Too big to travel? (45' X 101")

[Let_s_Travel]

New poster here! Looking for your advice before I purchase a new Motorhome. I'd like a 45' long class A that's 101" wide, but I see there are many States here in the US that you can't drive something that big in. Would I be better to get something under 40'? Even then most of the big DP's are wider that 8'. I must be missing something here? Taking my info from the web, specifically HERE. I can't believe all these coaches are built this big if you can't drive them across the US. We will have a small toad, so the parks and tourist sites are no problem. Just need to know that we can actually cross the state and get to where we can drive the toad to the places we want to see. What do all of you with the big motorcoaches do?

[msmith1199]

frankdamp wrote:
I've seen a couple of RVs in the recent past that were conversions of the MAN articulated city buses. I think they're 60' long. What's the rule for them?

They can go to 65' if they are articulated, just as long as neither section is more than 45'. I think the standard articulating City bus is 60 feet long. They have a tighter turning radius than a normal bus.

[msmith1199]

bshpilot wrote:

msmith1199 wrote:

Would 52' in a single vehicle like that be legal in any state? I'm not sure it's even legal on the Interstate. California has a 45' max length for a single vehicle or trailer. 65' over all length for a combination.

not legal if licensed as an RV (w/out permits) in any state.

i think you'd be hard pressed to find a manufacture that builds longer then 45', 8.5' wide or more than 13'6" high.

Not too hard pressed because somebody posted a photo of one. And that manufacturer did make many more. I did a Google search and see they were well aware they were illegal and yet made and sold them anyway and people still drive them. I'm surprised a State Attorney General or somebody didn't shut them down. It looks like bankruptcy eventually is what shut them down.

[down_home]

I know of one that is forty seven feet. I'm not sure what the designation is. Maybe 45 feet interior. Our little antique is 38 ft but measures 39 ft 6 inches from front to rear ladder.

[frankdamp]

I've seen a couple of RVs in the recent past that were conversions of the MAN articulated city buses. I think they're 60' long. What's the rule for them?

[bshpilot]

msmith1199 wrote:

Would 52' in a single vehicle like that be legal in any state? I'm not sure it's even legal on the Interstate. California has a 45' max length for a single vehicle or trailer. 65' over all length for a combination.

not legal if licensed as an RV (w/out permits) in any state.

i think you'd be hard pressed to find a manufacture that builds longer then 45', 8.5' wide or more than 13'6" high.

[Ivylog]

In a recent Highway bill the 20K axle limit was incteased to 24K for RVs.

[Bumpyroad]

when I was moving from a 8 ft to an 8 1/2 ft motor home I checked out the states I was interested in and found most of them had an exemption if you were leaving the "approved" road to get eats, gas, or lodging, so whenever I was there I always had a restaurant in mind where I would be "stopping".
bumpy

[rgatijnet1]

The only problem you might have is if your home state, where your driver's license is issued, has weight limit requirements for different class licenses.
We travel a lot of secondary roads all over the country and have never been questioned about our 102" width. We certainly have come across some narrow roads and bridges but it just takes a little care and everything is OK.

[tatest]

Three tiers.

Interstate Highway system, 45' single vehicle length, 80,000 GCWR, 20,000 axle limit, 102" width, at least 13' 6" height. No state can set limits lower, they can raise them, and permit oversize loads. I live in a state where combinations can go to triples, and GCWR to something more than 100,000 pounds, on a few specific highways.

"Designated Highway" system, these are where the state by state numbers apply, and are the collection of U.S. numbered highways and state highways designated for use by commercial OTR trucking. The numbers apply here. If they are lower than limits for the Interstates, Federal law requires application of Interstate limits on roads that serve to provide access from Interstate Highway to terminals where cargo can be shifted to smaller trucks. Designated highways may have points where weights and clearances (height or length more often than width) can be limited to less. These ate supposed to be listed, and indeed, most "low clearance" lists are about substandard clearances on designated highways, rather than low clearances genereally.

Third category is everything else: state highways not designated for OTR, farm to market roads, county highways, city streets and alleys. These may have tighter clearances, lower weight limits, might forbid commercial vehicles of any size, or large vehicle types whether commercial or not.

If you choose a 45-foot 102" x 13'6" motorcoach, you can go through every state on the Interstate Highway system, use most of the other "designated" highways, but you can't always take it everywhere. There are places you can't take a panel van, too.

[MRUSA]

I have been to 46 states including AZ and CA and nobody enforces these rules, except for some routes in CA where over 40' is prohibited. I have never heard of anyone being stopped in CA either, but I would follow those rules if driving in CA. I have even seen Indiana listed as 40' max yet almost all the 45 footers in the world are built in Indiana and driven to their destinations.

Bottom line, it is not an issue to be concerned about.

[msmith1199]

GlennLever wrote:
This guy says he is 52 feet long.



See his post here.

no way that is safe I was just moving it around the yard, it goes behind my 52' Kingsley coach

Would 52' in a single vehicle like that be legal in any state? I'm not sure it's even legal on the Interstate. California has a 45' max length for a single vehicle or trailer. 65' over all length for a combination.

[GlennLever]

This guy says he is 52 feet long.



See his post here.

no way that is safe I was just moving it around the yard, it goes behind my 52' Kingsley coach

[crasster]

Everybody has their preference on what size coach they like. Personally I like to do more with less. Having 3 RV's, A bounder, a Toyota Class C, and a KZ, truly the Toyota Class C is the most simplistic and easy to get around in coach ever.

There is not a whole lot of elbow room, but I can park it in 1 standard parking place. It makes driving it around a snap. Everything is there that we need, we just sometimes feel a tat more cramped.

The bounder though is nice on those longer voyages. Easier to kick back, throw the feet out there and take it easy. But it requires a lot, and more white knuckles on mountains.

The KZ is simple too, but still unfortunately takes the tow hitch and WD hitch.

So the top of my list is the Toyota class C. Seriously, sometimes we just jump in it with the children, run to Costco, and go hang out at a state park without even camping. We can also easily bring it around town to soccer games and there is always the bathroom, A/C, eats, drinks, etc... Right from the soccer field parking lot.

The OP obviously wants a extremely large coach, I say great!

That kind of room comes at a price though. Besides the gas usage it would be the handling, manuvering, and parking. I'll zip right past him through a parking lot and do 3 circles around him - quick and nimble.... But then we get to camp..... And he looks over out his window while reclining watching us poor folks walking sideways out of our Toyota... 🙂

Every coach comes with a price, pros, and cons.

But yeah, NEVER have seen a cop with a ruler out checking coach width.

[ferndaleflyer]

Someone mentioned MD and NJ---Mine is licensed in MD and I have been all over towing a 32ft trailer and have never been bothered. Including CA and AZ. Every tractor trailer in the country is 102in wide also.

[msmith1199]

But back to your question on length, I don't have a 45 footer, but you do start running into length limits when you get to 45'. For example California doesn't allow more than 40' on some roads such as parts of the Pacific Coast Highway and many of the two lane mountain passes. I know a lot of people love their 45 footers, I personally wouldn't get one because I don't want to have to worry about those restrictions. That and I like going down the PCH.