Weight Police!

[Tom S.]

In a discussion on another board about weight enforcement (state or federal), a member stated that he'd never seen a RV pulled over for a weight check. I know about Artemus Gordon's post about the crack down in California, but was wondering if any other states were or have done this or do most states ignore RV's.

Post your experiences!

[1retired06]

I was waved into a truck stop in California by a highway patrolman for a spot check. Four years ago. A tearful couple was also there, were declared overweight, and not allowed to continue. I also was involved in an accident in St Louis which was not my fault, the other driver was cited, I was clean, BUT was directed to follow the cop to the nearest weigh station, where he verified I was in compliance for his accident report.

[JandC]

Sounds to me like California is the only state that will attempt to weigh RV's. Visited that great state this summer and sure didn't see any evidence of RVs being weighed, but then again I was just visiting and don't live there.

[bigskyjimmy]

We were touring around Cali for about a month and never saw a Rv being pulled over for a weight check or any other state I've been in the past 6 months,I am sure it happens but a rarity I am sure they have better things to do, Although I did get pulled over near Pleasantville, Calf in Rush hour and got a warning for being one lane to far to the left Yeah that was fun trying to get back into traffic from the shoulder ...So maybe the CHP does NOT have anything better to do

[richfaa]

we have never seen a RV pulled over for a weight check we are not commercial vehicles and there is no requirement to do so. However we were involved in a Safety inspection for all vehicles in a rest stop. Lights, horn, turn signals ,etc. They had portable scales and we noted them weighing a 5th wheel. We did not inquire why. We later asked a Ohio State trooper about the incident we witnessed his reply was it was a safety inspection and anything can be checked if a safety concern is suspected.

My guess is that if the scales were there the Ohio patrol weight guys were there checking for overweigh Commercial vehicles as part of the safety inspection. It would be a simple task to check our truck sticker and Rv sticker to determine if we were overweight. I have no idea what the penalty would be if we were determined to be overweight on a safety inspection. that was a one time occurrence.

[mazboy]

never seen it or been it.
of course then there is California...we all they do things a little different.

[tomNtrisha]

After all it's just California the land of fruits and nuts

[mlh]

There are a lot of things in California I would like to see. I'm just not sure I won't to go there to see them.
Lynwood

[RVWheels]

Ladies and gentlemen please remember the Mission of the MOC. Continued "bashing" of any particular state will be cause to close the thread and other individual actions. Thank you for your attention to this issue. RVWheels, MOC Admin.

[Phil P]

Hi

In 2010 we put 30,000 miles on our rig just going wherever we thought would be interesting without any kind of plan of travel.

We entered one state somewhere between Arkansas and the rest of the North West that weighed every “truck” trailer combination regardless of sizes. We were not on the interstate system there was a big sign listing all kind of truck trailer combinations and in bold letters “all RV’s” they were weighing everything that was a truck from the Toyota pickups with boat trailers to 18 wheelers.

We found it amusing but didn’t get any answers when we ask what was going on.

I ask my wife to get a picture of the sign but she didn’t even write down the name of the state we were in.

Phil P

[Phil P]

quote:Originally posted by richfaa

we have never seen a RV pulled over for a weight check we are not commercial vehicles and there is no requirement to do so.

Hi

This is not totally correct.

We are not commercial vehicles but all of these trailers that are transported by the delivery trucks become commercial vehicles during the delivery.

The sate of Wyoming recently went on a campaign of randomly checking RV’s because there were a lot of them being moved to locations for housing for oil field workers. They charged a fair number of them for not complying with the DOT regulations because the trailer was not owned by the owner of the truck and was not for the personal use of the owner of the truck.

Nowhere in the DOT regulations is the term “Recreational Vehicle” used. The RV comes under the difination of a “Personal Use” vehicle.

The day you back your truck under someone else’s trailer in order to help them out because their truck is broken you become a commercial vehicle.

The Wyoming fine was around $800.

You have to be very careful about some things I worked on one case where a fellow was helping a friend by going and picking up his disabled car with the car hauler he used for his ATV’s. The courts upheld the citation because the rig didn’t comply with the difination of a “Personal Use Vehicle”. I was used as a consultant when the defendant considered appealing the ruling.

Phil P

[DonandBonnie]

So what are they looking for? I thought the state scales were strictly used to check that the maximum weight allowable on the highway was not exceeded.

[Tom S.]

Steering this back on topic!!

I'm only asking if anyone has experienced any states other that California (which was answered before I even made this post) who enforce any type of weight regulations for RV's. I know some states have weight per square inch of tire contact surface, but I wonder if any states are actively enforcing these or other state/federal laws.

And again, please leave California out of it, as that has already been answered and I don't want this thread shut down or deleted.

[flyerone]

How do they determine if you are overweight? Do they have the tow ratings of every vehicle?

[Irlpguy]

For the last 5 years we have traveled the length/width of Washington, Oregon and California, we have also traveled most of the interstate highways of Arizona, Utah, Montana and Idaho. I have not seen an RV being weighed at a weigh scale nor have I seen a scale that directs RV's into them for weighing.
What I have seen is RV's that for whatever reason were being checked thoroughly by Highway Patrol on the roadside, my observation of those was that they appeared to be either improperly loaded (as in the TV was low in the rear and high on the front axles and likely overloaded.

In British Columbia random weigh stations are set up from time to time and they most certainly do weigh RV's and even more so those pulling large horse trailers. If they are overweight they will not be allowed to move until they comply and are given a hefty ticket.

All of the three major truck manufacturers are competing for who has the greatest "towing capacity". I personally pay no attention to that figure published by the manufacturers, what is important and what will be checked for compliance is the GVWR/GAWR of both the TV and the RV.

All trucks have a GVWR and GAWR rating on the driver side door frame, if when towing, that figure is exceeded, then you are overloaded and can be ticketed. The RV also has a GVWR as well as a GAWR sticker on the unit, if either of those are exceeded then you are overloaded and could be ticketed.

Of particular interest is the heavier RV's that come stock with ST tires that are E rated, you will notice on the sticker on the RV that although the unit may have 7K axles the rating "must" be reduced to the capacity of the tires, since the tire is a component of the axle capacity it must be reduced to whatever the rating is on those tires. For instance my original Marathons required the factory to reduce the GAWR on my 3402RL from 7K per axle to 6750# per axle. I now have G614's however the sticker still shows my axle rating is still at 6750.

Tom in this thread was attempting to get "concrete" information on what is enforced in different states around the country, hearsay is not a good indicator of that. In another post he implores you all to get your vehicles weighed. If you do that, and comply with the weight restrictions of your units you won't have to worry about getting stopped or required to go over a scale in any state.

In defense of California, although I dislike their speed restriction and was issued a speeding ticket last year, there was not a single question asked regarding my TV or RV's weights.

My experience in the western states I mentioned above was for "whatever" reason RV's appear to not be on the radar screen, other than for speeding of course....

[Tom S.]

What brought this up was a member on one of the boards I moderate made a claim that he tows 30,000 pounds all the time with a GMC 2500 and it's perfectly OK. He and another member claim that no one ever checks RV's so it's no big deal. If you want to read what this [s]moron[/s] err member has posted, you can find it here: http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/76-...b-duramax.html

[mhs4771]

Tom, you were 100% on about that individual. I too have read some of those post, such as the indiviual who traveled halfway across the country to pick-up a huge triple axle ToyHauler with his 250/2500 (don't remember exactly which) and towed it back across the country at 75 to 80 MPH.
I do know that in many States the TV Reg is priced based on the GVWR and if you were checked and found to be exceeding that you could be ticketed. Part of the reason I raised mine to 14,999 Lbs.

[DonandBonnie]

Several years ago, we had a truck specialist spec out which Silverado would best pull a fully loaded Montana 3400RL. His report said the 2500 would pull it in all but the steepest locations. Except for level and down hill we probably would not be able to maintain the speed limit. He recommended the 3500 to eliminate the tricky situations that the smaller truck would create. I could envision the Dodge 2500 pulling 30000 lbs. but at what level of efficiency? 10 mph up a slight hill? Stop and cool the engine every half mile? There are a lot of unanswered questions in what your member? has written.

[bullroc3]

IS NOT THE PULLING BUT THE STOPPING!!!

[Phil P]

Hi

To answer one question.

Yes the law information has access to the weight ratings of all model vehicles. They also have the weight ratings for tires and the max speed rating for tires.

As one poster pointed out he was escorted to the scales after an accident that was not his fault.

Any LEO can request weighing if he determines in his opinion the vehicle is unsafe.

The private use vehicle is not required to comply with the commercial vehicle regulations but is require to comply with the weight, length, height and width regulations.

This applies to all vehicles from the Smart Car to the 18-wheeler that is used as a personal use vehicle.

Now to answer the OP question. Yes I have been in some states that require any truck trailer combination to cross the scales. But I have only found one state that requires all vehicles to go thru the agriculture inspection and that was California.

Phil P