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Yes you are right Pete about the “heavy trailer” endorsement required in BC when towing a vehicle over 4600 kg. However this has absolutely nothing to do with the ratings on our TV and RV’s with respect to weight. We could be towing a trailer that is less than 4600 kg and have it well overloaded with respect to the capacity of the trailer or TV. If we were in an accident and it was proven that the accident was a result of overloading or improper loading, we very well might not have insurance coverage or at the very least we would have a fight on our hands to collect.
If in the US there are no laws governing the weight and carry capacity of Recreational Vehicles and a catastrophic accident occurs resulting in death, with a subsequent investigation proving the cause of the accident was either overloading of the RV or TV, I think it would be safe to say the lawyers would be on that like fly’s on candy.
IMHO British Columbia’s drivers license endorsement is a joke, and as far as I know is the only province in Canada to have such an endorsement or DL requirement for towing an RV. Not a single traveler I met last winter from BC had taken the test and had secured the endorsement.
Whether we strive to keep our TV and RV within it’s rated weight capacity is a choice each of us will have to make, it is up to the individual to consider the possible consequences and do what we are comfortable with. Heck I am running those Chinese Marathons, if I can avoid it I don’t want to put undue stress on them.
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