Anyone ever actually have their weight checked/ticketed?

notsobigjoe wrote:

Griffon12 wrote:
Thanks, some of these people talk as if the wheels are gonna break and camper will turn into an atom bomb if over....

My total rig weight is 11780 without me, wife, dog, boat in tow and stuff. Camper weighs 5240. GVW 10000LBS Over by about 2000LBS rounded up. I've never had a problem. I have made some improvements to beef the truck up over the years but as of yet no problems. I was ticketed several years backs for being over weight when it was registered for 10000LBS. The ticket was 180 dollars. Got back to NY and registered it for 15000 lbs and took care of the overweight problem.

Well there you go ^^^^ I guess there had to be one out there. Sounds like you got bit by the tax man, not the safety police. That bites.

Griffon12 wrote:
Thanks, some of these people talk as if the wheels are gonna break and camper will turn into an atom bomb if over....

My total rig weight is 11780 without me, wife, dog, boat in tow and stuff. Camper weighs 5240. GVW 10000LBS Over by about 2000LBS rounded up. I've never had a problem. I have made some improvements to beef the truck up over the years but as of yet no problems. I was ticketed several years backs for being over weight when it was registered for 10000LBS. The ticket was 180 dollars. Got back to NY and registered it for 15000 lbs and took care of the overweight problem.

mkirsch wrote:

Reality Check wrote:
lol... I see one question, and no answers related.

The lack of a "yes" implies a "no."

Comment on the obvious, you are correct.

But one does have to wade through all the what if's, they could, they might, or God help us if, to learn that.

Reality Check wrote:
lol... I see one question, and no answers related.

The lack of a "yes" implies a "no."

If you have been to the scales and are subjectively looking at the numbers, be honest with yourself. What are the numbers telling you? Are you close on any of your limits.

We are all human and wish to take all the 'stuff' with us that we think we may need. In reality, 'less' is 'more'. More safe while traveling, more comfortable while driving, more piece of mind if we are truthful with ourselves about how much weight we can safely carry and how much 'stuff' we really need.

I say this from my own experience after many decades of camping. As recently as last spring we had packed for an all summer trip to Alaska. We headed out and stopped by our local CAT scales. I was 1920# over my gross combined axel weight ratings. We went home and started unloading 'stuff' that would have been good to have with us and 'stuff' that we MIGHT need.

Long story short, we headed out and drove 120 miles to the next CAT scales. I wanted a second opinion, from a different scale. The scaled weight was better, still 600# over gross, but the numbers also showed I was 600# OVER rear axle weight limit and 400# UNDER my front axle weight limit.

We went to BIL's place that was near by and made more adjustments. Took out a big grill, blocking and 1/2 of the tools I thought I might need. We took out 1/2 of our clothing with plans to hit the laundry more frequently. We moved the Honda generator off the rear bumper and put it in the hind seat. I had an extra LPG tank inside a milk crate also on the rear bumper that I left behind.

I felt comfortable with the weight we had removed and even took out 10# of air from the Firestone air bags because the rear was sitting a little high. The trip was now in motion.

After 13,000 miles driven, two oil & filter changes, and a tire rotation, which I completed myself while parked at remote locations, the trip was completed without incident. The 'stuff' we had removed was not missed. Just goes to prove my original statement, 'less' is 'more'.

No LEO checkpoints for weight were ever encountered.

Lakeside

I doubt you ever would have a problem with law enforcement officers unless you were so grossly overweight that it was obvious by just looking at the vehicle that it was unsafe. But if you are in an accident, AND being overweight was a factor in the causation of the accident you could be cited and you would definitely be exposed to more civil liability.

Reality Check wrote:

Griffon12 wrote:
Well..... Anyone ever actually gotten a ticket? .....

lol... I see one question, and no answers related.

No.. Never gotten one.

Ditto, and I'm at just under 30,000 all loaded up. But my truck's GCVW is 40k, so it depends on which axle you wanna get picky about. Technically even though I'm well within GCVW and Dana's spec on my rear axle for a D110s and 19.5's, my rear is over if you go by Ford's spec.

Your probably not ever going to get an over weight ticket in a camper unless you were in an accident and it was clearly over weight that caused the issue, you could get one for over your registered weight if your state has registration by weight. You could also get one for over your tire weight, the GVWR on the truck doesn't really mean much other than the manufactures rating.

I work on trucks with low-boy trailers and 9-axles and occasionally I'll have to go to the checkpoints and "shift" or remove some weight to get them back on the road, I was just curious if the roaming officers have ever pulled any of us truck camper guys over.

3 years ago we did a 10 day trip up into the Canadian Maritimes. Before we went we read (here on RV.net) dire warnings about getting stopped, inspected and possibly having the truck and TC towed away if we were even slightly over GVWR. Visions of ending up in a Turkish prison.

Reality was that NO ONE gave us a second look.

This thread addresses a topic that will not die. Has anyone ever been sued/convicted due to an overweight RV???