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Share Your Driving Style

Every driver connects to the road in their own way. Whether it’s chasing freedom on the weekends, living life on the highway, or finding joy in every city turn — we want to hear what driving means to you.

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GVM Calculator

Know Your Limits.

Check your loaded vehicle weight against your GVM before you hit the track — or the road. Takes 2 minutes.

Vehicle

Accessories

Load

Results

Step 01

Select Your Vehicle

Make

Model

Variant

Year

Manufacturer specs loaded

—

Tare mass (kg)

—

GVM limit (kg)

—

Payload capacity (kg)

—

Front axle rating (kg)

—

Rear axle rating (kg)

—

GCM (kg)

Step 02

Accessories & Modifications

Tick what's fitted to your rig

Protection & Recovery

Storage & Camping

Towing

I'm towing a caravan or trailer

Tow ball download (kg)

200

⚠ Tow ball download counts as payload AND loads your rear axle directly. Rule of thumb: 10% of your van's ATM. Max tow ball load is typically 350 kg — always check your towbar rating.

Accessories subtotal

0 kg

Step 03

Passengers, Fuel & Cargo

Don't skip this — it adds up fast

Passengers

Number of passengers (including driver)

pax

Average weight per person

Fuel & Fluids

Main tank (% full)

Auxiliary / long range tank (litres)

Cargo & Touring Gear

Recovery gear & tools

Camping gear & food supplies

Other cargo

Calculating...

Tare mass GVM limit

—

Loaded weight

—

Remaining payload

—

Est. front axle

—

Est. rear axle

Breakdown

Full Weight Breakdown

Tare mass (manufacturer spec)	—
Accessories & modifications	—
Passengers	—
Fuel & fluids	—
Cargo & touring gear	—
Tow ball download	—
Total loaded weight	—

⚠

You Need a GVM Upgrade

Your current build exceeds GVM. A certified GVM upgrade from 4Wheelhouse gives you the legal payload headroom to carry this load.

ⓘ

Running Close to Your Limit

You're close to your GVM limit. A GVM upgrade gives you more legal headroom for touring.

ⓘ This tool provides an estimate only. Weights are based on published manufacturer specifications and typical accessory data. Axle load figures are calculated estimates and may vary based on load placement, fitment, and vehicle condition. Always confirm your actual loaded weight at a certified weighbridge. For legal compliance, consult a licensed vehicle engineer.

What is GVM, and why does it matter?

Your GVM, or Gross Vehicle Mass, is the maximum legal weight your vehicle can be when it is fully loaded. That includes the vehicle itself, plus passengers, fuel, fitted accessories, and anything you are carrying, whether that is camping gear, a bullbar, or a full tray of recovery equipment.

It is easy to confuse GVM with GCM (Gross Combined Mass, which includes anything you are towing) or kerb weight (the weight of the vehicle with no load at all). GVM sits in between: it is your fully loaded weight limit, without a trailer attached.

Going over your GVM is not just a compliance issue. An overloaded 4WD handles differently, brakes differently, and puts more strain on your suspension and drivetrain. In the event of an accident, insurers can also decline a claim if your vehicle was found to be over its rated GVM at the time.

Use the calculator below to check your build against your vehicle's GVM before you hit the track, or the road.

Weight ratings comparison table

It addresses a gap none of our current copy covers, being how GVM relates to the other weight figures people come across when researching a build.

Rating	What it measures	Applies to
GVM	Maximum weight of the vehicle alone, fully loaded	Vehicle only
Kerb weight	Weight of the vehicle empty, with fuel and fluids	Vehicle only
Payload	GVM minus kerb weight, what you have left to load	Vehicle only
Towing capacity	Maximum weight the vehicle is rated to tow	Trailer or caravan
GCM	Maximum combined weight of vehicle and trailer together	Vehicle and trailer

You need to stay within all of these limits at the same time. Being under GVM does not mean you are legal if you have gone over GCM.

Example build over GVM: Kerb weight plus a steel bullbar, canopy, drawer system, roof rack, four passengers, camping gear and a loaded tow ball can add over a tonne to a stock vehicle. On a popular dual cab ute rated to 3,200 kg, that kind of setup can land 150 to 250 kg over GVM before anyone realises.
Example build within GVM Swapping to lighter alloy accessories, carrying two passengers instead of four, and packing only what is needed for the trip can keep the same vehicle several hundred kilograms under its GVM, with margin to spare.

Glossary

Tare mass: The weight of the vehicle with minimal fuel and fluids, before passengers or cargo are added.
Kerb weight: The vehicle ready to drive, with fuel and fluids, but without payload. Always check the manufacturer's own definition, as it can vary between brands.
Payload: The total weight you can add to the vehicle, covering passengers, fuel, accessories, cargo and tow ball download.
Axle capacity: The maximum load allowed on the front or rear axle. A vehicle can be over its axle capacity even when it is still under its total GVM.