Would you say anything?

spoon059 wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:

Marty how can he be "LEGAL" if he is over his tire capacity of just under 6,400# ???

Easy... Federal bridge weight limits are based upon the width of the tire, not the rating given by a tire manufacturer. Technically there is no traffic charge for exceeding the weight recommendation by a tire manufacturer, but there is a charge for exceeding the Federal bridge weight limits. Even with that... that is a DOT requirement that wouldn't be applicable to the average consumer RV driver.

LEGAL doesn't mean safe though. I would NEVER EVER exceed my tire weight rating, my axle rating or my registered weight. You can "legally" exceed your tire or axle rating, but its not very smart. You cannot legally exceed your registered weight, although the punishment varies state by state.

This!!!!!

I've been pulled over numerous time OVER manufactures GVWR, tire ratings etc here in Wa state by CVEO's. NEVER have I had an overweight ticket. I've ALWAYS but once, but under the paid for license, which was below the max per the FBL's. That one time I was at 27000, with a paid for license of 26000, Got a 10 day go get a 28000 lb plate. My tire width gave me 19200 on the rear, I was a bit over 18000, and the front was at 8600, had 9600 to work with.

EVERYONE gets these limit! be it a private or company. There are some exceptions to the rules. Like tankers with singles get 24K per axel, IIRC 600 lbs per tire inch. Wa st gives dually rigs 600 lbs, singles 500 which is the lowest the laws permit.

If RV'rs were to get pulled over, reality is, many would find they are not in compliance with EVERY law they should be following being as they are over 10,000 lbs total weight. Like here in Wa st, pulling a trailer or over 10000 lbs, max speed is the truck limit of 60 mph. If a car or a truck with a license under 10,000 lbs, limit is 70 on interstates in different areas of the state.

I took a couple of what I can or can not do with rigs under 26,000 lbs from an CVEO/LEO from the WSP. Very enlightening course! Manufactures limits as a general rule, mean squat and are non enforceable! If a state chooses to enforce the manufactures warranty limit amounts, that state could loose federal funding for road building and maintenance.

Look up RCW45.xx.xx for here in Wa state, and you will see the how weight laws are enforced, with several sentences stating FBL will win if higher than noted to not loose funding. RCW46 IIRC is the speed limit law for over/under 10K lb gvw rigs.

Yes, I do know what ALL my rigs weigh sitting there empty! I also know the C2500 I drive right now is only legal to 8000 lbs, not the 8600 on the door sticker, as that is ALL my paid for license states. My Navistar is 26000, not the 18200 the door sticker says that is in the owners manual, sitting in my office. No one put a sticker on it after the bed was put on, which is er federal law when the rig is in final form for the road. A can and chassis rig is done when the bed is put on. This is where tag axels, drop axels etc get put on some rigs to get bigger GVWR's, transfer weight around so legal per FBL's etc.

THE ONLY person the OP is hurting driving down the road as is, is his potential warranty per Dodge. Beyond that, as I noted, he is probably legal if under the 11,000 per tire width amount. Not saying it is safe, nor smart. Again, reality is, if the rig is not safe, the LEO that pulls him over WILL get him off the road! It just will not be for being over weight! In fact, there is a section of the FBL that states, if a rig is over an axel rating, and the parts and pieces of the load can be moved, the driver(s) have 8 person hours to move the load so they are legal. In this case, if they were over 11,000, say 11500, move 500 lbs of clothes out of the front bedroom closet, or equal to over the axels, or some behind the axel, he is now legal, he can continue on!

Marty