Never saw this before!

jimh425 wrote:
I agree with the pull me over mentality if I’m wrong. One of the WA truck scales near Spokane goes off no matter if it’s an RV/rental truck, etc. It seems to have a weight/height trigger.

I drove over a couple of times in two different sized Uhaul trucks, and it still went off. Of course, it’s not required to stop with a rental truck for personal use. Nobody chased me down. Not that it would have been hard since I was just going the 60 mph speed limit. :D

I’m not sure why you think a TC can be an RV or cargo based on only the licensing. In MT, there is no license for TCs, trailers are generally permanently licensed, and so are motorcycles/atv/utvs. That doesn’t change what they are.

Scale houses can set the data triggers for the weigh-in-motions. Between certain weights, over a certain weight, wide open, over a certain number of axles, etc.

In this truck..which I supposed looks commercial to many..we've traveled in 17 states since 2019, and BC (before Covid..lol), and have yet to pull into a scale (except closed one's to check myself).

I'm flagged more often than not, as we run around at about 27-28k, but do not pull in. Oregon is a "must state"..anything over 26k. Trust me, they don't want you to and no one does. Washington is technically a "must state" also, at 16k. Again...they seriously don't want RV's on the scales. Don't do it.

It's an open debate on this forum, but it is subject to individual laws of each state. Generally, RV's are exempt. I run with the "didn't know, oops, my bad" thought process. Face it folks: they're not looking at RV's as a revenue source. The fines we'd pay are paltry compared to the reality of commercial overweight tickets.

NRALIFR wrote:
I learned pretty quick after moving to AR over 20 years ago that even the states that border us don’t really expect much in the way of knowledge or wisdom from us. So, I do my best to not dispel that notion.

The last time I got stopped, which may very well have been in MO to ask where my tag is, or maybe it was just after I took this photo, I don’t remember.



Anyway, the officer walks up to my side and says (remember, he’s a native southerner himself):

“Son, yew got’nee eye-dee???”

I gave him my best AR duma$$ look and said:

:h ‘bout wut??? :h

Things continued downhill from there. :W

:):)

LMAO!

Kayteg1 wrote:

specta wrote:
I'm screwed. :E :B

I'm over my trucks GVWR but under on the tires.

So far the only report about GVWR being check come from British Columbia, so better avoid the province.

Thanks, that wont be a problem for me. :B

I learned pretty quick after moving to AR over 20 years ago that even the states that border us don’t really expect much in the way of knowledge or wisdom from us. So, I do my best to not dispel that notion.

The last time I got stopped, which may very well have been in MO to ask where my tag is, or maybe it was just after I took this photo, I don’t remember.



Anyway, the officer walks up to my side and says (remember, he’s a native southerner himself):

“Son, yew got’nee eye-dee???”

I gave him my best AR duma$$ look and said:

:h ‘bout wut??? :h

Things continued downhill from there. :W

:):)

Lwiddis wrote:
10,000 pounds on four or six tires (1,666 to 2,500 pounds) isn't what any state is concerned with regarding the destruction of pavement. An 18 wheeler at 80,000 pounds is almost 4,500 pounds per tire.

It’s not about weight per tire, it’s about weight per inch of tire width.
Big-truck psi isn’t really so much. They’re big tires.

Nice….a good ole DOT weight discussion!

PS Kayteg, In most state light duty not automatically register as commercial, as you put it. Only a few states I’m aware of do that, but most don’t.

Thank the lord for small favors like, not all states are like Cali!

HMS Beagle wrote:
....
Bypassing a weigh station that you are legally required to stop in (in CA) isn't just and infraction, it is a criminal offense - a misdemeanor - if they want to get serious.

Good to know, even I experienced minimal law enforcement on the event.
When I was changing truck/TC combo CA registration to RV (about 8 years ago), they had specific category for it, that I could never memorize. It is not RV, unless they changed it since.
Still changing commercial to "RV" registration on dully saves several hundred$$$
I also think tickets for parking RV in "no RV" jurisdictions are less than for parking commercials.
Knowing all those issues from the past, I went long way to register my Sprinter conversion as Sport Van. For some reasons, now Nevada would not register it as limo.

In CA, pickups are defined and registered as commercial vehicles. You can register one as an RV, but can never carry ANYTHING in the bed after that.

Also in CA, the DMV defines a truck camper as a "pickup with a load". However the health department classifies it as an RV because it has cooking and sleeping facilities.

Finally in CA, the trucks have outdated the laws. A pickup is defined as 11,000 GVW or less. Most duallies are now 14,000 GVW, and are therefore not pickups under the law, must have a weight sticker on the door and stop at weigh stations. Practically speaking none do and I believe you would be waved on. But I haven't tested that.

When I bought my F350 the dealer registered it as a 14,000 lb commercial vehicle. If you look at the DMV registration categories, it really doesn't fit any of them, dating from before 14K pickups. It took me several months and about 6 hours at the DMV to get them to change the registration category to "pickup". I think technically this downgrades it to 11,000 GVW, introducing the risk that I could be ticketed, fined, and taxed for being over (about 13,200 w/camper).

Bypassing a weigh station that you are legally required to stop in (in CA) isn't just and infraction, it is a criminal offense - a misdemeanor - if they want to get serious.

I agree with the pull me over mentality if I’m wrong. One of the WA truck scales near Spokane goes off no matter if it’s an RV/rental truck, etc. It seems to have a weight/height trigger.

I drove over a couple of times in two different sized Uhaul trucks, and it still went off. Of course, it’s not required to stop with a rental truck for personal use. Nobody chased me down. Not that it would have been hard since I was just going the 60 mph speed limit. :D

I’m not sure why you think a TC can be an RV or cargo based on only the licensing. In MT, there is no license for TCs, trailers are generally permanently licensed, and so are motorcycles/atv/utvs. That doesn’t change what they are.

NRALIFR wrote:


All engaged in commerce I’d bet.



Engaged in commerce? And by interstate compact, if AR doesn’t require a front plate, it’s not required anywhere.

Over my lifetime I have spent a lot of time studying for holes in weight laws. Never once have I seen it listed that a vehicle must be used in commerce for load limits. As for the plate, sure you need to hang it where the state that issues says it belongs. If you do, you are legal. OTOH, it is not unreasonable for LEO to check that you are registered.



I think you just made my point. Pay the appropriate tax, you’re golden. LEO’s make discretionary choices like that all the time. As someone said recently, “People will do what they do”.



That 37 year old Autocar was labeled "Not for Hire". The LEO asked what I was doing with the rock. When I told him it would be a challenge to backspread thru the mudhole next to house with the trailer he did not check most of what would be expected on a CMV stop.