Survey - who has had a citation for RV overweight?

transamz9 wrote:

moresmoke wrote:

LarryJM wrote:

demiles wrote:
The only one I've seen was down in NC leaving ZMAX dragway and wasn't the normal trailer/fifth wheel. I was following a friend pulling a 30Ft racecar trailer with living quarters and he was pulled over and weighed. He was over his registered GVWR and received a fined which was $150 I think. They told him he was considered commercial because he received money and or products for competing. He also had the usual product stickers all over the side of the trailer.

Over the years I've also read more than a handful of first hand posts usually from Pa concerning weight and or registration fines with these race car trailers with all the advertising and even some where because they could win $$$ they were considered commercial rigs.

Larry

The most common test of this I have heard of is: If you are guaranteed money for showing up at the event - then you would be considered commercial. You are being paid as a performer.

Now some states interpret these rules to their own likes. The 10,000 lb trailer rule is one. Some states have it worded as a trailer over 10000 and GVW over 26000. Others use a trailer over 10000 or GVW over 26000.

I run around to motorsports events in the summer, if I ever get accused of being commercial, I am going to start filing my expenses on my taxes. I bet the IRS will claim its a hobby!

Those numbers are the determining factor that requires one to have a CDL. To be considered commercial your GVWR or combined truck and trailer GVWR will be 10,001# and up. Our F150's and Tundra's are considered commercial as soon as one is hooked to any of our trailers. Our lightest duty trailer has a GVWR of 7'000#.

Not in Nevada.. we don't need any special lisence... used to ... not now tho...

campingken wrote:
In CA if you are involved in a multi fatal accident on the freeway the CHP MAIT (major accident investigation team) may be called to investigate. They will put all the pieces on a scale and if they determine that being over weight effected your ability to stop (and this is a cause of the accident) you could be cited. If you are grossly overweight manslaughter (causing a death due to negligence) could also come into play (especially if you wiped out several children on a school bus and it became a major story (political.)

This being said I am not aware of any actual criminal cases being filed due to an overweight RV.

HOGWASH!

the bear II wrote:
Here's the real concern if an RV is overweight.... you and your family's safety. Not to mention the vehicles around you.

If you are involved in an accident with your RV and if the investigation determines your vehicle is over weight, whether the accident is your fault or not, the over weight condition can be considered a contributing factor. Possible liability for you and fines.

HOGWASH!!!!

10 pages and other than the one retired overzealous dot cop from IL, no one has had a ticket?
Sounds like something to continue losing sleep over......

Feds now allow motorhomes to be 24k on rear axle. Mine is 21,300 before hooking a trlr on. I know of no one that has been ticketed or even weighed in an rv.

http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/56B2C39E-1BC7-4F93-AFAE-96100E3701E3/0/2007Fall_Pages2026.pdf

http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/F6F2E1BB-8F78-4756-AB42-FC3D59E16281/0/AnnualRefresherMaster.pdf

Here are two pdfs from the wa st dot. These have good examples of what is considered overweight per say. WIth this in mind, note none of the examples are RV's. If you really look over the how the laws are enforced, you will see a majority of you will never be over weight!
Still trying to find link that shows you can not be jailed per say for being overweight.......

Marty

ksss wrote:

blt2ski wrote:

As I understand the weight laws, one can not be jailed per say for being overweight.

Marty

That is potentially not true. When you are overweight by a small portion (cant remember the amount) it is an infraction-a fine. However if you are over the infraction amount, it becomes a misdemeanor which can absolutely get you booked into jail and in the process handcuffed. Officer discretion and department policy would likely have much to do with whether or not that actually occurred.

Everything I have read shows that keeping commerce moving, keeping rigs under the road design limits is the goal. One Has 8 hrs to move thing around on the rig to get under axle limits etc. IF one cannot,then you pay the TAX, for the damage you will do to the road, and continue on your way.
Many drivers get overload tickets daily depending upon circumstances, company they drive for gives them a CC to pay for fine, and off they go to destination.
I am sure there are some very obtuse overload situations where one can get put in jail for being overweight, that is NOT the intent of the law.
We have other issues that will get use in more trouble than a weight law.

marty

blt2ski wrote:

As I understand the weight laws, one can not be jailed per say for being overweight.

Marty

That is potentially not true. When you are overweight by a small portion (cant remember the amount) it is an infraction-a fine. However if you are over the infraction amount, it becomes a misdemeanor which can absolutely get you booked into jail and in the process handcuffed. Officer discretion and department policy would likely have much to do with whether or not that actually occurred.

Has anyone had a ticket or citation for an overweight RV rig?
Not me.
Had an accident going over the Tehachapi Mts in CA, went to court weight never became an issue.
After 9 pages of comments, I want to just mention that many years ago I observed that the Nebraska authorities conducted weight checks on secondary roads, for any vehicle towing a trailer. I want to qualify that with, at the time i was not towing but did see numerous pickups lined up that were towing trailers, I did not see any RVs so I do not know if RVs were included. I did see many pickups flat towing small cars and small pickups being checked.
Some thing I wanted to include for conversation, maybe some one from Nebraska could chime in.

nickthehunter wrote:
There is no way anyone ever received a ticket for being overweight. The only law regarding weight is you can not exceed 20,000 lbs per axle or 80,000 lbs gross weight. Anyone have an RV approaching either of those numbers? There is in some jurisdiction a "registration" weight. In those areas the more weight you want to tow, the higher your vehicle license plate fees. So if you want to tow more, you pay more. There is no limit to how much your can "registration" weight can be. If you didn't pay the proper vehicle license plate fee, you could be ticketed for exceeding your "registered" weight.

PLENTY of big DPs are right at or over 20K on the drive axle.