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[brad03ca]

This is an interesting answer regarding the column in last weeks Toronto Star "Wheels"

Reality of trailers



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Jumbo trailers can be a big pain in the rear end


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Howard J. Elmer, July 9

As of this Monday morning, we have received many phone calls from customers who have purchased towables with GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Ratings) exceeding the 4,600 kg weight limitation on their Class G licence.

I would like to clarify some topics that were overlooked in Mr. Elmer's article:

The weight sticker commonly found on the outside of a trailer lists the GVWR of the trailer. Quite often, we find customers looking at these stickers to see how much a trailer weighs, and then determine if they can tow it with their current tow vehicle. The actual GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight) of the trailer is inside the RV, which also lists the NCC (Net Carrying Capacity).

The GVW combined with the NCC gives the GVWR.

Most of the public do not realize the actual weight (GVW) they are towing can be thousands of pounds less than the GVWR sticker on the side of the trailer. I doubt the Ministry of Transport and the OPP are aware of this.

In his article, Mr. Elmer asked me how many towable RVs we sold in the past year that had a GVWR that exceeded the Class G limit of 4,600 kgs. While 37 per cent of them did, what wasn't mentioned was that only 8 per cent of them had a GVW actually weighing more than 4,600 kgs.

In most cases, even adding half-a-tonne for fresh water and personal items, the trailer would still weigh in under the 4,600 kgs.

The Ontario Licensing Offices do not ask the customer to produce a Class A licence when licensing towables with a GVWR over 4,600 kgs.

We provide them with the customer's Class G licence number and the Certificate of Origin of the trailer (which includes the trailer weight) and they produce an ownership and trailer plate without any mention of licence classifications.

How could the MTO ask the OPP to enforce this weight limitation, when Ontario's licensing bureau totally ignores it?

Wayfarer Insurance, which has exclusively supplied Ontarians with RV insurance for many years, has made it public policy that it will not deny an insurer or an insurer's claim based on a customer's driver's licence classification.

The Ministry of Transport needs to make the RV Trailer endorsement on your Class G licence a reality.

__________________________________________________ _______________________

This letter was written by the Sales Manager at Campkins RV in Whitby

[brad03ca]

This is an interesting answer regarding the column in last weeks Toronto Star "Wheels"

Reality of trailers



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jumbo trailers can be a big pain in the rear end


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Howard J. Elmer, July 9

As of this Monday morning, we have received many phone calls from customers who have purchased towables with GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Ratings) exceeding the 4,600 kg weight limitation on their Class G licence.

I would like to clarify some topics that were overlooked in Mr. Elmer's article:

The weight sticker commonly found on the outside of a trailer lists the GVWR of the trailer. Quite often, we find customers looking at these stickers to see how much a trailer weighs, and then determine if they can tow it with their current tow vehicle. The actual GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight) of the trailer is inside the RV, which also lists the NCC (Net Carrying Capacity).

The GVW combined with the NCC gives the GVWR.

Most of the public do not realize the actual weight (GVW) they are towing can be thousands of pounds less than the GVWR sticker on the side of the trailer. I doubt the Ministry of Transport and the OPP are aware of this.

In his article, Mr. Elmer asked me how many towable RVs we sold in the past year that had a GVWR that exceeded the Class G limit of 4,600 kgs. While 37 per cent of them did, what wasn't mentioned was that only 8 per cent of them had a GVW actually weighing more than 4,600 kgs.

In most cases, even adding half-a-tonne for fresh water and personal items, the trailer would still weigh in under the 4,600 kgs.

The Ontario Licensing Offices do not ask the customer to produce a Class A licence when licensing towables with a GVWR over 4,600 kgs.

We provide them with the customer's Class G licence number and the Certificate of Origin of the trailer (which includes the trailer weight) and they produce an ownership and trailer plate without any mention of licence classifications.

How could the MTO ask the OPP to enforce this weight limitation, when Ontario's licensing bureau totally ignores it?

Wayfarer Insurance, which has exclusively supplied Ontarians with RV insurance for many years, has made it public policy that it will not deny an insurer or an insurer's claim based on a customer's driver's licence classification.

The Ministry of Transport needs to make the RV Trailer endorsement on your Class G licence a reality.

__________________________________________________ _______________________

This letter was written by the Sales Manager at Campkins RV in Whitby

[The Big Kid]

I think I would actually like to know -

how many of the trailers are within 20% of the listed wieght and how close are they to MAX.

Of the friends of mine with trailers I have seen significant differences between what the dealer says and then when they test drive the trailer from the lot to a scale.

In BC a DL needs to be annoted for trailers over 4600 kg. When this was pointed out to a dealer, I was told it would not be necessary as long as the actual wieght did not exceed the 4600. So, he tried to make it my responsibility to maintain well under the trailers actual and advertised wieghts. A friend (who now knows better) was led to purchase a trailer which had a dry wieght that was 600 lbs under his max. When he scaled it, it was 50. The dealer advised him that it would be no problem, his SUV had more than enough and it wouldn't be a problem. On his first trip off Vancouver Island he scared himself into trading in his SUV(while on vacation) for a full size pickup(the highways in BC are a little steep and winding).

Ignorance of the rules are no excuse, and knowledge is power.

KNOW your wieghts(actual), and KNOW your limits.

I'll get off the soap box now.