legal length

[bill2011]

I just read in Woodalls Rules of the Road that the maximum length for a motorhome in my Province is 12.5m or 41 ft. Problem is we have a new 43 ft motorhome on order. Canusual you this be true that we can't buy a 43 ft Motorhome here. I see this same max length quoted for most Canadian Provinces. Do any of you know anything about the rightness or wrongness of this? As usual your knowledgable advice is greatly appreciated.

Bill

[jbilling]

Hey Bill,

You didn't mention what province you are from but I think most provinces are the same. We are in Ontario. We have a Newmar Dutch Star 4320 so just under 43 by tape. There is a special overlength permit for motorhomes over 41 but not over 45'11". I can't tell you what it costs as I am going on ignorance is bliss theory. The other thing to be aware of, is if you have air brakes on your new coach technically you need a Z endoresment on your dirvers license and if you are over 11,000kg or 24,250lbs you are to have a D drivers license not G.(this is to the letter of the law) I attched the MTO spec on Length below and the link to MTO Ontario website. Let me know if you have any other questions. I definately wouldnt let it stop me from picking up my new toy!!!!!!!!!

What did you buy?

Jon

Maximum length

• Motor home or truck camper, including load and extensions: 12.5 metres (41 ft).
  Note: Motor homes longer than 12.5 m (41 ft), but not exceeding 14 m (45 ft 11 in), including load, may be driven in Ontario if the motor home qualifies for a special over-length permit. For details please contact the ministry by telephone at (416) 246-7166 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (416) 246-7166 end_of_the_skype_highlighting ext. 6306, fax - (905) 704-2545, e-mail OO.Permit.Department@Ontario.ca, or mail to the Ministry of Transportation, O/O Permits, 3rd Floor, 301 St. Paul Street, St Catharines Ontario L2R 7R4.

Notice:

This notice is for motor homes owners who have already been issued special over-length permits that expire January 1st, 2010. To extend your current over-length permit until January 1, 2012 simply print a copy of the permit amendment (extension) from the following link (special over-length permit amendment). Attach the printed amendment to your current permit and carry both copies in the vehicle. If you are unable to print a copy of the amendment please contact the O/O. Permit Department at the above address and a copy will be forwarded to you.

RV Information for Drivers - terms used

[woody62]

Hey bill2011, Actually 12 .5 meters is 38 feet and 9 inches. I would check with your motor vehicle office in your province. If it is correct on what they say on Woodalls, I would go back to your dealership where you order it and complain. They should know the rules. Woody62

[jbilling]

Hey Woody,

Not to create a pissing match but 12.5 metres is 41.01feet. I have verified with 3 different online coversions sites.

Jon

[bill2011]

Hey guys. Yes 12.5m is 41 ft. 39 inches in a meter X 12.5 is 41. Some say this law is still on the books but is antiquated and not enforced. Jon, I am in Newfoundland and ordered an Entegar Coach Anthem 42RBQ all electric (deposit made and we to pick it up when arrives at dealership in US) . It measures 43ft 1". I ordered the Woodalls camping Directory and when it arrived I read this bombshell about max lengths. I really hoper it is a law that is not enforced but it raises concern sregarding licensing, insirance, and so on. I guess I will need to do some checking on Monday but right now I am really concerned. 43 ft is not long in these times so I can't see this as being the rules but who knows.

[woody62]

Hey jbilling, Looks like your right...my bad. I was basing it on 3 .1 feet per meter. woody62

[bill2011]

Here is a nice little summary of it all for both US and Canada. I assume it is correct. It agrees with Woodalls re Province of Newfoundland for sure. http://www.ywip.com/rv07.pdf

[Easyrider]

I don't know how strictly the length laws are enforced in your area and going by jbilling's post it may not matter but I checked on the length laws around here when we pulled 2 trailers in tandem behind a pickup and according to several state troupers and officials at the local DOT office the length of vehicles is not normally checked and I was told that if I were over the legal limit (and I was for quite a few years) I would "probably" never be stopped and checked for it (and I never was). But one person did say that it might be a problem if I were ever in an accident and the patrolman at the scene thought about checking my length.

[bluepill]

Every vehicle insurance policy that I have read has a clause that negates your coverage if you are operating "In violation of the law". Trust me, if they can find any way of refusing a claim, they will - their mantra is "Don't Pay, Don't Pay, Don't Pay"

[JMonroe]

Originally Posted by bluepill

Every vehicle insurance policy that I have read has a clause that negates your coverage if you are operating "In violation of the law". Trust me, if they can find any way of refusing a claim, they will - their mantra is "Don't Pay, Don't Pay, Don't Pay"

I worked for State Farm Insurance for over 30 years. Unless there was a 'material' misrepresentation on your part, when you applied for the policy, you're not going to be denied coverage for an accident, once the policy has been issued. Typically they'll ask for the make and model, as they did when I updated my policy for the new rig (also allegedly 'illegal', according to the Trailer Life listings, in my home state). They'll type this into the system and it will either quote a rate, or explain why a it does not qualify. I was never asked how long it was. Just answer the questions asked truthfully. And yes, we've even paid losses incurred while breaking the law, such as running from the police. It depends on state law and judicial interpretation (case precident). The 'easiest' way to have a claim denied is for the results of your actions to be shown to have been intentional. Like the case of the spouse running over the 'other woman' with the car. :O

Occasionally I'd be asked to adjust a loss on something that did not qualify for coverage on any of our policies. This was usually a travel trailer that was permanently located (typically with stick built add-on structures). We'd cover the loss reported, then advise the owner that we'd issued the poliy in error and that it would not be renewed. Not once could we identify the policy owner as having made a misrepresentation (it has happened, but never in a case I handled), more likely it was an agent error (or trying to do his long time policyholder a favor by 'looking the other way'). The insurance company should be taking responsibility for those.

Every state has an insurance department, and most are very active and very consumer orientated. Yes, we had a small percentage of our claims generate complaints to the insurance commisioner. It's an occupational hazard of sometimes having to say 'No'. I don't, off hand, remember any case in which the commisioner demanded that we alter our decision, however. Its not good business to deny anthing that can't be supported by the policy language and contract law. To put it another way, we were not going to waste money on a lawsuit where we weren't certain of the outcome, in spite of what you're led to believe on all those ambulance chasser adds you see on TV.

I've long held that basic insurance principles need to be taught in high school. Most misunderstandings arrise out of a lack of understanding of what insurance is, or is not.

[Hooligan]

Jay: Thanks for the post.
I have seen the "Your insurance won't cover" applied to everything from the tires you use to what equipment you have or don't have, the state you are in, the color of your DW's eye's etc. I've always felt that unless it is intentional fraud or misrepresentation , the contract would be honored..
(hope this is not too far off topic)

[bluepill]

The company does make a difference. State Farm and Liberty Mutual have good records for fairness. My dad was a trial lawyer for over 40 years, dealing mostly with appeal cases. His 2 part advice to me was:
1. Always insure against the LARGE loss.
2. Never insure with Allstate or Geico.

[Papa_Jim]

I don't know the answer to your question. But, I do know that a coach manufactured in the U.S.A. has to be certified by the Canadian Federal Government before you are allowed to license and drive that coach in Canada.

I'd be asking the proper authorities now, not later. When the time comes to import that coach into Canada, and buy a license for it, you don't want to learn at that time that you can't license and drive it at all.

[bill2011]

Thanks Jim. Yes we have ordered the Canadian Standards certification as one of the options on our coach. That certification is I understand a federal requirement in order to bring a rig into Canada. Licencing requirements however are set individually by each Province same as I understand each State does this in the USA. We will be on to the licencing authorities tomorrow and will let you all know what we find out. Hopefully this is just an old law that they never got around to changing but that is no longer enforced.