5 weighty issues to consider when setting up a ute as a mobile workspace

Are you setting up a new service vehicle or reviewing your current service vehicle fleet?

An important aspect to consider throughout the process of setting up your service vehicles is the weights - of the vehicle; the fitout; and the tools you need to carry. This is important, as in the industry we often see how overloaded service vehicles become and the negative effect this has on the stability of the vehicle.

Consideration of the GVM is very important. Another key aspect to consider are the axle weights and GCM (Gross Combined Mass), which comes into play when towing a trailer.

GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass) is arguably the industry’s single largest problem, therefore a thorough analysis and 

Vehicle stability goes hand-in-hand with vehicle mass. Poorly loaded and overweight vehicles do not handle well - add mud tyres to an already unstable vehicle and you have a recipe for disaster!

We see the need for field servicing technicians to be able to carry more tools and equipment and stay within their vehicles GVM - all while ensuring technician safety by ensuring the vehicle is stable. There are 2 options to maximise your utes payload:

• Decrease the weight of the fitout
• Increase the GVM of the vehicle with a certified GVM upgrade kit

Here's a list of the top 5 things to take into consideration when setting up your service vehicles:

• Does the vehicle you are purchasing have ample carrying capacity? Consider if a single cab ute could be used in place of an extra or double cab ute. The use of a single cab helps with the next point;
• The fitout. Where is the weight loading? Where will the heavy equipment be located? Is it possible to get the heavy equipment low to the chassis and towards the front of the ute, reserving the rear space for temporary loads? What is the fitout constructed from and what is the base weight of the fitout?
• Does the vehicle require a certified GVM upgrade? Talk to our staff about running some scenarios through the Weight Matrix tool and analyse the axle weights and additional braking distance.
• Will you need to tow a trailer? Remember that the GCM cannot be more than 6000kgs, and that 10% of the trailer weight should be attributed to towbar tongue download.
• If calculations show that the vehicle doesn’t require a GVM upgrade, consider whether it requires a suspension upgrade. The recommended option is to fit upgraded rear leaf springs which have been re-set to factory ride height, aided by high quality aftermarket heavy duty shock absorbers.

Get in touch with us today to try out the weight matrix tool or look at some real life examples of how we can help to make your vehicles safe, stable and compliant.