How Does GVM Affect Your Ute Tray Setup?

GVM is your ute’s weight ceiling, and your tray eats into that ceiling before you’ve loaded anything. A heavier tray means less room for tools, water, a canopy, or a mate in the passenger seat. A lighter tray hands that room back to you. 

This guide walks you through exactly how much trays weigh, what a real-world build looks like on paper, and what to check before you order.

How Much Does a Ute Tray Weigh?

A standard dual-cab steel tray sits around 250kg to 380kg fitted, while an equivalent aluminium tray comes in at roughly 100kg to 180kg. Treat these as approximate ranges rather than fixed figures, since actual weight depends on the specific build.

That range isn’t small. Depending on where your build lands in it, your tray alone can take anywhere from a modest slice to close to a third of your factory payload before you’ve thrown a single tool in the back.

A few things push those numbers around:

• Cab type – single-cab trays run longer and heavier than dual-cab equivalents
• Build grade – heavy-duty commercial trays sit at the top of each range, standard fleet trays at the bottom
• Material thickness – thicker checker plate or box-section rails add kilos fast

Ask any builder for the actual fitted weight in writing before you commit. A ballpark figure doesn’t cut it when you’re close to your GVM.

Example: Steel Tray vs Aluminium Tray on the Same Ute

Numbers make this real. Take a common dual-cab ute with a 3,050kg GVM and a 960kg factory payload, fitted out two ways.

Same ute, same two blokes on board, same fuel and water. Going aluminium across the build saves 260kg overall, and 155kg of that comes from the tray itself, with the rest picked up from a lighter bull bar and canopy. 

That’s why an aluminium tray is usually just the starting point. A lighter build across the whole setup is what actually hands the payload back.

Does a Bigger Tray Use More of Your GVM?

Yes, a wider or longer tray almost always adds weight, so more deck space doesn’t automatically mean more usable carrying capacity.

It’s an easy trap. A wider tray looks like it can carry more, but the extra steel or aluminium in the frame and floor adds mass before you’ve loaded anything. Go from a standard 1870mm width to a 2000mm wide tray, and you’re carrying more tray, not just more space.

The same goes for length. A single-cab tray typically runs heavier than a dual-cab tray simply because there’s more material in it. If you’re already tight on GVM, a bigger tray can shrink your payload rather than grow it, even though it feels like you’ve gained capacity.

Worth noting too: it’s not only total GVM at stake. Rear axle limits can be affected by where a tray or accessories sit, even when the vehicle is still within its overall GVM, so a longer tray loaded toward the back is worth checking against axle ratings, not just the total figure.

Tray Accessories That Add to Your GVM

Your finished tray setup is the tray plus everything bolted to it, and each accessory takes a bite out of the payload the tray left behind.

Toolboxes, drawer systems, water tanks and a canopy aren’t separate line items you tack on later. They’re part of the build, and they should be weighed as one setup, not an afterthought. As approximate guides only, and always worth confirming against the specific product you’re fitting:

• Under-tray toolboxes (pair) – roughly 20kg to 35kg
• Drawer system – roughly 40kg to 75kg
• Aluminium canopy (bare) – roughly 100kg to 200kg depending on size
• Full water tank (40L to 70L) – roughly 45kg to 75kg, since a litre of water weighs a kilo

Add those to your tray weight, and you’ll see why two utes with the “same” tray can have very different amounts of payload left. It’s never just the tray. It’s the tray plus everything you’ve asked us to fit around it.

What Happens If You Exceed GVM With a Heavy Tray?

Running over GVM with a heavy tray and full load is illegal, and it can also affect your insurance cover or claims if something goes wrong.

Transport authorities run mobile weighbridge checks, and an overweight ute can be issued a defect notice on the spot, grounding it until weight comes off. Being over GVM at the time of an incident can also complicate an insurance claim, so it’s worth checking your own policy wording rather than assuming you’re covered either way.

Lighter Tray or GVM Upgrade? Make the Right Call

Choose a lighter tray if switching material solves your payload problem, and only look at a GVM upgrade if a lighter tray still won’t get you there.

For most owners, going from steel to aluminium recovers enough payload to fit the canopy, drawers and gear they actually need. That’s the cheaper, faster fix, and it’s where most tray conversations should start.

A GVM upgrade is an approved engineered modification and certification process that can legally increase your ute’s GVM rating, involving upgraded components and sign-off from a licensed engineer. 

It’s worth considering if you genuinely need the durability of a heavy steel tray for demolition or mining-style work, or if your payload requirements simply won’t fit under any tray material. It’s not a shortcut around choosing the right tray; it’s a separate decision for a separate problem. Our team can talk you through which one actually applies to your build.

Tray-Buying Checklist: What to Check Before You Order

Check your compliance plate, weigh your ute as it actually sits, and compare that against your GVM before you order a tray, not after.

• Find your compliance plate (driver’s door jamb, firewall or chassis rail) and note your GVM
• Get your ute weighed with fuel, passengers and any existing accessories on board
• Compare the ute’s actual loaded weight with its GVM to determine how much capacity remains
• Factor in the tray weight you’re considering, plus canopy, drawers and water tank
• Confirm the leftover figure covers your actual tools, gear and tow ball weight

Do this before you order, and you’ll never be the owner who finds out their new tray leaves them 50kg to play with.

Build Your Tray Around Your GVM With GTE Perth

At GTE Perth, we’ve been building custom steel and aluminium trays, canopies and toolboxes for Perth utes and light trucks for over 30 years, across Hilux, Ranger, Land Cruiser, Triton, D-Max, Colorado and BT-50. We don’t sell you a tray off a shelf and hope it fits your numbers. 

We build it around your ute’s actual GVM and the load you need to carry, whether that’s a lighter alloy setup to claw back payload or a heavier-duty steel build backed by the right advice on upgrades.

Get a quote, and we’ll help you land on a tray that actually works for your GVM, not just your budget.

For the full formulas, kerb weight explanation and WA compliance details, read our complete guide to ute payload capacity. 

FAQs

Does removing the factory tub give back extra payload for a tray?

Yes, removing the factory tub returns its weight to your payload, usually 80kg to 130kg, before your new tray’s weight is added.

Is an aluminium tray strong enough for daily tradie work?

Yes, quality aluminium trays handle daily tool and material loads well, though steel remains tougher for constant heavy impact.

Does a heavier tray affect fuel economy?

Yes, extra tray weight increases fuel use over time, since the vehicle is permanently carrying more mass on every trip.

Can two utes with the same GVM have different payloads?

Yes, kerb weight varies by model and options, so two utes with identical GVM ratings can have very different payloads.

Does an empty canopy still count toward my GVM?

Yes, a fitted canopy counts toward GVM at all times, whether it’s empty or loaded, since it’s permanently attached weight.