yannick

Hi Guys

I am going on a trip to the Midwest and will be travelling in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada.

I just weighed my 2002 2500 with my 29' Alpenlite fifth wheel and I am not overloaded on any axles but If I have a full tank of fresh water I am about 500 Lbs over my GCVWR.

In British Columbia the authorities are very strict on GCVWR for recreational vehicles. Does anyone know If these midwest states are equally strict?

I went down there a few years ago and I never saw any weigh stations that weighed recreational vehicles. Has this changed?

Thanks for your help

blown32

Living out west, I have never seen a RV weigh station. That being said, limits are there for your and other road travelers safety. As long as your axles are not overloaded and you travel at a speed where you can safely brake in an emergency you should be good to go!

RustyJC

Generally speaking, most states exempt RVs from commercial weight regulations, and non-commercial vehicles are not required to stop in weigh stations.

Whether this should or should not be the case is certainly a topic for debate, but with only a few exceptions, that's the way things generally are in the U.S.

Rusty

DSjockey

Never heard of a RV being weighed in the western states (except in case of accident), can't see where it would be fair enforcing GCVWR for RV's when commercial operators in other states can get tags for well above GCVWR and run that way as long as rated axel capacity is not exceded

Rattletrap1

All excellent comments. In Ca., the scales specificaly exclude RV's and pick-ups.

FWIW...Ive travled a lot of BC overweight, with no problems and was never asked to weigh in. They aren't as tight as some would leave you to believe. I hear they are getting tighter, but that it is being "phased in" with allowances for older vehicles, etc.

Haulin_in_Dixie

Where does a Dodge post a GCWR on the truck? That is your answer.

Mechanos

Side note: On a recent hunting trip to South Dakota, we ran up I-29 through Iowa. There were signs along the interstates that read, "All vehicles exceding 8000 lbs. must weigh" or something to that effect. Had me scratching my head as to whether or not I'd have to stop if I had my trailer and offroad truck in tow. I probably would stop... I'd rather do that and have them tell me I don't need to stop as opposes to blowing by the station and have them come after me.

mpfireman

That 2002 Dodge should weigh close to 7,000 Lbs with two in the cab, and full of fuel. So if your fiver has a pin weight of greater than 1,800 Lbs you will be over the trucks max gvw. Also do as I do, I never carry a full tank of fresh water, only about 5 gallons. And will dump all gray and black tanks prior to travel. With water at #8 Lbs per gal, you do not need to carry that extra weight.
Ken

Haulin_in_Dixie

I should keep my mouth shut but one more time. The GVW is for a truck loaded weight, where the brakes and suspension have to carry the entire weight. It goes out the window when you become a "combination weight." Depending on the state the combination weight is figured differently. Generally the GVWR of the truck added to the GVWR of the trailer. The vehicles do not post a GCWR on the trucks but is left to the states defination. As long as your plates cover the weight and the axles/tires are not overloaded, you should be ok. You do not have to maintain the GVW of the truck when in a combination situation. My truck is overloaded with the trailer empty and I have been checked many times by DOT in several states.

Pulling a trailer the truck is only dealing with the hitch weight and pulling the load, the brakes and handling are taken care of by the trailer design, hence the need for the limit on the GVW of the trailer. A second gen Dodge 4x4 is about 7250 for a 2500. All the truck brakes have to handle is the 7250, the trailer brakes have to be strong enough to handle the GVW of the trailer. Most trailers get their GVW based on the axles, on mine, three 7000 pound Dexter axles designed to stop 21,000 pounds of weight.

Pulling the load is not a safety factor that they are worried about, just handling and stopping.

The last poster is correct, if he has a trailer with a vehicle on it he is supposed to stop. He can pull a 20,000 pound rv and he does not.

I am not going to argue this, so post what you want, I said what I said.

eng208

HID,
This is very good information to me. So, what you are saying is that all of these people hauling fifth wheels with a 2500 would be OK if the states ever make it mandatory to weigh RVers? I have been considering a newer truck but I plan on having a big fifth wheel eventually and, based on how strict the govt. is getting, can see RVers losing their exemption on weigh stations. I certainly don't want to have to get another truck if that happens. I would like a 2500 or 3500 SRW, but with around 3000 lbs of pin weight from a 30 foot Toyhauler fiver (what I want), it would be exceeding the 2500's GVWR. It will have to be my daily driver so I don't really want a dually. If I understand what you are saying, I should be ok, right?
Thanks,
Chris

DSjockey

HiD I hope you did not read my post as a slam at folks towing over Dodges GCWR, it is not, in fact with a 3.55 rear and auto I have no room to talk

blown32

I think we are all saying about the same thing. Don't overload the axles and ensure you have a brake set-up the can safely stop you at the speed you are towing. Adjust speed to match conditions, be they load or weather.

Haulin_in_Dixie

No there is absolutely no offense taken, just that this discussion is sort of like the tranny oil wars and others. It generally gets into an argument because of the generalization of the laws and the differences of the states on how they enforce them. My statements are coming from how the real world is not necessarly how the law does or should read. I just did not want to get into a back and forth see saw about the law again. Sorry if I was arrogent, I did not mean to be. Rereading my post, it sounds pretty bad, sorry.

P Kennedy

BC was trying to enforce grossly overweight RV's and was using the pillar spec tags as their reference, however for now they were instructed to "backoff" tourists. On vehicles under a certain GVW/GCVW they will look at the axle rating in combination with the tire ratings. So yes you could be overweight on a RV chassis with the wrong tire and rim combo or even an off road design tire vs a commercial E rated tire. I should by specification be using a dually to pull my trailer as it weighs in at 5000+ on the steering axle, 7065 on the drive axle and 8100+ on the trailer. According to Dodge the axle is within engineering specs but not with single tires (2X3042lbs vs 4X2700lbs-dually) therefore the tires limit the weight capability in this case not the frame or axles. The brakes at this point are on their limit as the dually has bigger brakes. My 2X6000lbs axles however will compensate for the truck brakes set properly being 3500lbs under gross of their rating. BC went forward with RV inspections due high number of accidents, non-compliance of registrations, lack of insurance, safety equipment violations (lights) and "EXTREME" overweight in some cases. Their concern was also based on the fact that the highways there had some very long and steep grades where people experienced brake fires and total failure. There were cases of BC turning RV's back due to overweight (1/2 tons pulling trailers 2-6 tons) over the chassis design, can't believe they became that inconsiderate towards tourists. How many times do we see the tourist NOT stop at brake checks because thats for commercial vehicles and God forbid one break their heavy vacation schedule just to make sure the wheels are still on. Perhaps even stop at a brake check just to talk to them stupid truckers who run the hill everday for information on a road you have never been on. People travelling in RV's also feel that they, overweight or not have rights and special priviledges exempting them from the traffic laws in any local. If you know that you are travelling overweight in any degree stop at least every 50- 100 miles and check hub temperature, tire wall temperature or flats on dual wheels, and if you can't keep up to traffic pull over safely off the road and let the traffic flow. Chances are if you are a traffic hazard you will get reported and visit with a friendly policeman with revenue generating paperwork. PK

Haulin_in_Dixie

PK I totally agree with your post...