TV is under rated, now what?

[exav8tr]

quote:Originally posted by 1retired06

Art hit the nail on the head. The 250,350,and 450 trucks for example all use the same diesel and transmission, but different tow capacities. The difference is in the frame, differential, brakes, suspension, springs, etc. You will be overweight pulling with what you have. Having said that, I see 250s and 2500s pulling heavy trailers all the time. One thing to keep in mind is legalities. I have had two minor accidents pulling fifth wheels (neither one my fault!). One was in Missouri, one was in Texas, and in both cases the police checked and documented weight of the trailer against my tow vehicle. Once in California, I was pulled into a rest stop by the highway patrol for a spot check. If overweight, you were immediately parked.

I bet you were never ticketed for being overweight as there are no laws that preclude this in the US. Am I right?????

[mlh]

I have a simple question: Do any of our members know anybody that ever got sued or had any legal trouble because their truck didn't have enough capacity to tow their camper? Can anybody find one court case?
Lynwood

[bigskyjimmy]

NO, Never had heard of anybody but who knows? I think unless you are towing your 5th with a old El-Camino or something I think you are O.K. 99% of us have rigs that can handle them some better than others maybee cheat'in a little, most 1 tons are built like brick poop houses and are up to the task I think some people are a little paranoid

[KathyandDave]

Two points:
Like the USA, Canada has a variety of jurisdictions. The MoT's (Ministry of Transportation) of the provinces are completely independent of each other and cooperate more or less depending on the issues at hand. We live in Ontario, where the MoT has been blitzing the trucking indutry for years. They have built pulloff's for scales and bring inspectors and portable scales on an apparently random basis. I've never heard of an RV being pulled over, but other Ontarians may have other stories. Apparently, Ontario does subscribe to the notion that the laws of the original jurisdiction apply, so if it's acceptable in your hometown, then it may be OK with the inspector. But, if it's too far out of line for Ontario, they might take issue, for example, I wouldn't tow a vehicle behibd the Monty in Ontario because the law here is quite specific about that (overall length and the sequence of hitches are main points). I am aware that they do match the weight of the rig against the driver's license classification, so I make sure that our GCVR is less than my general operator's license allows. I've learned that, contrary to what the nice lady at the licaense office said, I don't need a commercial permit to haul an RV for non-business use.
To the issue of giving advice, the forum is the only place that I've been able to glean sane advice backed up by experience. However, all a poster can do is tell his own story or point to some info he found out. So, I'm not giving advice, just saying how it goes for me.

[Hooker]

quote:Originally posted by mlh

I have a simple question: Do any of our members know anybody that ever got sued or had any legal trouble because their truck didn't have enough capacity to tow their camper? Can anybody find one court case?
Lynwood

There are a number of examples over at www.irv2.com

[mhs4771]

If you know you're over weight, don't go to Florida. They have a law that covers Dangerous Acts, so if you're doing something dangerous and get involved in an accident you are automaticly at fault, and it has been carried over into pulling an RV that you know is to heavy for your TV.

[bigskyjimmy]

Guess I'll steer clear Of Florida I'm about 700 over, Oh Well no visting Mickey and Goofy this year

[1retired06]

Phil, not sure I get your point. I am not familiar with all state laws on weight specs. I have never been ticketed because I have always been smart/careful enough to run tow vehicles that have the tow capacity to exceed the weight of whatever I am pulling. At the California spot check I cited, the rig that was parked was not allowed to continue. Hard to believe CHP could do that without a law to back them up. I dont know if they were ticketed or not. Seems to me the CHP was enforcing the law via spot checks and not wasting their time on something not legally enforceable. I would think the cost of bringing somebody in to tow the rig and TV and lost time was far more expensive than a ticket. The lawyers will hang you out to dry in a civil case, if being overweight is an issue in an accident. That is a fact.

[seahunter]

quote:Originally posted by 1retired06

The lawyers will hang you out to dry in a civil case, if being overweight is an issue in an accident. That is a fact.

Good point to remember. You might get away with the code violations, but a wrongful death suit or similar case they would go after for sure.

[HOOK]

Camping is a lifestyle, meant to be enjoyed. If you leave home with no safety concerns, you will probably return with none. Yet I find it amazing the number of people buying on our sales lot, who don't have a clue. I rolled one over 20 years ago, it was well within limits, it was a tagalong, 31' Terry hooked to a Suburban, the hitch itself failed. So, I would never be inclined to take a chance, knowingly. JMHO Larry

[SlickWillie]

quote:Originally posted by Hooker

There are a number of examples over at www.irv2.com

Did a search there.....about the same BS as over here. She said... he said....or I knew somebody that knew somebody that heard a story about a possible case. I ain't gonna spend a lotta time reading over there, but I didn't pull up one documented court case.

[Hooker]

They are there, might have to look around a bit.

[RickW]

1retired06 is not the first guy I have seen who has admitted to personally being spot checked. It is happening these days. If they are taking the time to check they will pull vehicles out of service and/or write citations.

At the end of the day you have to evaluate what risks you are willing to take and do what you are comfortable doing.

[Art-n-Marge]

I wish there was better enforcement! Right now enforcement is very prevalent with commercial vehicles but not with the public of uninformed or unpracticed owners of private vehicles and RVs or other "loads". And even then accidents from overweight commercial vehicles still occur. How many have seen passenger cars loaded to the gills and riding on their suspensions? They are probably overweight too. All vehicles have a GVWR!

If enforcement was in place when I had purchased my rig and checked and weighed all numbers prior to the sale, I would have been forced to realize weight compliance instead of trying to solve the problem after the fact. I thought I knew enough because I relied on documentation, but until the scale was used, I really didn't know and found I was off by a few hundred pounds. I don't think the RV industry is willing to lose these sales and with no enforcement it is estimated that 40-45% of all private owners rigs are overweight (by any amount). Each sale should have this as a requirement if it is such a big deal. I do think weight compliance is a big deal which is why I went through so much research to find what's allowed and where I actually stood with weight compliance.

I have read that being overweight is usually not considered until after an accident occurs and even then it's not necessarily automatic at least in California per the CHP officers I talked to. I feel that's way too late. Prevention is a much better medicine. Again, it's more hearsay from me and I don't know the facts.

[ugh]

I admit that I am nervous about it. our first trip is next weekend, and I plan to stop by the scale to see where I stand.

[Chasnracin]

quote:Originally posted by ugh

I admit that I am nervous about it. our first trip is next weekend, and I plan to stop by the scale to see where I stand.

I would search out a moving company or private scale, not a state scale house along the highway. Better to check yourself first before opening yourself up to the DOT. Just my $.02.

[ugh]

quote:Originally posted by Chasnracin

I would search out a moving company or private scale, not a state scale house along the highway. Better to check yourself first before opening yourself up to the DOT. Just my $.02.

Good point. Are you over the limit? We have almost the same setup.

[RickW]

Art you hit the nail on the head. The only problem with enforcement is the segment of society who will start screaming about too much government intrusion in to their lives. Of course these are most likely some of the worst offenders.

As for weighing your rig go to a truck stop. It will cost you around $10 bucks but they will provide you a print out and will provide you the actual weights on the steer, drive and trailer axles.

[CamillaMichael]

Given the general lack of understanding of weight ratings, I would imagine that if law enforcement officers start pulling people over in great numbers, most of those people's rigs will not be properly evaluated by the citing officer. Even people who should know (RVers) where to look and how much their GVWR and GCWR are, we still are often wrong on the numbers...can only imagine what the casual "viewer" is going to come up with.

[bigskyjimmy]

Best point I heard so far, I agree! i would say 99% of the ticketing officers would not take the time or know the gvrw and gcwr, just do not see it happening