Did I Make My 5ver Height Illegal?

[Only_True_Mosno]

Newbie here and after reading through the threads I am wondering if I have now exceeded the legal height limit after installing a bedroom AC.

Cougar 327 RES - 12' 3"
Attwood Air Command ( Ductless) 13,500 installed in front bedroom.
My dilemma ..different sites seem to report different specs for the AC. (?)

Does anyone have this combination or can anyone give me some factual spec info? I would have thought Camping World installers would have cautioned against exceeding height limits? I originally thought this was a low profile AC and was surprised when I picked it up and it is obviously not.

Thanks for any advice and or info.

[ChuckV1]

Nope, I am right wing all the way :C even if I live on the left
coast :W LOL

On the height of trailers it is 13'6" in most states with
102" wide....

[Ron_Nielson]

Dayle1 wrote:
An ez way to determine actual height is to use a 16" laser level, set it at the point you want to measure (if the location is curved, then shims will be needed to keep the level on bubble). Then use a steel tape measure and read where the laser beam hits it.

OR don't level it and just measure both sides and average the 2 measurements.

[Mile_High]

ChuckV1 wrote:
The standard for most semi trailers is 13'6",
there are some 14'trailers which are mostly
containers. If you are in or around Chicago
Ill there are tons of 11' and 12' bridges.
Most all interstates have a standard of at
least 14' bridges. One other place to lookout
for is on I-70, the Eisenhower tunnel the have
a stick rule no higher than 13'6", any higher
you have to go over the mountain and not though
the tunnel.

The last place I lookout for is gas stations,
while truckstops for the most part have 14' or
15' covers for trucks some have lowered the
covers in front to 12' or 13' 😞

A quick story about height, I was driving north
on I-94 into Boston in the mid 70es, I had a
brand new Great Dane Refer. I was speeding along
at about 60mph, I came up to a bridge and as I
always did looked at the height sign (now mind
you as I said above the standard for Intersates
is 14')to my surprize the sign read 11', WOW,
by the time I had got the rig stopped I was
half way under the bridge. I didn't hear any
metal crunching no large sound so I go out to
see all the damage, guzzzzz no damage and there
was at least 4' or 5' between the top of the
trailer and the bottom of the bridge but lots
of skid marks on the road. So I know there is
someone with a sick mind and laughing thinking
about what they had done. But also there are
I know a number of truck drivers that wish they
could talk to this person. You talk about a sick
feeling in you gut and the money you know it
going to cost is not fun.....Ugh

Does typing to the left mean you are a left winger? :B

[Dayle1]

If the stated height is 12'-3", that is most likely NOT the height of the bedroom roof, it is likely less as roof vents, vent pipes, shower skylight, etc are included in the max. height. I recently added a low profile bedroom A/C and it only increased max. height by 4 inches since the shower skylight was already 5 inches taller than the roof.

An ez way to determine actual height is to use a 16" laser level, set it at the point you want to measure (if the location is curved, then shims will be needed to keep the level on bubble). Then use a steel tape measure and read where the laser beam hits it.

[wandering1]

So what is the legal height limit?

[ChuckV1]

The standard for most semi trailers is 13'6",
there are some 14'trailers which are mostly
containers. If you are in or around Chicago
Ill there are tons of 11' and 12' bridges.
Most all interstates have a standard of at
least 14' bridges. One other place to lookout
for is on I-70, the Eisenhower tunnel the have
a stick rule no higher than 13'6", any higher
you have to go over the mountain and not though
the tunnel.

The last place I lookout for is gas stations,
while truckstops for the most part have 14' or
15' covers for trucks some have lowered the
covers in front to 12' or 13' 😞

A quick story about height, I was driving north
on I-94 into Boston in the mid 70es, I had a
brand new Great Dane Refer. I was speeding along
at about 60mph, I came up to a bridge and as I
always did looked at the height sign (now mind
you as I said above the standard for Intersates
is 14')to my surprize the sign read 11', WOW,
by the time I had got the rig stopped I was
half way under the bridge. I didn't hear any
metal crunching no large sound so I go out to
see all the damage, guzzzzz no damage and there
was at least 4' or 5' between the top of the
trailer and the bottom of the bridge but lots
of skid marks on the road. So I know there is
someone with a sick mind and laughing thinking
about what they had done. But also there are
I know a number of truck drivers that wish they
could talk to this person. You talk about a sick
feeling in you gut and the money you know it
going to cost is not fun.....Ugh

[Old-Biscuit]

After correcting nose-high so my 5vr tows level I measure 13'4" at top of A/C Unit

Hook 5vr up to truck.......then measure from highest point (typically A/C Unit)
THEN you will KNOW exactly how tall your RV is and can then know which overpasses will give you a problem.

We never had a height problem when using Interstates....but we rarely drove Interstates
Majority of our travels are secondary/backroads and only encountered 'low bridge' issues 3x. All were clearly marked prior so we just used alt. route.

CGs are more of an issue :B Gotta look UP!

[padredw]

Agree with Allworth:

Measure it. Don't guess.

We measure 12' 9" with the bedroom AC, but I was able to get one of the last Carrier units which were the lowest in the industry.

Our storage shed allows only a couple of inches of clearance, but we have never had any difficulty on the road. Any posted clearance below 13' would get my immediate attention.

[Allworth]

Measure it. Don't guess.

A piece of 1x2 lumber about 6 feet long.

A carpenter's level.

a 20 foot steel tape.

An assistant with a step ladder.

With the trailer hooked up to the truck; go on the roof with the 1x2 and the level. Lay the 1x2 on top of the A/C highest point with the other end extending over the side of the trailer. Level it.

Have the assistant measure from the bottom of the 1x2 to the ground.

This will probably be about 13 feet. Take a felt tip marker and write this dimension on the inside of the windshield of your truck in the upper left corner. (If you are ever going to travel to Canada, convert to Metric and put that up there also.)

It is important to do this while hooked up in travel condition. The "specifications" are Engineer's estimates based on "assumed" wheel sizes, loading conditions, trailer sitting level, roof condition, and lord only knows what else. They are a starting point but any of them may be off by several inches or several hundred pounds.

[Mile_High]

I'm sure you only got to around 13' 3". That is a standard factory option on those rigs. Our Montana had the full size Dometic on the front and it looked like a nose wart :0 We were 13' 3"

[Vulcaneer]

bstow wrote:
Do you have a "legal" height regulation?

Most overpasses for trucks are about 13' 6".

Those over the height of the overpass have to go around or different route.

The bold above might be mis-intended. The legal standard height restriction for vehicles is 13'-6". Most standard overpasses allow for a maximum 13'-6" vehicle.

You know where you want to place this A/C unit. Measure that height dimension at the roof. To get an accurate measurement, make sure you do that when the trailer is hitched to the truck. Just in case you are towing a bit nose high. Once you have that dimension, you know how high the A/C unit can be at most.

[ddschuman]

The specs for our FW state we are 12'6". Our 2nd AC was a dealer added option according to invoice (it was already added before we ever saw the unit). We were once forced to go under a 12'10" clearance bridge due to construction with no other option. We held our breath and proceeded. We fit, thank The Lord!!! Upon returning home and measuring (connected to the truck), we are 12'6" from the top of the bedroom AC to the ground. This makes me question as to whether a little room is added to the specs for the addition of the 2nd AC automatically? The reason I question this is because I am not just speaking of the specs that are on my trailer but also the info found online without the additional 2nd AC...they are the same.

[JamesBr]

State laws on max height without permit seem to average 13'6" with a few states being heigher.

So if your trailer previously was 12'3" before the bedroom AC and the AC Shroud is 13.6" tall rooftop dimension, you are looking at a potential of a 13'4.6" maximum height without measuring your rig hooked up on level ground.

12'3" = 147" + 13.6" = 160.6"

160.6" = 13' 4.6"

[bstow]

Do you have a "legal" height regulation?

Most overpasses for trucks are about 13' 6".

Those over the height of the overpass have to go around or different route.