On a caravan they are ATM (Aggregate Trailer Mass), GTM (Gross Trailer Mass) and often Tare. The plate also carries the VIN (vehicle identification number) and the build date.
It is a small metal or foil plate, usually riveted or bonded on, and it is easy to walk past for years without noticing. This page covers where to look on both vehicles, then reads every field on each plate one at a time.
The caravan's plate carries the weights
The van's metal plate shows its Aggregate Trailer Mass (ATM), its Gross Trailer Mass (GTM) and, on current builds, its Tare. The car's braked towing capacity is in the owner's manual and on the towbar plaque.
| The figure | Where it lives |
|---|---|
| ATM, GTM and Tare | The van's plate. Required on current builds; some older vans print Tare on a separate weight label. |
| Braked towing capacity | The car's owner's manual and the towbar plaque. Towbars have carried their own rating since 1992. |
| GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass) | Commonly on the car's plate or door label, and in the owner's manual. |
| GCM (Gross Combination Mass) | The owner's manual. Some cars also plate it. |
Tyre sizes and pressures live on their own label, the tyre placard, on the car and on the van.
Where is the compliance plate on your car or caravan?
There is no single spot. Manufacturers choose where the plate goes, and the choice changes between models and between build years of the same model. These are the places worth checking first, and they cover most vehicles on Australian roads.
On a caravan or trailer
- On the drawbar, near the coupling and the jockey wheel
- Inside the door frame, on the jamb or on the door itself
- On the front wall of the van, at the A-frame end
- Inside a front boot or tunnel boot, on the bulkhead
Bigger vans often carry more than one label: the ID plate with the mass ratings, a separate tyre placard, and sometimes a weight label with the Tare figure. Take a photo of each while you are down there.
On a car, ute or 4WD
- The driver's door jamb, or on the edge of the door itself
- Under the bonnet, on the firewall or a strut tower
- The passenger door jamb or the B-pillar between the doors
- On the floor next to the driver's seat, under a plastic cover, on some models
The tyre placard is usually a separate label and often sits in the driver's door jamb or the fuel filler flap. On a ute, check the engine bay as well as both door jambs. A car built since 1 July 2021 may carry a tamper-proof label rather than a metal plate, and the label does the same job.
For your exact vehicle, the manual wins
Plate location is a manufacturer decision, and it changes with the model, the body style and the build year. The owner's manual or handbook names the spot for your vehicle, and a dealer's service department will point at it in seconds over the phone. Anyone who tells you a make always puts it in one place is guessing.
Reading a caravan plate, field by field
Layouts differ between makers, but the fields are the same set. Each one below says what the number is and what you do with it.
VIN
A 17-character identifier unique to that one caravan, matching the number stamped or laser-etched into the chassis and printed on the registration papers.
What you do with itCheck all three read the same before you pay for a used van, then run the VIN through a PPSR search to see whether money is owed on it.
Date of manufacture
The month and year the van was built. It is not the model year on the brochure and not the date it was first registered, and all three can differ by a year or more.
What you do with itTreat the build date as the van's real age for resale, and ask why if a van advertised as current was built two years ago.
ATM (Aggregate Trailer Mass)Full definition
The maximum the loaded van is rated to weigh when it is standing on its own wheels and jockey wheel, unhitched. Set by the manufacturer.
What you do with itThis is the number you compare against your car's braked towing capacity, and the one a weighbridge ticket is measured against.
GTM (Gross Trailer Mass)Full definition
The maximum the van's own axles are rated to carry while it is hitched to the car. GTM sits below ATM because the towball takes a share of the weight.
What you do with itGTM is the figure Australian trailer brake rules are written in, so it is the one that decides what braking gear the van needs.
TareFull definition
The van's weight as it left the factory, with empty tanks and nothing packed. Some makers stamp it on the plate, others print it on a separate weight label near the door or the drawbar.
What you do with itATM minus Tare is your payload. That single subtraction tells you what is left for water, gas, food and gear.
Towball downloadFull definition
The maximum downward force the coupling is rated to put on your towbar, sometimes shown on the plate and sometimes on the coupling itself. For most Australian vans it lands around 8 to 12 per cent of the loaded weight.
What you do with itCompare it against the lowest ball rating in your car, your towbar and your tow hitch. Whichever is smallest is the one that governs.
Tyre size, load rating and pressures
Usually a separate placard rather than the ID plate: the tyre size the van was built with, the load index each tyre must meet, and the cold pressures the maker specifies.
What you do with itCheck the tyres actually fitted match that load index, especially on a used van where someone has changed the wheels.
Axle rating
The maximum load each axle is rated to carry, often stamped on the axle beam itself rather than the plate.
What you do with itTwo axles rated at 1,600kg do not automatically make a 3,200kg van. The van's own GTM still caps it, and the lower number governs.
The same fields on a real van
These are the published figures for the Fantasy Caravan Nano 15, laid out the way a plate lays them out. The identity fields appear as labels because each one belongs to a single van rather than to a model.
- VIN
- 17 characters, this van only
- Date of manufacture
- Month and year of build
- ATM
- 2,000kg
- Tare
- 1,550kg
- Towball download
- 200kg
- GTM
- Stamped on the plate; the second subtraction below lands close to it
The plate carries its own GTM figure and that is the one that counts. ATM minus towball download gets you close enough to sanity-check it while you are standing at the drawbar. Run the payload sum on any van with the payload calculator, which comes prefilled with published ATM and Tare figures.
One set of plate rules covers every state
The plate fields above are set nationally, under the Road Vehicle Standards laws and Australian Design Rule 61/03, so they do not change at a state border. A van registered anywhere in the country carries the same required fields.
Reading a tow vehicle plate, field by field
The car's plate is the one people skip, and it carries the mass ratings the towing sums need. Not every field below is stamped on every plate: some makers put GCM in the manual or on a separate towing placard, and the braked towing capacity itself lives in the manual and on the towbar plaque.
VIN
The car's 17-character identifier, repeated on the registration papers and usually visible through the base of the windscreen.
What you do with itA dealer's service department can pull the exact factory build, options and towing specification for your car from it.
Build date and compliance date
Many Australian plates carry two dates: when the car was manufactured, and when it was approved for sale here. A car built late in one year is often plated and sold in the next.
What you do with itUse the build date when you match your car to a spec sheet, because ratings can change part way through a model run.
GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass)Full definition
The maximum the car itself is rated to weigh fully loaded: people, fuel, accessories, everything in the tray or boot, and the van's towball download pressing on the towbar.
What you do with itGVM minus your car's kerb mass is the car's own payload. The van's ball weight comes out of that number first, before a single passenger.
GCM (Gross Combination Mass)Full definition
The maximum the loaded car and the loaded van are rated to weigh together. On some vehicles it is on the plate, on others it lives in the owner's manual or on a separate towing placard.
What you do with itGCM minus what your loaded car actually weighs is the ceiling the sums leave for the van, and it is often lower than the headline tow rating.
Kerb mass
The car empty but ready to drive, with fluids and a full tank and nobody in it. Kerb mass usually comes from the manual or a spec sheet rather than the plate.
What you do with itKerb mass is a factory number for a factory car. A bullbar, canopy, drawers, a second battery and a long-range tank all sit on top of it, which is why a weighbridge beats arithmetic here.
Axle load ratings
The maximum rated load on the front axle and on the rear axle, listed separately. They do not simply add up to GVM.
What you do with itBall weight lands almost entirely on the rear axle, so this is the limit that bites first on a loaded ute with a heavy van behind it.
Tyre placard
A separate label, often in the driver's door jamb or the fuel filler flap, giving the standard tyre size, load rating and the cold pressures the maker specifies.
What you do with itMany placards list a second, higher set of pressures for towing or full load. That is the column to use with the van on.
Braked and unbraked towing capacityFull definition
The heaviest trailer the maker allows, with and without its own brakes. Usually in the owner's manual or on the towbar's own plate rather than the compliance plate.
What you do with itThe towbar has its own rating too. Your real ceiling is the lowest of the car's rating, the towbar's rating and the hitch's rating.
The arithmetic that connects the two plates
Three sums turn the numbers on both plates into something you can act on. None of them need a calculator, and all of them need the plate rather than the brochure.
1. What the car itself can carry
GVM minus kerb mass. That is the car's payload, and the van's towball download comes out of it first, before passengers, fuel, the bullbar, the drawers or the dog.
2. What is left for the van
GCM minus the loaded car's actual weight. Loaded means the way you really travel, with the family, the fuel and the gear in it, which is why this sum wants a weighbridge ticket rather than a spec sheet.
3. The lowest ceiling governs
Compare the van's ATM against the braked tow rating, against the GCM answer from sum two, and against the towbar and hitch ratings. The smallest of those is the one that governs, and it is rarely the number in the advertisement.
When the van's ATM sits above the tow rating
That alone does not rule the combination out. Queensland's road authority allows it provided the van is never loaded past the car's rated towing capacity: the rule measures the van's actual loaded weight against the rating. Check your own state's wording before buying on that basis, and expect to weigh the van loaded the way you travel.
Two real vehicles, the same tow rating
Both of these are rated to tow 3,500kg braked. Their published GCMs are 4,650kg apart, which is the whole argument for reading the plate instead of the headline.
Isuzu D-MAX
SX Crew Cab Ute 4x2 2.2L
- Braked tow rating
- 3,500kg
- Published GCM
- 5,850kg
- GCM minus a 3,500kg van
- 2,350kg
Iveco Daily
70C 4x4 Crew Cab Chassis 4175mm wheelbase (F1C 3.0L 132kW/430Nm, ZF 8-speed Hi-Matic automatic)
- Braked tow rating
- 3,500kg
- Published GCM
- 10,500kg
- GCM minus a 3,500kg van
- 7,000kg
That last row is what the sums leave for the loaded car once a van at the full braked rating is hooked up. Whether it is enough depends on what your car weighs the way you pack it, which a weighbridge answers and a brochure cannot.
One nameplate is not one set of numbers
Take the Land Rover Defender. Across its variants there are 11 different published GCM figures, from 6,300kg on the 110 / 130 (D300) to 6,730kg on the 110 - P425 (V8 petrol). Engine, drivetrain, body style and build year all move it. That is why the plate on your car is the answer and the model name never is.
Where to get the real weights
Every one of these sums improves the moment you replace an estimate with a weighbridge ticket. Weigh the car loaded, then weigh the rig hitched, and the numbers stop being an argument.
If the plate is missing, unreadable or looks altered
A plate you cannot read is a set of ratings you cannot verify, and that matters most on exactly the vans where it happens: older ones, imported ones, and ones being sold in a hurry.
Missing or faded
Start with the registration papers, which carry the VIN and often the ATM. The manufacturer can usually confirm the build details from the VIN, and your state or territory transport authority handles replacement plates. Requirements differ by state, so ask them rather than a forum.
Do not fill the gap with a brochure
Ratings vary by variant, by options and by build year, so a spec sheet for the model is not a substitute for the plate on the vehicle. Two vans off the same line in the same month can carry different ATMs if one was optioned up.
Signs a plate deserves a second look
Fresh or mismatched rivets, a plate sitting proud of the surface, fonts or spacing that change part way through the numbers, and above all a VIN that does not match the chassis stamp and the registration papers. Photograph all three and compare them character by character.
On a used van, this is a stop, not a to-do
If the plate is missing, unreadable or does not match the papers, sort it out before money moves rather than after. Run a PPSR search on the VIN at ppsr.gov.au while you are at it. The full inspection routine is in the used caravan buying guide.
Common questions about compliance plates
Where is the compliance plate on a caravan?
Most often on the drawbar near the coupling, or inside the door frame. Some makers put it on the front wall of the van at the A-frame end, or inside the front boot on the bulkhead. It varies by manufacturer and by build year, so if it is not in those spots the owner's handbook for that van is the definitive answer. Look for a small metal or foil plate, usually riveted or bonded on.
Where is the compliance plate on a car or ute?
The driver's door jamb is the most common place, followed by under the bonnet on the firewall or a strut tower. Some vehicles use the passenger door jamb, the B-pillar, or a panel in the floor beside the driver's seat. The location changes by make, model and year, so the owner's manual is the reliable source for a specific vehicle, and a dealer's service department can point to it in seconds.
What is the difference between ATM and GTM on a caravan plate?
ATM is the most the loaded van is rated to weigh sitting on its own wheels and jockey wheel, unhitched. GTM is the most the van's axles are rated to carry once it is hitched and the towball has taken its share. So GTM is roughly ATM minus the towball download. ATM is what you compare against your car's braked towing capacity; GTM is the figure Australian trailer brake rules are written in.
Is the caravan's Tare weight on the compliance plate?
Sometimes. Some manufacturers stamp Tare on the same plate as ATM and GTM, others print it on a separate weight label near the door or the drawbar. Either way, Tare is the van as it left the factory with empty tanks. ATM minus Tare is your payload, which is the number that decides how much water, gas and gear you can actually carry. The plate fields are set by national design rules, so they read the same in New South Wales as in every other state.
Is GCM shown on the car's compliance plate?
Sometimes. Some vehicles carry GCM (Gross Combination Mass) on the plate alongside GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass), and others put it in the owner's manual or on a separate towing placard. Where the plate leaves it off, check the towing section of the manual or ask a dealer to confirm it against your VIN. GCM is worth finding. GCM minus what your loaded car weighs is usually a tighter ceiling than the headline tow rating.
Does the compliance plate show the caravan's height or length?
No. The plate carries identity and mass ratings: VIN, build date, ATM, GTM and often Tare. Travel height, length and internal dimensions come from the manufacturer's own specifications, and we publish those on each range page where the maker publishes them. If you need a height for a low bridge or a carport, measure the van as it sits, including the air conditioner, rather than trusting a brochure figure.
Why does my newer car have no compliance plate?
Because the rules changed on 1 July 2021. Vehicles approved since then are recorded on the government's Register of Approved Vehicles instead, and the car carries a small durable label with the make and the VIN rather than the old metal plate. Nothing is missing and nothing is wrong. Your GVM and towing figures live in the owner's manual, and caravans still get a metal plate carrying ATM, GTM and Tare.
Do new caravans still get a compliance plate?
Yes. Under the rules that started on 1 July 2021, a caravan is still fitted with a durable metal plate carrying the manufacturer's name, the VIN, the ATM, the GTM and the Tare. It is the car side that moved to a label, so on a new rig the van's plate is the one with the weights on it.
Is the compliance plate the same as the build plate or VIN plate?
In everyday use, yes. Buyers, dealers and transport departments use compliance plate, ID plate, build plate and VIN plate to mean the small metal or foil plate that carries the vehicle's identity and its mass ratings. The wording and layout differ between manufacturers and between build years, which is why two vans of the same age can look nothing alike on the plate while carrying the same fields.
What if the compliance plate is missing, unreadable or looks altered?
Treat it as a reason to pause, especially on a used van. The registration papers carry the VIN and often the ATM, the manufacturer can confirm the build details from the VIN, and replacement plates go through your state or territory transport authority. If the plate does not match the chassis stamp or the papers, run a PPSR search on the VIN and get a straight explanation from the seller before you pay.
Plate locations and layouts are set by each manufacturer and change between models and build years, so treat the locations here as the places to look first and your owner's manual as the answer for your vehicle. The figures shown come from published manufacturer data and are for comparison: the plate on the vehicle in front of you is the one that counts.
Got the numbers off both plates?
Put them into the tow calculator and it does the three sums above against any van on the site, or read the weights themselves end to end.