More info about towing legally

[wegone]

If you are overweight, this could happen:

Let’s say you’re driving on the highway and pulling more than what the manufacturer has suggested.
Then, suddenly, a car pulls into your lane of travel, giving you very little time to react.
You take evasive actions, but since your truck exceeds towing capacity and handling is compromised, an accident occurs.
If authorities find that exceeding the towing capacity is causally related to this incident, you could be found liable through a legal process.

Also: It is illegal to exceed the towing capacity that your license allows. If you are driving past the famous 26,000-pound limit, or your trailer weighs more than 10,000 pounds, and you don’t have a CDL, then you’re breaking the law. While this scenario might seem obvious, the CDL requirements might be confusing, so we have added a table for you to understand them better.

The link where I found this info:

https://fourwheeltrends.com/is-it-il...wing-capacity/

[Bob R]

Different states have different requirements, or no requirements for special licensing at all. It just depends.

https://www.campanda.com/magazine/rv...-requirements/

https://nomadicallyyours.com/do-you-...wheel-trailer/


bob

[rhagfo]

No special license or endorsement needed in Oregon to exceed 26,000#. Combined weight, I have it in writing from dmv.

[notanlines]

None in Tennessee either.
While I have always sided with the 'stay within your guidelines' argument, the glaring problem found when debating those not so inclined is the complete lack of examples showing how families have been injured, rig owners have been fined in court, insurance companies have failed to pay, 'mayhem' has been found scattered for miles along the interstate all caused by one owner with his GMC 2500 Dirty Max blasting down I-10 with his triple axle Raptor in tow when the truck's rear tires shred, bearings lock, axles protrude, and all hell breaks loose. Damage is close to a million, injuries galore, driver is hauled off to a county jail in Louisiana and never heard from again.
Slight exaggeration? Most certainly. But we still cannot find three, four or five good examples of these things happening.
Common sense tells us to stay within our cargo capacity. Stay under our GVWR. For Pete's sake, just stay under the speed limit. Yet we stretch these limits every day.
Tragedies where speeding, reckless driving, DWI are relatively easy to find in newspapers. Finding the same caused by our Dirty Max owner in Louisiana not so easy. The examples just aren't there.
Our new forum friend in another thread headed to Florida with his 2500, overloaded, and big smile on his face is a good example. I realize he made it safely last year. I pray he makes it safely this year. I suspect his truck being over cargo capacity is less dangerous than speeding 75 in a 65. (No I can't back that statement up) My point is that if something does happen we don't hear about it and have no examples to use while debating this subject.
Until we have examples (if there are any) all we can do is continue to point out to new members, and others, that they might want to take a little trip over their friendly CAT scales and actually see what they're doing to the truck.

[NH_Bulldog]

There is no “one size fits all” towing law in the US. Instead, it is a patchwork of semi-obscure laws, rules and regulations that vary by state. In fact, it is often perfectly legal for someone from a lesser restrictive state to operate in a restrictive state without fear of reprisal from law enforcement. The only constant is the need for common sense when it comes to knowing and staying within your own specific limits and capabilities.

Some simple examples: I live in a state that prohibits double towing, yet it is perfectly legal in many other states. We require a front and rear license plates on motor vehicles, but many states do not. We require annual motor vehicle safety inspections and emissions testing, many states do not. We do not require trailer safety inspections, many states do. We have no recreational towing weight limit or CDL requirement, but some states do. My 85 year old Father is free to drive their 40 ft Class A diesel pusher without a CDL or medical certificate. Should he? Maybe not for much longer, but legally he can….

[dutchmensport]

I'm good. I'm in compliance with all Indiana rules and laws!

[travelin texans]

The weight limit requiring a non commercial CDL in Texas is perfect gray color. I ask at 2 different DMV offices where both quoted the regs right out of the book, but at the end there were about 5-6 exemptions all pertaining to agriculture, not surprising, & the final exemption was "for personal rv use". The clerks said apparently I didn't need it. I then ask a couple DPS officers, 1 said yes, the said no, I showed them the exemptions listed to which they both agreed unless I was delivering new rvs I wouldn't need any special licenses.
So there it is in perfect GRAY!
I'll say I've towed rvs for a lot of years & didn't nor do I currently have anything more than a class A license.

[Essvar]

I know of two states where you are required to be licensed for the rated capacity of your tow vehicle and trailer. Washington and Colorado


I can't even tow our empty gooseneck flatbed into Washington because it's rated at 20k GVWR with 10k truck and 20k trailer it's illegal.... even rolling empty.

[gkainz]

Originally Posted by Essvar

I know of two states where you are required to be licensed for the rated capacity of your tow vehicle and trailer. Washington and Colorado


I can't even tow our empty gooseneck flatbed into Washington because it's rated at 20k GVWR with 10k truck and 20k trailer it's illegal.... even rolling empty.

What are you referring to regarding Colorado licenses?

Specifically referring to private Recreation Vehicles in Colorado,

from

https://dmv.colorado.gov/cdl-general-information (bold mine)

snip

You must have a valid Commercial Driver License (CDL) to operate
Any commercial motor vehicle with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of 26,001 pounds or heavier

and snip

Which vehicles are exempt from requiring a CDL?
Recreational vehicles such as a motorhome

[Essvar]

Originally Posted by gkainz

What are you referring to regarding Colorado licenses?

Specifically referring to private Recreation Vehicles in Colorado,

from

https://dmv.colorado.gov/cdl-general-information (bold mine)

snip

You must have a valid Commercial Driver License (CDL) to operate
Any commercial motor vehicle with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of 26,001 pounds or heavier

and snip

Which vehicles are exempt from requiring a CDL?
Recreational vehicles such as a motorhome

Good info, I guess it shouldn't surprise me that the weighmaster I spoke to a few years ago was not fully informed.

[NH_Bulldog]

In my younger years I drove an Isuzu cab forward 16’ box truck with a gas V8 for work. The GVWR was 14,500 lbs. One day about 15 miles from the shop, I approached a DOT truck inspection station on the highway and pulled in. The DMV enforcement officer approached me and asked for my medical card. I gave him my health insurance ID card……..he wasn’t amused, but I had no idea what he was talking about. He yanked open the door (I thought he was going to drag me out and cuff me), but he pointed to the sticker on the door jamb and proceeded to berate me for not having a medical card or CDL while operating a commercial vehicle over 10,000 lbs. GVWR. He took my license and registration and disappeared back to his patrol vehicle for what seemed like forever. When he returned he gave me a written warning and sent me on my way. When I got back to the shop later that day I told the owner what happened. He went ballistic, slammed his office door and starting making calls (we had special overweight and wide load permits several times a week, so he had contacts). By his second call he had the Deputy Motor Vehicle Commissioner on the line and shared my written warning with her. Turns out that the officer who gave me the warning had thought I was in violation, but couldn’t “find” the regulation and received different answers from his peers and supervisor, so to be “safe” he gave me a warning. The Deputy Commissioner finally explained that the 10,000 lb. rule only applied to commercial vehicles operating outside of the home state. In the end, I did nothing wrong and my name was cleared.

Moral of this story is that you can ask 5 different DMV Enforcement officers the same question and you will get 5 different answers, none of which are correct. This isn’t a knock on law enforcement (especially since I work in law enforcement), but is just meant to illustrate that even the people you think should know, very often don’t. Multiply that by 50 states and you have a whole lot of room for misinformation on what laws apply to recreational towing.

YMMV

[sourdough]

[QUOTE=NH_Bulldog

Moral of this story is that you can ask 5 different DMV Enforcement officers the same question and you will get 5 different answers, none of which are correct. This isn’t a knock on law enforcement (especially since I work in law enforcement), but is just meant to illustrate that even the people you think should know, very often don’t. Multiply that by 50 states and you have a whole lot of room for misinformation on what laws apply to recreational towing. YMMV[/QUOTE]


This reinforces the efforts of many on this and other forums trying to get folks to understand weights and how they work. I too have talked to my local DPS folks and it is apparent that the particular officer, at the particular time, will be the one to cite you, hold you etc. The answer? KNOW that you are abiding by all the rules; weights or other particulars for a specific state. I read and print them all before traveling through them. Skimming by works for lots of folks because I see them daily.....until. I choose not to let that "until" ruin the rest of my life because I happened to be unlucky that day.

[wegone]

It is crazy, all the conflicting information. why we don't hear more about overloaded accidents, I don't know, however maybe the RV and truck industry has some very powerful lobbyist who have many Washington ears?

I do know that the boating industry fought hard to curb the movement to license rec boaters. We do hear about some accidents but enough to warrant license?