Been pulled over in pickups, mdt's etc, I have YET to get a overweight ticket being over the manufacture gvwr or gawr's! even 150% one time. Your state will give you as noted, up to 20K per axel and 34K per tandem. or a minimum of 500 lbs per inch width of tire, BEFORE you are over the road bed design load limits. THIS is what the LEO will cite you for. For the majority of RV folks, you will never get close to this amount. Probably about half of it!
You can as noted, get a ticket and will be taken off the road if it appears you are operating in an unsafe mode, Can not stop in x' from 20 mph on a level ground, ie a field test your brakes work. They can make sure ALL brakes are functioning appropriately etc. As a couple of different CVEO's that I know, have had classes from etc will tell you, They can get you off the road if you should be!
BUT, doing 60 in a 55 is probably not unsafe per say, nor more unsafe than being 500 lbs over a gvwr.
BUT, with this in mind, I have seen an older couple in a square body Dodge, with a cummins, pulling a 5w, the truck and trailer were WELL under manufacture ratings, and Fed Bridge law amounts. In the meantime, it was swaying some 12-24" to ea side, which there is a law in the state of washington that woul get this person ticketed, and OFF the road.
I have had a trailer that was 8K total, behind my 12K empty dumpt truck, nearly take me off the road...... The trailer had no hitch wt, started swaying, I stopped with the electric brakes. BUT, it was an UNSAFE, but legal from a wt standpoint! Nor could I go the freeway speed limit and not sway.
So, at the end of the day, over or under wt, over under speed limit, ALL 4 or combo of the questions the OP asked, you can be safe, to unsafe!
Marty
