Legal Weight - Montana Owners Club

Montana_738 · 07-23-2005, 02:55 PM

Hi Everyone,

There has been some talk about some of the states requiring you too pass over the scales such as a semi does. I understand those states so far are Nevada and Utah. I am sure little by little all states will require the same.
Below is how I had to figure my rigs weight limits, this is the best way I know how to explain the procedure, so if there are any questions I am sure someone will be back to answer them for you.
I have a 2003 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD extended cab, short box, (4WD) with a 6.6L V8 Diesel engine. (Automatic Transmission)
I filled my Chevy with fuel and put everything in the bed of the truck I thought I would haul on an extended trip. I then pulled the Chevy on the scale, pasengers should be included, it weighed 6900 lbs. exactly. The sticker on the door of my Chevy said I could haul 9200 lbs.
I then hooked up the Montana fully loaded for a trip, (full water tanks and all) and pulled on the scale leaving the monty axles off the scale, this weight minus the Chevy's weight (6900 lbs.) gives me the hitch weight. The two weights combined gives me the total weight I am carrying on the Chevy, remember the sticker said I can carry up too, but not exceed 9200 lbs.
After you get the hitch weight pull the truck and trailer hooked together on the scale to get the gross combined vehicle weight. (GCVW)

Look in your truck manual it has a chart that list's axle ratio's, maximum trailer weight, and GCVW. GCVW is the gross combined vehicle weight. You need to find the chart that matches your vehicle. Example- my vehicle is listed as a K-2500 Extended Cab, Short Box, HD, (4WD) 6.6L V8 Diesel with automatic transmission. (This is important because if you have a standard tranny you are allowed to haul more weight then an automatic transmission.)
Under the GCVW column it states the maximum weight for my truck and trailer combined must not exceed 22,000 lbs. This is the weight of the truck and trailer combined including passengers, not to exclude pet's, that I can legally haul.
So the maximum weight I can be carrying when I pull on the scales is 22,000 lbs.
If you are over weight they will not let you leave the scale until you disperse enough weight to become legal. That means someone or something has to go.

Listed below are the definitions;
GVW-(Gross vehicle weight)of your truck, listed on the door panel;
This is the total allowed gross weight of the truck with passengers, full fuel tanks, & hitch weight of trailer.
GVW-of your trailer, is listed on trailer specs.
This is the total allowed gross weight of the trailer after all food, water, clothing, etc. is loaded.
GCVW-Gross combined vehicle weight.
This is the total gross weight after the truck and trailer are hooked together.
I hope this helps everyone, I'm sure if you have questions there are some experts out there who will help.

Bill

patodonn · 07-23-2005, 04:25 PM

Has anyone actually seen or experienced this mandatory weight check? I traveled both Nev and Utah last year, and it certainly wasn't required then. Never even heard of it until the above posting. I hope, for the sake of MANY RVers, that this falls into the "Urban Legends" catgory. Among other things, it would mean that most, maybe all, 2500 or 3500 P/Us older than 2000? 2001? couldn't "legally" tow a fully loaded (14K lbs) Montana.

If this mandatory weight check is "for real", it is certain that we will avoid Nev and Utah in the future. That will pose a problem, sinced we usually go between Boise and Calif once a year.

I'll be very interested in comments that follow!

Thanks,

ragdoll · 07-23-2005, 04:36 PM

PJ - we also traveled Nev and Utah last year (also going to Nev once a year to visit the grandkids), along with several other states including BC and never encountered the above posting either. I hope this isn't a fact or facts to come makes one wonder!

We are getting ready to head back east on Wednesday.

Safe travels.
Lorraine

illapah · 07-23-2005, 05:23 PM

living in Nevada, I have not heard of RVs having to stop at weigh stations. I go to Salt Lake City quite frequently and just across the border from Wendover in Utah is the weigh station on I80. The sign says all trucks and busses must stop. Nothing about RV.

BTW, ALL busses must stop, not just commercial as it was about a year ago. Maybe this is what you are thinking about.

H. John Kohl · 07-23-2005, 05:56 PM

I have had this though/question for a while. Does the "posted weights" on the truck = "Legal weights" or Warranty Weights? I met a guy with a Dodge dually pulling a goose neck trailer at 40K. He was hauling furniture. He had his truck commercially registered/licensed for those weight.
Now I guess we get to what I would call the Legal weight is what the truck is registered to pull. In the commercial world that is documented. In the RV world it is open for interpretation. Even the weights on the trailer are really Warranty weights because there is no licensing associated with the weights.
Like others I am curious the law associated with the "penalty".
If I was weighed in Maryland the only think I know they could get me for would be the wrong license if I was over the 26000 weight for both units. It is an hidden law that any vehicle over 26000 lbs requires a class A or B (non-commercial) license. Imagine all those Diesel pushers driven by RVers with just a regular MD license.
Now in Florida I know any truck of 8K pounds requires a class "D" license. I was lucky to get one when I transfered last May. Again I hear this is a non enforced law.
Like most of them they are there if the law enforcement wants to use them.
Good luck and safe towing.

Montana_738 · 07-23-2005, 06:22 PM

Hello Again,

Where all this information started in regards to scales was on Open Roads Forum, and also on the Escapees Club. You can go to these forums and click on tow vehicles, you will find the discussion's there.
I didn't post this information to get anyone worked up into a frenzy, there has been talk of some of the states going to do this for sometime now. The information passed on to me about Nevada and Utah was not verified, this information I picked up came from the Open Roads Forum.
My concern is with myself, and to share this information with those wanting to know they could make legal weight if need be, although that would mean not packing all the extra things we think we might need and never use. I'm sure there are a lot of people out there that do the same, I will just make sure I don't pack any unnecessary items.
My reason for posting this information was, there were some people out there that were interested in knowing how to figure the GVW and GCVW of their rigs, if not for the scales, for their own safety. If your extremely over weight it can't be good for the tow vehicle or the rig your towing, there is a reason the gross weight limits are posted on truck and trailer. My personal belief is safety, I don't want to be on the road with someone that is 5,000 or 6,000 lbs. over weight. The big problem is most people that are over weight don't know it, this gives them the information they need to find out. I'm sure a lot of us will be shocked.
I appoligize if the states I listed are not correct, as I stated before, I did not research this, the information came from another forum, but there must be something to it because there was quite a discussion on this matter.

Bill

Montana_2744 · 07-23-2005, 08:57 PM

weights, i have driven professionally for many years and just retired a few months ago. as far as i know no rv is required to stop at a commerical weigh station. that being said that they could weigh you and if you were found to be overweight you could get a hefty ticket. the ticket is based on the bridge law. that is the distance between the first axle and the last axle and the width of tire rubber on the road. but unless something changes i do not think that anyone has anything to worry about. take care mcgillagorilla

patodonn · 07-24-2005, 03:38 AM

Accuprep, thanks for the posting. The intent was well served...good info on the procedure to check your weights....the intro comment was the "bell ringer" for those of us who travel out West, have a "near middle aged" truck, and are near max Monty weight.

As long as there is are no "posted" (placarded on your vehicle) weights which are exceeded, it would seem to be a real "challenge" for a trooper or weight station to determine if you were towing "overweight". It almost has to be by truck VIN # to find out the various Mfg ratings, and we have changed differential ratios and have a different tranny that the ones associated with our VIN. The info re the guy pulling 40K with a 2500 (or 3500) and a goose neck hitch and had a "permit" to keep him "legal" is interesting...but, again, only applies to a commercial operation. The weights assigned to our tow vehicles and the Monty by the Mfgs are, in general, warranty weights. Difficult to see how they could be used for "ticketing" purposes. I suppose it could happen if you were pulled over for some sort of infraction.

I did see a posting some time ago, maybe on a different Forum, re a couple driving a big diesel pusher MH who had to "downsize" by the roadside, but I suspect they were really heavy (maybe the "bridge" thing) and certainly over the placarded weight for their rig.

Thanks again for the weighing info.

illapah · 07-24-2005, 04:51 AM

I can just imagine the congestion at weigh stations IF non comercial RVs and pickups were required to stop.

illapah · 07-24-2005, 06:21 AM

Well, as I always say, if you have a question, it is better to ask someone who is qualified to answer rather than to fret over rumor.
From Nevada Revised Statutes:

NRS 482.023 “Declared gross weight” defined. “Declared gross weight” means the maximum gross weight at which a motor vehicle or combination of vehicles will be operated, except the term does not include the weight of:

1. Another vehicle which is being carried or towed by a tow car, as that term is defined in NRS 706.131;

2. Implements of husbandry;

3. A trailer or other towed vehicle which is not used for a commercial enterprise;

4. Towable tools or equipment, as that term is defined in NRS 484.202; or

5. The load on a farm vehicle which has an unladen weight of 10,000 pounds or more.

(Added to NRS by 1985, 1835; A 1987, 144; 1991, 2353)

sreigle · 07-24-2005, 07:47 AM

Bill, I also appreciate your post. Dangerous situations are something I don't want to be around, either. While we're under the Tow and GCWR ratings we're a little over on GVWR. Not enough to be dangerous to anyone, in my opinion, but over nonetheless. Thus, any laws related to weight are a concern to me.

Roughly two weeks ago we passed through a corner of Utah on I-80/I-84/I-15. Total of 135 miles. At that time I saw nothing indicating we should stop at weigh stations. However, sometimes laws have an effective date somewhere down the road (no pun intended. Well, not really.) so maybe this is something that will happen in the future.

PJ, my truck has GVWR plus front and rear GAWR info on the door sticker so they could easily check those weights. They would not easily have tow and GCWR ratings unless with the VIN as you mentioned.

Montana_2785 · 07-24-2005, 11:29 AM

Here in Illinois, a friend and myself drove ourselves crazy trying to figure out what licensing and plating requirements applied to us. What we figured out is that there are several conbinations for commercial guys towing a trailer under or over 10,000lbs, but a towable RV over 10,000lbs is doable with a regular class D (normal car) drivers license. We just can't be over 26,000lbs gross combined.

For my truck, the standard "B" truck plate allows for GVWR of only 8,000lbs. Not enough to do diddly squat with. I opted to get the "D" truck plate (no such thing as "C" plate...) that allows for the additional range of 8,001lbs to 12,000lbs GVWR.

Illinois has 3 different RT (recreational trailer) plates for three different weight classes. I forget the ranges just off the top of my head, but I have the correct plate for my weight class.

As far as I know, since each has its own appropriate plate for its weight class, I >>>SHOULD

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