RV and trailer lenght.

[caou_26]

I have a 40 ft RV and will be pulling a 32 ft trailer. 80 ft total lenght.
Is that legal?

[Bucky1320]

msmith1199 wrote:

Bucky1320 wrote:

msmith1199 wrote:

Bucky1320 wrote:
Those darned sportsman racers! Tax dodgers! Oh wait. They aren't pros. Very limited money involved in any prize for most races. Besides. Why would a state want the extra revenue from the purchased fuel, food, entry fees etc.? Why would they want to support local business who put on these races?
These guys aren't making money or making their living on racing. This is a hobby for them.

So what laws should people be allowed to break as long as they are generating revenue? Should they be exempt from every law? Should they be also allowed to drive 90mph with their illegal length trailers? Where do you draw the line? Is there a line?

It has NOTHING to do with safety. It has to do with revenue grabbing. If it had to do with safety, then all states would have the same laws.

When it comes to vehicle length laws, all states pretty much do have the same laws with some differences. A 53 foot max trailer length is actually a Federal DOT requirement, and California law just matches that, as does many (if not all) other states. Also California has high mountain passes, lots of grades, and big cities with tight corners. It would make since that California would adopt stricter vehicle size limits than places like Iowa or Nebraska or Montana.

Sportsman racers aren't dragging 53' around behind the toters as a rule. The toters are MUCH more capable than RV's at towing weight, and have capabilities more similar to semi trucks. If the holy state of CA wants to put restrictions on certain roads for commercial AND non commercial due to road conditions, then that is reasonable. But it really isn't about that is it?

[ferndaleflyer]

If you think revenue to the state, county, from racers don't get the states attention you might visit NC where one of the largest revenue producers in the state is NASCAR. Total length is 90ft-----its the law. Also I have raced in CA and FL towing 32ft trailer behind a 45ft RV with no problems----just saying. Although on a regular basis locally I tow with a 38ft DP which is still 70ft.

[Executive45]

California's freeway signs are higher than the highest point in Florida...just sayin....:B....Dennis

[msmith1199]

Bucky1320 wrote:

msmith1199 wrote:

Bucky1320 wrote:
Those darned sportsman racers! Tax dodgers! Oh wait. They aren't pros. Very limited money involved in any prize for most races. Besides. Why would a state want the extra revenue from the purchased fuel, food, entry fees etc.? Why would they want to support local business who put on these races?
These guys aren't making money or making their living on racing. This is a hobby for them.

So what laws should people be allowed to break as long as they are generating revenue? Should they be exempt from every law? Should they be also allowed to drive 90mph with their illegal length trailers? Where do you draw the line? Is there a line?

It has NOTHING to do with safety. It has to do with revenue grabbing. If it had to do with safety, then all states would have the same laws.

When it comes to vehicle length laws, all states pretty much do have the same laws with some differences. A 53 foot max trailer length is actually a Federal DOT requirement, and California law just matches that, as does many (if not all) other states. Also California has high mountain passes, lots of grades, and big cities with tight corners. It would make since that California would adopt stricter vehicle size limits than places like Iowa or Nebraska or Montana.

[Bucky1320]

msmith1199 wrote:

Bucky1320 wrote:
Those darned sportsman racers! Tax dodgers! Oh wait. They aren't pros. Very limited money involved in any prize for most races. Besides. Why would a state want the extra revenue from the purchased fuel, food, entry fees etc.? Why would they want to support local business who put on these races?
These guys aren't making money or making their living on racing. This is a hobby for them.

So what laws should people be allowed to break as long as they are generating revenue? Should they be exempt from every law? Should they be also allowed to drive 90mph with their illegal length trailers? Where do you draw the line? Is there a line?

It has NOTHING to do with safety. It has to do with revenue grabbing. If it had to do with safety, then all states would have the same laws.

[msmith1199]

Bucky1320 wrote:
Those darned sportsman racers! Tax dodgers! Oh wait. They aren't pros. Very limited money involved in any prize for most races. Besides. Why would a state want the extra revenue from the purchased fuel, food, entry fees etc.? Why would they want to support local business who put on these races?
These guys aren't making money or making their living on racing. This is a hobby for them.

So what laws should people be allowed to break as long as they are generating revenue? Should they be exempt from every law? Should they be also allowed to drive 90mph with their illegal length trailers? Where do you draw the line? Is there a line?

[Bucky1320]

Those darned sportsman racers! Tax dodgers! Oh wait. They aren't pros. Very limited money involved in any prize for most races. Besides. Why would a state want the extra revenue from the purchased fuel, food, entry fees etc.? Why would they want to support local business who put on these races?
These guys aren't making money or making their living on racing. This is a hobby for them.

[msmith1199]

Randy a few years back there was a thread on here about having a TV on in view of the driver. There was a guy from Texas saying he'd never come to California because of that stupid law and he'll stay in Texas where things like that are legal. Took me 2 minutes to search the Texas vehicle code and show him it was illegal there too. Opps.

[The_Texan]

randallb wrote:
msmith,
Don't you love the people that are going to stay out of CA because CA will not allow someone the individual staying out of CA does not know break the law. Well, Florida did it to with the NHRA sportsman racers. A good majority of the sportsmen guys were using Toterhomes with trailers. Why? So they did not have to run commercial tags and then they could run over length and over weight since they were not required to hit the scales. The state of Florida got fed up with these tax dodgers ruining the highways in to and out of Gainesville. The state warned the racers that they would be checking weights, lengths and registrations but the idiots showed up anyway. You should have heard the howls when the tickets were written and rigs red tagged. The second year of the sting the racers were warned again and a good number of them still rolled in and got ticketed, etc. Now if you see a racer in a Toterhome and trailer running down the road there will be no decals on the rig. Usually there is just a small "Not For Hire" in black lettering on the side of the tractor. This is the new way to convince the states that this is in fact just a private RV running down the road. Not a commercial racing operation disguised as a sportsman racer/vacationer.
Randy

They are in for a surprise this year as the truck cops will have plain clothes folks at the Gator Nationals observing which units are racing and which are spectators. The NHRA has again been told the law will be enforced if they are found in violation. Want to take a guess how many will thumb their nose at the law again?

[randallb]

msmith,
Don't you love the people that are going to stay out of CA because CA will not allow someone the individual staying out of CA does not know break the law. Well, Florida did it to with the NHRA sportsman racers. A good majority of the sportsmen guys were using Toterhomes with trailers. Why? So they did not have to run commercial tags and then they could run over length and over weight since they were not required to hit the scales. The state of Florida got fed up with these tax dodgers ruining the highways in to and out of Gainesville. The state warned the racers that they would be checking weights, lengths and registrations but the idiots showed up anyway. You should have heard the howls when the tickets were written and rigs red tagged. The second year of the sting the racers were warned again and a good number of them still rolled in and got ticketed, etc. Now if you see a racer in a Toterhome and trailer running down the road there will be no decals on the rig. Usually there is just a small "Not For Hire" in black lettering on the side of the tractor. This is the new way to convince the states that this is in fact just a private RV running down the road. Not a commercial racing operation disguised as a sportsman racer/vacationer.
Randy

[Executive45]

msmith1199 wrote:


The one example you posted was of people who were modifying a single trailer to be 56' long. That means they are going to hold up more traffic trying to make wide turns, they are going to knock down more street signs and damage more traffic signals. There is a reason for the 53' trailer length.

OOPs ! Case in point....:S...Dennis

[caou_26]

Not going to California.

[msmith1199]

GlennLever wrote:

msmith1199 wrote:
Okay Glenn, if you're upset because California enforces the same law that applies to most other states, then you should keep out. California (especially So Cal and the Bay Area) tend to be more tightly packed than a lot of rest of the Country and oversized vehicles should be regulated.

Yep, will do. We are still saying the same thing, not sure what the issue is, over length stay out of California.

No we're not saying the same thing. The only law you've provided an example of that California is actively enforcing is the 53 foot trailer length. You are not violating that law. The law you would be violating is the overall vehicle combination length law. As far as I know, law enforcement in California is not actively enforcing that law on a regular basis in California as I see over length motorhome-trailer combinations on the road here all the time. Also I have yet to see somebody on rv.net post a story about getting an over length ticket in a RV with a trailer.

So if you are advocating avoiding California simply because there is a law that says you can't be over 65', then you have to advocate avoiding every single other state that has the same law. And by the way, New York also has a 65' length limit. You need to make sure you avoid New York.

[GlennLever]

Deleted, not getting the point.

[msmith1199]

Okay Glenn, if you're upset because California enforces the same law that applies to most other states, then you should keep out. California (especially So Cal and the Bay Area) tend to be more tightly packed than a lot of rest of the Country and oversized vehicles should be regulated.

Edit:
You edited after I replied; If you had watched what I have previously written, I stated to the OP that I've seen RV's all over this State that are towing trailers that make the combination too long and there doesn't seem to be any enforcement. Your rig is illegal in many other states too and like California I have not heard of much enforcement on the total length limit.

The one example you posted was of people who were modifying a single trailer to be 56' long. That means they are going to hold up more traffic trying to make wide turns, they are going to knock down more street signs and damage more traffic signals. There is a reason for the 53' trailer length.

I have no idea what got CHP to focus on NHRA and their 56 foot trailers, but I'd be willing to bet it had something to do with accidents. That brought the length to the attention of CHP and they started enforcing it. The 53' limit was apparently good for NASCAR as their trailers comply, but NHRA did not.