Unbraked trailer, towing limitations

blt2ski wrote:
Scooby,

As I understand Federal Bridge Laws for max weights. Everyone, commercial, personal use per say gets 20k per axel. BUT, you can get limited in weight by the lack of distance between them. 0 to x' is 17k per, x to y' is 18500, over y' you get the full 20k. A 2nd enforced here in WA st, not in Illinois per past comments from wadcutter, is lbs per inch width of tire. Minimum is 500 lbs per inch. A state can allow more. BUT you pull across a state line that goes with a lower amount, you get taxed/fined for being overwieght. Here if unit has duals, you get 600, singles 500 per inch.
Bus chassis and MH based on bus chassis, tank trucks trailers can get up to iirc 24k. NOT ALL MH get 24k.
My 1500 could go as high as 22000 gvw if I've paid that amount. BUT, now the local LEO/CVEO can get me for other issues not included in the federal bridge laws from a max wieght perspective. Can I stop my truck per field test in appropriate distance at iirc 20mph. I'll fail, I'm no longer allowed on the road until I meet spec.
Issue I see going back to initial post, is WHAT definition does a given state law for said trailer weight needing brakes? WA is an RCWxx, x being a number, RCW46 appears to be general catch all for speed wieghts, lighting etc for this.
If they use say tire width per FBL, OP and Chris probably have typical 155-185mm width tires, so 6-7". That's 3000-3500 ea, max allowed per axle 6000-7000 lbs. If a state has 3000 lbs, appears to be general max for brakes, if you have tires wider than 3"x2, you would be required to have brakes on the trailer. Or if by some fat chance of a very small percentage, they use manufacture spec, tire sidewall amount, the bar IMHO is going to be harder to hit. As most of the tires on smaller trailers like this are less than 1500-2000 lbs per tire. I had a 155-13 that was around 800-900 lbs per tire.
I know that while I would be legal with two trailers shown talked about here in WA st, I would not want 3000 lbs of unbraked trailer pushing me down some of the local 15-20% grades trying or hoping to stop. Or emergency stop at 60mph with a 15 series rig, with a all load, total 2000 over it's factory gvwr.
Marty

I thought tandem duals were limited to 36K in Washington. I could not carry a full 80K load in my tanker because the distance from my drivers to the trailer axles was shorter than the requirement. So trips out of town had me one compartment empty and at 72K. Big chevy truck!