I'm trying very hard to get my rig Pa. legal. I don't know that this will ever happen to satisfy Penn DOT or not. I drive a F350 97 power stroke and pull a 38 foot 6 horse trailer with it. I have contacted my local Ford garage to see if I can up the axel wieght to increas the legal amount I can pull. I door sticker says 12000lbs my trailer is good for 14000 lbs. The biggest problem is that PA says I have to have a class A CDL to pull the trailer because it is over 10000 GVW. I have the state form MV41 to change the registration and so on,on the truck the garage who inspected it last said they would bump it up but would like to know what is the axel really capable of handeling. He Knows that the maf. underrates the figures. We are wanting to go to at least 14000 this will hopefully keep me out of trouble at the weight stations and so on. I'm thinking about 16000 also and hoping for 14000. The kicker is that the registration goes throught he roof. Right now it is 200.00 going to 16000 will take me to 390.00 plus then I have to get a combination tag for combined weight for a mere 288.00 additional money and still have to abtain a class A CDL. Can anyone tell me where to find this informationor does anyone know? I personally don;t see the problem with going to 14000. HELP!!! Malinda in PA

 

Here in Michigan we don't need a CDl for private use vehicles. Only if for hire / being paid to operate or for business purposes. I would check to see if there is an exemption based on this. I have a CDL A for the farm.

 

Been there done that! Our law say any towed vechical over 10000 GVW requires a CDL class A the same as the 18 wheelers. My trailer is 14000 GVW. It is said that I have to have a class B CDL just to drive the daully. Believe me I'm not a happy camper in the least. Thanks for your reply!!


Malinda in PA

 

Yall should move to Texas, if it's a personal "not-for-hire" truck, they don't tell you how much you can legally haul, but rather say "man, that truck can pull that big a trailer? wow!" lol

Bowedup

 

Amen to that!!! It is really screwed up in my opinion. Anyway to make money. I do not haul for moneymy childern like to show ponies and this state is making it so you can't do it. My big gripe is grammy and grandpa with thier motor homes. They are a camper and dont need all of this -----YET! I can assure you it is comming in the very near future!

Malinda in Pa.

 

I just looked on the PA web site. You need a PA class A - not a CDL class A. Found this under vehicle code (title75) chapter 15 licensing of drivers page #4 use this link www.dmv.state.pa.us/vehicle_code/index.shtml

Also have you checked into seeing if your vehicle couold be considered a farm vehicle?

 

mk4poa, welcome to FTE and the diesel forums.

As far as your garage bumping up the axle rating. If you have a single rear wheel truck it has a 10.25" rear. It's between a Dana 60 and Dana 70 strength wise. 14000 is pretty close to maxing it out.

If it's a dual rear you have a Dana 80, same as the F-superduty and F-450's. 14K no problem.

Thread moved to appropriate technical forum.

 

If I put it into a farm truck it can only go so many miles from home. That doesn't do me any good when we show in OK and so on. They get you comming and going. I would be able to drive tractor trailer with the required licience if I did the air brake section. The biggest problem is the 14000 GVW trailer weight. Haven't figured a way around getting the truck tags up to that. As they say it can only pull 12000. If I had money I would say screw it and get a low profile frieghtliner and they could all kiss my butt. But that darn money thing gets in the way.

Malinda in Pa.

 

was'nt there a big thread on this in the trailor tow section sometime ago, I seem to remember that Pa. was involved in the discussion.

 

It is a crew cab daully so you are saying it should be no problem to go to 14000. Are you a machanic? Just curious. Malinda

 

The new F-350's use the same rear end as your truck, and they are rated for 15,000lb trailers, and 23,500lb combined gross vehicle weight.

You stated your inspection station can bump up the axle rating. Since the current version of your axle is rated to more than you need, your shop shouldn't have any problems doing it.

I am an engine mechanic, but the weapons platform I maintain really wouldn't help much in this situation....unless you are going to be towing with an aircraft.

 

Do you know what your weights are fully loaded. Are you any where near 14,000 on the trailer. If you can register a vehicle for more, couldn't you register the trailer for less. I'm just going from a farmer that registered his grain truck lower to lower his insurance on it. Therfore truck can be legal for more but can only haul this much due to registration. Just a suggestion

 

By the way, in the definitions section of the PA link above, there's an exemption for "recreational trailers operated solely for personal use"

 

For roght now the way my truck is registard and the door sticker says it can only pull 12k. The empty weight is 6k on the trailer so that only gives me 6k to put in. I usually haul 4 very larg ponies in the neighborhood of 1000k each now that takes me to 2k left for 4 saddles about 10 bridles and so on. The boggest problem is when we are gone for a week at a time and I need8 nags of feed for a total of 400 lbs and about 12 bales of hay at 60lbs each and that isn't counting bedding, filled water tank, brushes, fans for the stalls and I might just need to change my cloths sometime LOL! So I don't even think I have to way to see about lowering the trailer because it isn't going to happen. I will be hard pressed for 14k but I think doable.


Malinda in Pa.

 

My trailer does not fit a rec. trailer because it does not have a shower and toilet in it. If it did I could have it licienced as a camper. However the law states you must have a class A CDL to pull a trailer over 10000k. I have the CDL manual here and have been to the DOT and all and that is the bottom line. As we know 10000k will never work for me! With the class A If I did the air brakes I could drive tractor trailer. My husband says I should raise hampsters instead of horses then I wouldn't have this problem LOL!

Malinda in Pa.