Can you legally tow that, loaded?

A ute rated to tow 3.5 tonnes usually can't do it while also carrying a full load. The limit that catches people isn't the tow rating — it's GCM, the most the vehicle and trailer may weigh together.

GVM (kg) required Gross Vehicle Mass, from the compliance plate — a metal or sticker plate usually inside the driver's door jamb, sometimes under the bonnet. GCM (kg) required Gross Combination Mass — the most the vehicle and trailer may weigh together. Usually on the same plate, sometimes only in the manual. Vehicle kerb weight (kg) required Empty, ideally from a weighbridge. Load in and on the vehicle (kg) Accessories, gear, passengers, fuel, water. Not the ball weight — that's worked out for you. Trailer ATM (kg) required Aggregate Trailer Mass — the trailer fully loaded, from its own plate. Not its tare. Rated towing capacity (kg) Optional. The headline figure from the brochure. Ball weight (% of trailer) Around ten percent is a common Australian rule of thumb for planning. Measure the real figure before you rely on it.

Where these numbers come from

Everything above comes off your vehicle, not a database. We don't look up specs by model, because a figure that's close but wrong is worse than no figure — it's the difference between legal and not.

The compliance plate — usually inside the driver's door jamb, sometimes under the bonnet. GVM and often GCM are here.
A weighbridge — the only honest source for what your vehicle actually weighs now. Public weighbridges are cheap and most tips and grain depots have one. Brochure kerb weights are for a brand new vehicle with no accessories and often no fuel.
The owner's manual — roof ratings live here, and rarely anywhere else.

If a number isn't published, ask the dealer or a certifier rather than guessing. Nothing on this page is engineering advice, and being under every limit isn't the same as being safe or roadworthy — load distribution, tyre ratings and how it's secured all matter too.

Read the full guide: Towing: GCM, GVM, ball weight