blt2ski wrote:
So in other words, all we have to really worry about, is staying under the 20K/34/80K limits, and we're fine!
Again, for registration it could depend on how much you have your vehicle registered for. It's not likely you'll exceed the minimum registered weights for states but if you had a particularly heavy TV and a really large, heavy 5er and you registered for the lightest weights then it might be possible to exceed your registered weights. Simple fix is just to register the vehicle for the proper weights. It's not an overweight issue, it's an issue of not paying enough tax for what is being hauled.
An example would be a state like WI. Use to be, and maybe still is, WI didn't not register small trailers. It was very common to see a popup or small travel trailer going down the road without a license plate. They were legal in WI and they could pull that trailer anywhere in the US and still be legal because they complied with WI law where they were from.
As far as exceeding the 20K/34K/80K limits that's not likely with any RV. You're not going to be able to put 20K on a single RV or TV axle. The standard truck and RV tires and axlesaren't made to handle that much weight. Not that they couldn't legally carry the weight it's just that they're not constructed to carry that much weight.
Same with 34K on a tandum axle. Just not going to see anywhere near that much weight in an RV. Even total weight of RV and TV won't be close to 34K let alone on a pair of axles.
Same with 80K. Just not going to have that much total weight.
I'm sure some people when they hook up to their 5er or trailer think they're hauling in the same weight class as the big semis they see on the road. Not even close. The tractor that pulls the semi trailer, without the trailer, will weigh more than the typical TV and 5er.
Think about this. Your ton Ford, Chevy, Dodge may weight about 8000 lbs. A 5er may average 12K, some a bit more, a whole lot of them less. If those were both loaded they would total about 20K. They would have 20K on 4 axles where legal weight would allow all of that on just one axle. If their total weight was 20K they could haul 4 times more and still be at 80K legal weight. To put it more in perspective, if it would fit, most people could put their entire household furnishings, everything they own, in that rig and still be under 80K. People don't realize just how much 80K weighs.
Where it is important to known your RV's weight is when getting off the beaten path and coming across roads and bridges that may have restricted weight limits. If you're out driving the back roads and come across a bridge posted something like "6 Ton Limit" then you'll need to know how much your rig weighs. If your total weight happen to be at 7 tons then it's not an overweight issue, it's an issue of being over the limit for an elevated structure. Your total weight may be legal for the road but the structure limits it. Still not an overweight, over the limit for the structure.
