Where do you get a caravan weighed, and what does it cost?
Drive the rig over a fixed public weighbridge, loaded exactly the way you travel, or book a mobile service that comes to you and weighs each wheel. The National Measurement Institute's public weighbridge register lists every trade-licensed site in the country.
A fixed weighbridge gives you the totals that decide legality against ATM, GVM and GCM. A mobile service also measures each wheel and the tow ball, which is what helps you fix a problem rather than just find one.
- Fixed public weighbridgeper weigh, varies by site
- about $30 to $60
- Mobile per-wheel servicevaries by operator and whether the tow car is weighed too
- about $180 to $370
Weigh your rig
then you know for sure
Published specs are the starting point and the compliance plates are the legal numbers.
The loaded rig on a weighbridge is the real one. Here is where to get it weighed.
Updated - specs from the manufacturer's own pages.
- Load the rig the way you actually travel, drive it over a public weighbridge, and compare the numbers against the compliance plates.
- A fixed weighbridge gives you the totals that decide legality; a mobile service weighs every wheel and the tow ball at your door.
- A weighbridge visit typically costs about $30 to $60, and it settles what no brochure can.
The only number that settles it
Every weight you read while shopping is a prediction. Tare is the van empty, ATM is the most it may legally weigh, and the payload between them is spent by water, gas, food and gear in ways no spec sheet can see.
A weighbridge replaces the prediction with a measurement. Twenty minutes with the rig loaded the way you actually travel tells you whether you are under your ATM, your car's GVM and the combined GCM, or whether something has to come out before the next trip.
It matters because the limits are enforced against the real weight, not your intentions, and because exceeding a rated limit can put an insurance claim at risk after an accident. If the terms in this section are new, start with our caravan weights guide and come back.
Fixed weighbridge or mobile service
Both get you real numbers. They answer different questions, so pick the one that matches yours.
Fixed public weighbridge
- You drive on and the plate weighs whatever is standing on it: the whole rig, the car alone, or the van alone.
- Three passes give you GCM, GVM and ATM, which is everything you need to answer "is this rig legal".
- Cheapest option, and many commercial sites are drive-on around the clock with no booking.
Mobile weighing service
- An operator comes to your driveway or storage yard and puts a scale pad under each wheel, plus a gauge on the tow ball.
- You see per-wheel and side-to-side figures and the actual ball weight, which is how you find and fix a loading problem, not just detect one.
- Costs more than a weighbridge pass, and most operators talk you through the results on the spot.
What to expect at the weighbridge
Nobody is born knowing weighbridge etiquette, and the first visit is easier than it looks. Commercial drive-on sites work like a fuel stop: follow the signs, pull onto the plate when it is clear, and take your ticket or read the screen. Council sites usually share an entrance with a waste depot, so expect trucks, keep to the marked lane, and let the staff direct you.
Come loaded exactly as you tour: tanks at your normal touring level, gas bottles in, food, tools and bikes aboard, and the people who normally travel in the car. Weighing an empty van tells you what you already knew from the brochure.
Ask for a printed docket, and if you want a formal weight certificate bring your rego details, since some sites ask for them. Some automated sites are unstaffed and take card only, so have one on you.
To turn one visit into all three legal checks, use the three-weigh method: the whole rig first, then the car alone, then the van alone. Our weighbridge ticket guide sets out each pass, the arithmetic that gives you GTM and your real ball mass, and what to do if a number comes in over, and the printable checklists guide has a print-and-keep version for the glovebox. Do the arithmetic in the car park afterwards, not on the plate, so the queue keeps moving.
What it typically costs
A caravan weigh at a fixed public weighbridge typically lands between about $30 and $60, and the price varies by site. Mobile per-wheel services typically run from about $180 to $370 depending on the operator and whether the tow car is weighed as well. Check current pricing with the operator before you go.
Weighbridges and weighing services, state by state
The canonical list is the federal government's Find a public weighbridge register, kept by the National Measurement Institute. It maps every trade-licensed public weighbridge in the country and is the first place to look wherever you are.
Below are options we have confirmed state by state, listed plainly. Hours, access and pricing change, so check the operator before you drive out.
New South Wales
NSW has drive-on weighbridges at fuel stops, private yards that open to the public, and council facilities.
Fixed weighbridges
- GoWeigh network (BP sites). Beresfield, Eastern Creek, North Albury, Parkes and Wagga Wagga. Drive-on, open around the clock, no booking.
- Sell & Parker public weighbridges. West Nowra and Coffs Harbour. Business hours, flat-fee weighs.
- Thomson Haulage, Somersby. A transport yard that opens its weighbridge to the public on weekday mornings, with Saturday by appointment. Does caravan and axle-group weighing.
- Council weighbridges. Broken Hill City Council and Muswellbrook Shire Council both operate public weighbridges. Council depot hours apply.
Mobile weighing services
- Check Weight. Port Stephens, Newcastle, the Central Coast and greater Sydney.
- Get-A-Weigh. Based on the Central Coast.
- Vanweigh. Local operator covering Sydney's south.
Victoria
Victoria has the densest network of drive-on public weighbridges in the country.
Fixed weighbridges
- GoWeigh network (BP sites). Officer, Epping, Dandenong, Laverton, Truganina, Geelong, Scoresby, Rockbank, Barnawartha and Wallan. Drive-on, open around the clock, no booking.
- Banyule City Council weighbridge, Bellfield. Council-run, used for vehicle weight checks. Council hours apply.
Mobile weighing services
- Weigh My Ride. Melbourne and regional Victoria.
- Dwnunder Caravan Weighing. Based at Clyde North and travels; also part of the CMCA member weighing program.
Queensland
Queensland has automated 24-hour weighbridges as well as staffed sites, from the border to the north.
Fixed weighbridges
- Caboolture Public Weighbridge. Automated and open around the clock, card payment on site. Four separate decks, so a car and van can be weighed with minimal repositioning.
- Yandina Weighbridge, Sunshine Coast. Automated, open around the clock.
- GoWeigh network. Port of Brisbane (Lytton), Archerfield, Larapinta, Toowoomba and Townsville. Drive-on, no booking.
Mobile weighing services
- Weigh To Tow. Brisbane, Logan, Redlands, Gold Coast and Ipswich. Weighs car and caravan wheels at the same time.
- TTWeigh. Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Ipswich, from a Banyo base.
Western Australia
Perth has council and commercial options, and there is a public weighbridge in the Pilbara for travellers heading north.
Fixed weighbridges
- City of Stirling Recycling Centre, Balcatta. Council-run, open seven days, with caravan and trailer weighing named in its own fee schedule.
- Tamala Park, Mindarie. Mindarie Regional Council waste facility. Bring your rego details if you want a weight certificate, and expect council trucks to take priority at busy times.
- GoWeigh network. Canning Vale and Kewdale. Drive-on, no booking.
- Sell & Parker public weighbridge, Port Hedland. At Wedgefield. Business hours, flat-fee weighs.
Mobile weighing services
- Aussie Weigh. Perth. Weighs every wheel and the tow ball individually.
- Mobile Vehicle Weighing WA. Perth and surrounds, Pinjarra to Ellenbrook.
- Vanweigh. Local operators covering Perth, Rockingham and Mandurah, and the South West.
South Australia
Adelaide has a drive-on public weighbridge, and mobile services cover much of the state, so most South Australians can have the scales come to them.
Fixed weighbridges
- GoWeigh Wingfield, Adelaide. BP site on Grand Junction Road. Drive-on, open around the clock, no booking.
Mobile weighing services
- Your Mobile Weighbridge. Statewide, including Adelaide, Mount Gambier, Port Augusta, Victor Harbor and Kangaroo Island.
- Onsite Weighbridge. Adelaide.
Tasmania
For most Tasmanian caravanners the practical option is a mobile weighing service, which brings per-wheel scales to you and covers the ball weight as well.
Mobile weighing services
- Get-A-Weigh. Services Tasmania as well as the NSW Central Coast.
The federal weighbridge register above lists trade-licensed weighbridges near you and is worth checking before a long detour.
Northern Territory
Darwin has both a commercial public weighbridge and a council facility.
Fixed weighbridges
- Darwin Public Weighbridge, Pinelands. Run by Sell & Parker on McKinnon Road. Weekdays plus Saturday mornings, flat-fee weighs for vehicles up to 60 tonnes.
- Darwin City Council weighbridge. Council-run, with its own published fee schedule. Council hours apply.
Mobile weighing services
- TTWeigh. Darwin and greater Darwin, from a Howard Springs base.
ACT
Canberra caravanners have a weekday option in Fyshwick.
Fixed weighbridges
- Trailer Camper Australia, Fyshwick. Public weighbridge open on weekdays, and it can issue weight certificates.
Mobile weighing operators from surrounding NSW also service the capital region; the federal register above lists licensed weighbridges near you.
Weighbridge questions, answered
How much does it cost to weigh a caravan?
At a fixed public weighbridge a caravan weigh typically lands between about $30 and $60, and the price varies by site. A mobile per-wheel weighing service typically runs from about $180 to $370 depending on the operator and whether the tow car is weighed too. Check the operator's current pricing before you go.
Should the van be loaded or empty when I weigh it?
Loaded exactly the way you travel: water in the tanks, gas bottles in, food, tools, bikes, the lot, plus the people who normally ride in the car. The whole point is to learn the real touring weight, not the brochure weight.
Fixed weighbridge or mobile weighing service, which do I need?
A fixed weighbridge gives you totals: the whole rig, the car alone and the van alone, which is enough to check GCM, GVM and ATM. A mobile service puts a scale pad under each wheel and measures the tow ball, so you also see how the weight is distributed side to side and onto the ball. Totals answer 'am I legal'; per-wheel figures help you fix a problem.
What do I compare the weighbridge numbers against?
The compliance plates. The van's plate carries its ATM, the car's plate carries its GVM and GCM, and the towbar has its own rating. Your loaded figures must sit under every one of those limits at the same time. Our caravan weights guide explains each term in plain English.
Do the sums before you drive out
The payload calculator estimates where your load will land before you pack, and the tow calculator checks your car against any van on the site. Then the weighbridge confirms it.
Already have a ticket? Read what each number means. New to the jargon? Start with caravan weights explained.
Last updated .