Towing an enclosed trailer, legal or not

[tazmaniac]

I have a 1997 Damon Intruder 352 36' 454 and I tow a 2006 Halmark 28' enclosed trailer with a Tuff Tow, www.tufftow.com the trailer weight is about 9000lbs,I have updated the reciever for tongue weight plus the Tuff Tow eliminates any problems there. My question is on the sticker on the inside of the cab for weights obviously according to that I am over weight, we race and I notice 98% of the RV's do the same thing is there an issue that i should be concerned about

[tazmaniac]

I have a 1997 Damon Intruder 352 36' 454 and I tow a 2006 Halmark 28' enclosed trailer with a Tuff Tow, www.tufftow.com the trailer weight is about 9000lbs,I have updated the reciever for tongue weight plus the Tuff Tow eliminates any problems there. My question is on the sticker on the inside of the cab for weights obviously according to that I am over weight, we race and I notice 98% of the RV's do the same thing is there an issue that i should be concerned about

[Tom N]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by tazmaniac:
I am over weight, we race and I notice 98% of the RV's do the same thing is there an issue that i should be concerned about </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

If involved in an accident you could be found libel and the sentence could include jail time if a fatality was involved.

[Hitchhiker]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Tom N:
If involved in an accident you could be found libel and the sentence could include jail time if a fatality was involved. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Tom,

Wouldn't your statement be applicable to any infraction of our traffic laws such as speeding, improper lane change, failure to have vehicle under control, defective equipment, etc.? I doubt the weight issue would be of any more significance than any contributing infraction.

People violate all sorts of traffic laws, just watch how they drive, over weight is just another one to violate.....no worse than going 75 or 80 in a 65 mph speed zone or a rolling stop at a stop sign. Break a law and have an accident.....you pay.

[Gary RVRoamer]

I think the difference in the overweight case is that you could be held liable in an accident that was otherwise someone else's fault. For example, a car pulls out right in front of you and you T-bone him. If you are overweight, the other driver can still argue that you were at fault or partially at fault because your vehicle was overweight and could not stop in time. And your insurer might not want to argue the point, for the same reason. Will your insurer still pay under your liability coverage? Sure - just like he would if you were speeding and had an accident. Might drop you afterwards, though. Or your award to the injured parties might exceed the limits of your liability policy, since you were overloaded (negligent) and you knew it.

Now you may be able to show you're coach & trailer is not overloaded in a safety sense, i.e. you have adequate brakes, tow bar etc for the trailer load. The courts won't care if you violated your transmission warranty - they only care about who is at fault in a lawsuit.

You may or may not be subject to a traffic citation for exceeding your GCWR. Few states ever check non-commercial vehicles except when an accident occurs. And even then perhaps not always.

[Tom N]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Hitchhiker:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Tom N:
If involved in an accident you could be found libel and the sentence could include jail time if a fatality was involved. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Tom,

Wouldn't your statement be applicable to any infraction of our traffic laws such as speeding, improper lane change, failure to have vehicle under control, defective equipment, etc.? I doubt the weight issue would be of any more significance than any contributing infraction.

People violate all sorts of traffic laws, just watch how they drive, over weight is just another one to violate.....no worse than going 75 or 80 in a 65 mph speed zone or a rolling stop at a stop sign. Break a law and have an accident.....you pay. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

That is true. Speeding, etc has the same consequences as loading significantly over the manufacturers recommendation. Any of these could result in SERIOUS consequences. I would not want to be on the receiving end of a law suit in my retirement years with a large networth.

There were 3 fatalities, not from my home, 3 years ago. Towing without safety chains. Not an RV. Manslaughter among some other serious charges.

[Richard 34A]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by RV Roamer:
I think the difference in the overweight case is that you could be held liable in an accident that was otherwise someone else's fault. For example, a car pulls out right in front of you and you T-bone him. If you are overweight, the other driver can still argue that you were at fault or partially at fault because your vehicle was overweight and could not stop in time. And your insurer might not want to argue the point, for the same reason. Will your insurer still pay under your liability coverage? Sure - just like he would if you were speeding and had an accident. Might drop you afterwards, though. Or your award to the injured parties might exceed the limits of your liability policy, since you were overloaded (negligent) and you knew it.

Now you may be able to show you're coach & trailer is not overloaded in a safety sense, i.e. you have adequate brakes, tow bar etc for the trailer load. The courts won't care if you violated your transmission warranty - they only care about who is at fault in a lawsuit.

You may or may not be subject to a traffic citation for exceeding your GCWR. Few states ever check non-commercial vehicles except when an accident occurs. And even then perhaps not always. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

RV Roamer;

Nice reply, and sure seems consistent with judges and juries in California...

[Bob (WA0MQE)]

tazmaniac... boy you must go slow going up hills with that much weight and only a 7.4 GM engine. I tow a 3600 lb pickup and really notice the weight.

How do you do it?

[rebelsbeach]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by wa0mqe:
How do you do it? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I'd bet very slowly...

Sounds WAY overweight to me....to each his own though I guess.

[tazmaniac]

As asuall once you get rolling not to bad but I am surprised it does as well as it does I installed a mechincal tranny temp gauge and when towing it reaches 170 180 on the hottest days but as soon as you stop 200-210 but with in a mile back down. I am looking into a banks system to try and help.Also I noticed I am using about 1/4 more pedal to go speed limit.

[Ken Roberts]

tazmaniac, not only are you overweight; but, you are over lkength in most of the country, where generally 65 feet is max overall combined length and I doubt you have a 1 foot hitch. You indicated your combo was slow getting up yo speed, having a 28 foot trailer I assume it has electric brakes on both axles---do you have this tied to the coach via a brake controller? If not overweight and over length may be the least of your concerns if you are under braked. The coach you listed was never designed to stop that kind of trailer weight without some outside help.

I pull a 24 foot trailer with a Rav 4 inside and they gross out just under 9,000 pounds. When I bought the trailer I spec'd. 6,000# axles. I use a Prodigy brake controller, the coach is a diesel pusher with air brakes and an engine brake and there are times when I still know the trailer is behind me. Good luck with however you elect to proceed with your combo, Kem...

[tazmaniac]

The trailer is an 06 Haulmark with electric brakes and a prodegy system actually stopping is not an issue I do have 6000lb axles and I am pulling 9400 lbs. my total length is 68' I am checking the laws on length with an rv I do have a CDL lisence, but again getting back to the issue according to the DOT I am legal as far as weight, with a class B CDL you can basically drive any weight tow vehicle but cannot have a trailer weight more than 10,000 lbs.

[Ken Roberts]

tazmaniac, first in my last msg. I indicated that my trailer was 24' which was a typo as it is 20'.

Secondly, I am not going to argue the point; but, weight/length issues are state regulated and the DOT regulates truckers and not RV's- at least at this point in time. A class B CDL license says what YOU can drive it does not have diddly squat to do with what the equipment can handle, i.e. if the RV manufacturer says your RV can tow 5,000 pounds-so be it-it is not 9400 pounds. Likewise if XYZ state says the overall combined length is 65 feet-so be it-your 68 foot combo would be illegal in that state. In either of these scenarios what type of drivers license you personally have is completely irrelevant. Ken...