Question
ATM, GVM, GTM, GCM, tare, payload — what do they all mean in plain English?
Celso P.Roaming since Mar 2026July 2026
Every caravan conversation drowns in acronyms and I nod along without really understanding them. Can someone explain ATM, GVM, GTM, GCM, tare and payload in plain language, and which ones I actually need to care about when matching a van to a car?
1 reply
Accepted answer
Celso P.July 2026
In plain terms: Tare is the empty weight of the van from the factory. ATM is the most your loaded van can weigh, standing on its own including the towball weight. GTM is what the van's axles carry when it's hitched up (ATM minus towball download). Payload is simply ATM minus tare — how much gear, water and food you can legally load. On the car side, GVM is the most your loaded car can weigh, and GCM is the most car and van can weigh together. The two that catch people out most are payload (often smaller than expected) and GCM.
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