Community Forums

RonS1985 · 06-23-2011, 06:09 AM

I'm not sure what the best category is to post this so I picked this one. I have a 1989 Southwind that has no data sticker. My first trip through DMV was entertaining, watching them try to find it to get the GVW. They ended up having to weigh me on the brake skids. It came in at 14,000 lbs. Armed with that I now watch carefully for the max bridge weights. I was heading back from Georgia last summer and decided to go the faster route over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. The sign before the bridge said "No Trucks In .... lane." I assumed they meant the big rigs. Does anyone know at what weight they consider your vehicle to be a "truck?" I also found out that back roads are not always a good idea. No, it wasn't the small bridges. They usually have a large load cap. It was the small older tunnels. Thank god for signage!

ctcamper · 06-23-2011, 06:57 AM

That warning would be for commercial trucks.
I am registered as a camper .. I weigh 21K pounds. I don't have to hit weigh stations as they are only for commercial vehicles. Only weights I worry about is posted roads and bridges.
Garden State Parkway technically forbids trucks over 7K lbs but they allow buses. If that was enforced half the big SUVs would have to be ticketed lol I do that route alot and have never been bothered.
In NewEngland it's the old railroad bridges that are the worst and some of the road bridge heights. NY and CT you have to avoid any roadway designated as a Parkway as the bridges are VERY low... 10 feet low in places.....

Mike Canter · 06-23-2011, 07:48 AM

I have always totally ignored laws that specifically state for trucks. If it is the number of axles or weight then I take notice. I get a lot of yelling from truckers on the CB if I am in a lane on a multi-lane highway that says no trucks. I have been stopped and I show the police that I am registered as a Recreational Vehicle and it doesn't say Commercial or Truck on my license plate or registration and I am not required to have a CDL in my state. They always let me go because I am polite and such a nice guy

.

You have to be careful on some tunnels that they don't say there is a restriction if you have a propane tank. Sometimes you are required to turn off the tank and sometimes you are just not allowed in the tunnel.

Conquest102 · 06-23-2011, 07:55 AM

I always wondered about the no trucks when I drove my A but now with a C it looks like a van so I consider myself a BIG van 31 feet long. I haven't run into the lower over pass yet. I did measure height and width and printed a label and taped it to the dash just incase.

RonS1985 · 06-23-2011, 07:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ctcamper

That warning would be for commercial trucks.
I am registered as a camper .. I weigh 21K pounds. I don't have to hit weigh stations as they are only for commercial vehicles. Only weights I worry about is posted roads and bridges.
Garden State Parkway technically forbids trucks over 7K lbs but they allow buses. If that was enforced half the big SUVs would have to be ticketed lol I do that route alot and have never been bothered.
In NewEngland it's the old railroad bridges that are the worst and some of the road bridge heights. NY and CT you have to avoid any roadway designated as a Parkway as the bridges are VERY low... 10 feet low in places.....

I thought so. I, too, ignore those signs and have never been pulled over. It's funny that you should mention the New England area. That was where I was referring to. We went to Mass. and got caught at several RR tunnels that made us find another route. Thanks for your input.

Senior Chief · 06-23-2011, 07:59 AM

NY and CT you have to avoid any roadway designated as a Parkway as the bridges are VERY low

In New York, I believe, an RV can't drive on a parkway anyway; passenger cars and passenger pick-ups only. The fine on the Taconic was fairly hefty

but the policeman was nice.

ctcamper · 06-23-2011, 10:15 AM

Mass and North Jersey have THEE worst signs!!! Mismarked roads, no heights listed etc.. I went to the big E a month ago for a function and came in by the back roads ( some would say I missed my exit, I am holding to my story I took the scenic route on purpose ) and there was a low railroad bridge and no height sign on one side...and if there was one on the bridge it was long gone do to graffitti. So to see the only height sign you would have to get to the other side lol Thankfully I was in the car that time as it was a very narrow road going to the bridge and would have been no fun to try to back out of. I thought to myself how glad I was that I wasn't in the MH.

Once upon a time when I got the first MH I called the state police in NY after going by a weigh station that had a sign that all trucks must enter the weigh station .. I had no way of getting across traffic that time anyway , they said I was exempt as I was not a commercial vehicle and not to worry about it. I had a big story lined up as to how bad the traffic was and I would have put myself and others in danger if I tried to get over, which wasn't far from the truth as it was lol

While I am complaining about Mass.. I was at one of the poorly designed ( approach ) toll booths there that they merge the traffic right before the booth and the ezpass was on the far left or the far right.. those maniac cars kept zooming around me and I had no way of getting over,so I went in the cash lane.. The toll booth operator was not happy as he had to spend a few minutes getting my info to charge me.. He must have not had his coffee that morning...

another funny one was around Edison NJ I believe or might have been Newark.. I came to a fork in the road where there was a stop for me. Almost straight across was a road and one angling off to the right at something approaching a 20 degree angle.. There was a sign with a 90 degree diagram and stating the road I was looking for was a left turn.. here I am looking for that 90 deg left and they meant the one that was almost straight across......NO street corner names.. turns out the one that angled right was the same street that I was on... go figure

wa8yxm · 06-23-2011, 10:23 AM

Most of the places I have been where they say "Trucks use only ...Lanes" or "No trucks in the ....Lane"

It is because of speed, The theory is trucks do not go as fast as cars.. Sometimes, it's right.

I drive 55 so I generally take the "Slow vehicle" lane.

RonS1985 · 06-23-2011, 10:24 AM

I agree with the Mass comment. Very few signs ahead of time to let you know tunnel height. I didn't see any unmarked (thank goodness) but it was annoying to get to a tunnel and see the very small height sign above the tunnel. That's a bit too late. I had to back up 3/10ths of a mile to turn around. I haven't checked it out yet but my brother (a truck driver) told me there is a trucker's version of a MapQuest-type turn-by-turn map that gives routes based upon the height (and weight) of your vehicle. I know there are trucker GPS's also. I should get one.

Frantz · 06-23-2011, 11:01 AM

There are bridges here in the Portland area that do have weight restrictions and they do mean anything above the specified weight are not allowed. This includes large diesel pickups, etc.
Sellwood Bridge - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Around the state there are others that are in very poor repair or have had erosion issues that make them less than perfect.

Wayne M · 06-23-2011, 07:19 PM

Search for AITA (aita) low clearances. Truckers use it.

Mr_D · 06-23-2011, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frantz

There are bridges here in the Portland area that do have weight restrictions and they do mean anything above the specified weight are not allowed. This includes large diesel pickups, etc.
Sellwood Bridge - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Around the state there are others that are in very poor repair or have had erosion issues that make them less than perfect.

Can you still see the river through the holes in the deck or did they get that repaired?

Frantz · 06-24-2011, 12:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr_D

Can you still see the river through the holes in the deck or did they get that repaired?

Don't know, I close my eyes if I have to drive over it

Crabby Mike · 07-02-2011, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RonS1985

I'm not sure what the best category is to post this so I picked this one. I have a 1989 Southwind that has no data sticker. My first trip through DMV was entertaining, watching them try to find it to get the GVW. They ended up having to weigh me on the brake skids. It came in at 14,000 lbs. Armed with that I now watch carefully for the max bridge weights. I was heading back from Georgia last summer and decided to go the faster route over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. The sign before the bridge said "No Trucks In .... lane." I assumed they meant the big rigs. Does anyone know at what weight they consider your vehicle to be a "truck?" I also found out that back roads are not always a good idea. No, it wasn't the small bridges. They usually have a large load cap. It was the small older tunnels. Thank god for signage!

Hey Ron -

I thought this when I saw your question a few weeks ago, since I go over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge (the one in Maryland, not the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel in Virginia) often, but checked today to make sure. The signs on the bridge don't say "No Trucks ...", but rather "Vehicles Over 5 Tons ...". Thus, at least on this specific bridge, you (we) do belong in the "truck" lane, commercial or not.

If you were talking about the CBBT, never mind.