Survey - who has had a citation for RV overweight?

[noteven]

Details appreciated like where, details of weight, fine or jail time, did your rig get towed, were you handcuffed...

[John___Angela]

We see truck campers get nailed for overweight from time to time. There are a few choke points. One close to the BC Alberta border another close to an underpass near us. If it doesn't look right "big slide type campers on 3/4 ton trucks etc, they will weigh them with 4 scales and have them offload. You will see the campers on the side of the road from time to time at the pull outs. No idea what the fine is.

They do RV stings in BC. No safety chains, no battery on the trailer, safety pin in the hitch, lights, no brake control etc. I like it.

[rhagfo]

Turtle n Peeps wrote:

the bear II wrote:
Lawyers will look for overweight RVs involved in accidents
http://www.justaccidentlaw.com/motor-vehicle-accidents/rv-accidents-motor-homes/

Link

LOL, you don't have to be overweight to have an ambulance chaser after you!

Be way over weight and side swipe someone and you're at fault.........guess what....you're at fault.

Be under weight by thousands of pounds and side swipe someone and you're at fault.....guess what....you're at fault!

The problem comes when some idiot pulls out directly in front of you, or pulls directly in front of you and "Break Checks" you and you hit them. They will say it's your fault.
This is the reason I run with a Dash Cam, underweight or overweight, I would strongly suggest all RV's run with them!!

My favorite is always passing lanes on hills, I will be climbing at the speed limit or a bit better, and as I see the lane ends there is this sect in my rear-view mirror and it is trying for all it is worth to get a head of me. If they make it they may need to squeeze into a the space the following space I allow, then typically because that were speeding about 15 mph over what we were all going, slam on their brakes to keep from hitting the car in front of them!!!

Once again, best defense is a dash cam.

[Bedlam]

CA has non-commercial driver license endorsements if you tow a heavier trailer or fifth wheel RV. Evidently they have emphasis patrols in known areas where big toy haulers go to ensure the driver is properly licensed. I'm not sure of the fine, but your RV will have to stay parked until an endorsed driver can move it for you. Although this is not what the OP was asking, it is along the same lines.

[moresmoke]

LarryJM wrote:

demiles wrote:
The only one I've seen was down in NC leaving ZMAX dragway and wasn't the normal trailer/fifth wheel. I was following a friend pulling a 30Ft racecar trailer with living quarters and he was pulled over and weighed. He was over his registered GVWR and received a fined which was $150 I think. They told him he was considered commercial because he received money and or products for competing. He also had the usual product stickers all over the side of the trailer.

Over the years I've also read more than a handful of first hand posts usually from Pa concerning weight and or registration fines with these race car trailers with all the advertising and even some where because they could win $$$ they were considered commercial rigs.

Larry

The most common test of this I have heard of is: If you are guaranteed money for showing up at the event - then you would be considered commercial. You are being paid as a performer.

Now some states interpret these rules to their own likes. The 10,000 lb trailer rule is one. Some states have it worded as a trailer over 10000 and GVW over 26000. Others use a trailer over 10000 or GVW over 26000.

I run around to motorsports events in the summer, if I ever get accused of being commercial, I am going to start filing my expenses on my taxes. I bet the IRS will claim its a hobby!

[LarryJM]

demiles wrote:
The only one I've seen was down in NC leaving ZMAX dragway and wasn't the normal trailer/fifth wheel. I was following a friend pulling a 30Ft racecar trailer with living quarters and he was pulled over and weighed. He was over his registered GVWR and received a fined which was $150 I think. They told him he was considered commercial because he received money and or products for competing. He also had the usual product stickers all over the side of the trailer.

Over the years I've also read more than a handful of first hand posts usually from Pa concerning weight and or registration fines with these race car trailers with all the advertising and even some where because they could win $$$ they were considered commercial rigs.

Larry

[blt2ski]

Glad to see Mr Wadcutter backing up what I have said many times on here. Usually get told I am wrong. It would take a LOT for an RV'r to be over weight. Even if you include the max per tire width here in Wa st, you would only get about 10K-11K lbs per axel with a single tire axel. Tell me, how many of you with single tires per axel are over this amount? thought so!
As one has also asked. Does this mean I can be over the manufactures rating.....not sure how many times I have been pulled over at 150% of manufactures gvw, and NOT gotten an over weight ticket. As I was UNDER my paid for license/registration, along with under the bridge law max per axel.
As far as ambulance chasing lawyers......well, you can be UNDER said manufacture warranty/performance ratings, and still get sued for ALL you are worth and then some......
GCWR is not an enforceable weight by ANY weight LEO/CVEO etc. Only the manufacture, and RV.net weight police.
As I understand the weight laws, one can not be jailed per say for being overweight! you will have time to move the load as many stated, so you are under weight. Along with the fine is not considered a moving violation, so it does not go against your actual driving record. Get caught speeding is worst than being overweight!

At the end of the day. I am NOT worried about my manufacture ratings from a legal standpoint when it comes to Wadcutter and his buddies in the scale house, vans etc with portable scales. AS LONG, as my paid for gvw rating for my truck is over what I weigh. Which means, if I run down the road at 8600 lbs per my door sticker in my 2000 chev C2500. I could/might get an overload ticket for 600 lbs! as that is what I have paid for license at. My Navistar with a 26K paid for plate, has a door sticker of 18200. Got pulled over once at just under 27K, told to get a 28K plate within 10 days......but that rock coming out from the barn doors ticket was painful!

Marty

[Wadcutter]

cbshoestring wrote:
HANDCUFFED for being overweight?

I have been fined, slide the axles, moved on (no it was not WADCUTTER).

That was the normal procedure when over on axle. Take care of business and then on down the road.

I have been held for a period because another company driver owed a fine, so they confiscated my truck until the company paid up (still was not wadcutter).

Nope, never did that.

I have seen the unloading/reloading of trucks---right at the scale house. MIGHT have been WADCUTTER.

That we did if over on gross. They had to get their load legal before they could continue. With 80,000 gross they were allowed 81,000 and only get a warning.
Drivers almost always knew pretty close how much they were hauling.

Never saw anyone handcuffed for being overweight....then again, WADCUTTER might have.

Years ago if a driver didn't have the bond for the overweight fine they could be held in jail until the company or whomever wired the money. Can't ever recall handcuffing any of them tho. They weren't hardened desporados. Can't think of any of them actually being held in the jail but they sat in the jail office next to the phones.

Creeper Cops get paid to regulate truckers, the FEDS give them authority to do so. Everyone I have talked to (maybe WADCUTTER) say they have no authority to "regulate" RVs. I am sure if they see unsafe driving/load they will "speak" with you, but they can't just pull you over to check you documentation----they can do that to truckers.

In IL only the State Police has the authority to enforce Motor Carrier Safety regs. We received extra training and certification for MCS levels. Being a Trooper has a lot of freedom on what you chose to enforce on a particular day. Some Troops liked working truck enforcement, others liked working DUIs, some liked speed enforcement. Just depends on the individual and what they feel like doing on any given day. Some days I might have wanted to look for DUIs and wouldn't take a 2nd look at a semi. So if we saw an RV doing something illegal there was no issue taking enforcement action.

[zombojoe]

4x4ord wrote:
British Columbia, Canada is the only jurisdiction that I am aware of that has a law in place concerning weights of RV's. Their law indicates that an RV or tow vehicle with a GVWR under 5500 KGs cannot be loaded over that maximum gross vehicle weight rating. In practice it is very unlikely that a 2500 Duramax towing a fifth wheel would ever run into trouble but if a car or truck is towing something with its headlights pointing to moon and a LEO sees him he can have the vehicle weighed and charge the driver accordingly.



Fact sheet

Funny enough, we did have some family friends that got pulled over for being overweight on the Coquihalla back in 2013. First year of their retirement, they were towing a 26 ft RV when they got pulled over by an RCMP officer for being unsafely overweight. It took a bit, but they actually managed to convince the officer that yes, their 93' Cadillac Fleetwood did in fact come with a 7000 lb towing package and they were legal. I've seen pictures, and the nose was pointing higher than the rear. Apparently to tow anything over 5000 lb, the rear air shocks have to be disabled. Having said that, they now have a nice Tahoe to handle towing duties.

[BadgerMcAdams]

Wadcutter wrote:
Spring time. Another 'overweight question".
Do you really think your rig or any rig is even close to approaching the max weight limits? Seriously?
As nickthehunter pointed out max axle weights are usually 20,000 lbs for a single axle, 34,000 for a tandem axle and 80,000 gross (total) weight.
When talking those 'big' numbers people's eyes glaze over and they don't have any concept of what they mean.
Let's put it in perspective looking at a 5th wheel. Your truck weights 8000 or a bit less. You have a heavy 5th wheel that weighs 15,000 lbs loaded. Total weight then is 23,000 lbs.
Now lets look at the semis running down the road. Look at one that has one of the 53 ft box trailers. The tractor unit is a long nose double sleeper, long wheelbase rig. Empty that combination will weigh about 23,000 lbs, maybe a bit less.
Look at the those numbers again. That empty semi weighs the same as if you had a heavy pickup and a fully loaded 5er.
When people truly understand weight laws then they would see just how silly these questions really are. They think because they have a 'big' camper that somehow they're in the big boy's league of hauling weight. Not even close. Think about it. Your truck and camper have tires which may be the same load handling capacity as what's on your car or maybe just a bit more. If your rig was over 20,000 axle (10,000 per tire) do you think your tires wouldn't give out long before you maxed 20,000?
And yeah, I was the weight police. The real weight police. I didn't get my knowledge from listening to some fat guy sitting around the campfire. For 27 years I weighed a lot of trucks, taught truck weight laws, was recognized by the courts as an expert in truck weight laws, and commanded the highest fine generating scales in the state of IL.

For 5 years I drove a residential Side-load garbage truck for Waste Management. Empty, it weighed 13.5 tons (27,000 lbs). My Max weight was somewhere around 45,000 or so (it's been a few years). Like the man said, As a normal RV'er, you are never going to come close to hitting the max weight...Most likely, you would cause your trailer to break or your tow vehicle well before you hit 80,000 lbs...or 40 Tons...Go out, enjoy, and don't worry about the Weight Police.

[Supercharged]

06Fargo wrote:
Details appreciated like where, details of weight, fine or jail time, did your rig get towed, were you handcuffed...

I have heard some guys had to have there wife ride behind in a car or small open trailer.

[Thunderbolt]

I can think of one instance in Minnesota that will get an RV pulled over and a citation written, but it has nothing to do with the weight of the RV. There is a stretch of I-35 in St Paul that is classified as a Parkway. The speed limit is 45 mph and no vehicles over 10,000 GVWR are allowed at anytime. They have to take a different route.

[chiefcamper]

I personally am always aware of my weight as are many on this forum. My guess is that far more passenger cars (not towing anything) with large Thule's on the top, five or six passengers and coolers strapped to the back of the vehicle are far more overweight than many RV's on the road. You'll never see them pulled over for being overweight, going too fast yes, but not because their rear tires are almost on the rims!

[Turtle_n_Peeps]

the bear II wrote:
Lawyers will look for overweight RVs involved in accidents
http://www.justaccidentlaw.com/motor-vehicle-accidents/rv-accidents-motor-homes/

LOL, you don't have to be overweight to have an ambulance chaser after you!

Be way over weight and side swipe someone and you're at fault.........guess what....you're at fault.

Be under weight by thousands of pounds and side swipe someone and you're at fault.....guess what....you're at fault!

[2001400ex]

I have never heard of a citation for overweight. I think what you are trying to get at is, what are the ramifications if I am over weight towing.

To me I look at it differently. I've been overweight many times, mostly due to not being able to afford the right equipment. I generally am only over weight with rock in the bed, but I've been overweight towing too. I have my setup with extra capacity not because the weight police. But because it makes the 10 hour journey so much easier with a proper setup. My buddy tows his 14k dry fifth wheel with a SRW F350 and he thinks it's fine. I'd prefer a dually as I've been in his pickup towing. To each their own.

[cbshoestring]

HANDCUFFED for being overweight?

I have been fined, slide the axles, moved on (no it was not WADCUTTER).

I have been held for a period because another company driver owed a fine, so they confiscated my truck until the company paid up (still was not wadcutter).

I have seen the unloading/reloading of trucks---right at the scale house. MIGHT have been WADCUTTER.

Never saw anyone handcuffed for being overweight....then again, WADCUTTER might have.

Creeper Cops get paid to regulate truckers, the FEDS give them authority to do so. Everyone I have talked to (maybe WADCUTTER) say they have no authority to "regulate" RVs. I am sure if they see unsafe driving/load they will "speak" with you, but they can't just pull you over to check you documentation----they can do that to truckers.