Trailer Laws
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Postmaster
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From: Renton, WA
Trailer Laws
I live in Washington but am going to be traveling to Oregon and am trailer shopping. That said trying to look at Oregon trailer laws I'm confused, so time to ask you folks. What can and can't I get away with? Washington is easy, as long as I'm under 75' overall I'm good, no CDL nothing, so as soon as I cross the border what limits do I have to deal with?
Fleet Mechanic
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From: The boonies by Dallas OR
If it's a recreational vehicle, then it's just stay under the 65' limit. And no double towing, just like Washington.
If it is anything other than an RV, you're supposed to go commercial if the trailer is over 7,000 lbs. It is very expensive because you've got to get commercial or farm plates on the truck and have a CDL. The commercial or farm plates are based on max gross weight including the truck and are only good for one year instead of two.
Lots of folks cheat this one.
If it is anything other than an RV, you're supposed to go commercial if the trailer is over 7,000 lbs. It is very expensive because you've got to get commercial or farm plates on the truck and have a CDL. The commercial or farm plates are based on max gross weight including the truck and are only good for one year instead of two.
Lots of folks cheat this one.
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From: Renton, WA
RV/Commercial is such a grey area, though in my case I think safely RV. And I shouldn't have any problem staying in 65' but I think doubles are legal in Washington, gunna have to double check, though I've never seen it done by anything but a semi.
However doesn't Oregon require a CDL even for RV over a certain weight? Or by RV do you mean camper only? I'll be more along the lines of toy hauler and certainly over 7000lbs.
However doesn't Oregon require a CDL even for RV over a certain weight? Or by RV do you mean camper only? I'll be more along the lines of toy hauler and certainly over 7000lbs.
Lead Driver
Joined: Oct 2004
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From: Central Oregon
Question back for you, We were in Washington last night, and got pulled over towing a very small trailer, the trooper said that in the state of Washington you need a lic. plate on the trailer. But in Oregon you do not, most small utility trailers do not have a title or plates on them. The trooper said that next time we would need to get a trip permit to go into Washington. So how do you handle small trailers up there?
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From: Renton, WA
Question back for you, We were in Washington last night, and got pulled over towing a very small trailer, the trooper said that in the state of Washington you need a lic. plate on the trailer. But in Oregon you do not, most small utility trailers do not have a title or plates on them. The trooper said that next time we would need to get a trip permit to go into Washington. So how do you handle small trailers up there?
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everything EXCEPT a car dolly is required to have a plate. i assume the reason they're exempt is because they're normally towed with a licensed car on top of them, blocking view of their plate.
oh, and its also illegal to have your license plate fall off while driving - that happened to me once while towing a friend's trailer, but fortunately i wasn't in sight of any officers.
oh, and its also illegal to have your license plate fall off while driving - that happened to me once while towing a friend's trailer, but fortunately i wasn't in sight of any officers.
Lead Driver
Joined: Oct 2004
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From: Central Oregon
Thanks guys, maybe next time I will take the plate off the van and hang it on the trailer, or move the van's plate up to be seen over the trailer. Sorry I hi jacked your tread.
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From: Renton, WA
Shoot just looked it up double tow is illegal in both Washington and Oregon, shoot kinda messes up my plans. Well then no worries, 65' is easy to stay in if I can only pull one anyway. That gives me 44' to work with and ya just don't see bumper pull trailers that big anyway.
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From: The boonies by Dallas OR
It does make for inconsistent application. If you haul with an RV towing a horse trailer over 7,000 lbs you have to put commercial plates on the RV and trailer. But if you have a LQ horse trailer that weighs 40,000lbs and haul it with a 20,000 lb semi you can put RV plates on both.
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From: Renton, WA
Both states require a CDL and commercial plates for doubles.
Nope, no weight limit for an RV on the regular license in Oregon. Cali does require a special license over a certain weight and an air brake endorsement if the RV has air brakes.
Any RV is exempt. If it has a bed, kitchen and toilet then it is an RV. That will include living quarter horse trailers, living quarter cargo trailers and toy haulers.
It does make for inconsistent application. If you haul with an RV towing a horse trailer over 7,000 lbs you have to put commercial plates on the RV and trailer. But if you have a LQ horse trailer that weighs 40,000lbs and haul it with a 20,000 lb semi you can put RV plates on both.
Nope, no weight limit for an RV on the regular license in Oregon. Cali does require a special license over a certain weight and an air brake endorsement if the RV has air brakes.
Any RV is exempt. If it has a bed, kitchen and toilet then it is an RV. That will include living quarter horse trailers, living quarter cargo trailers and toy haulers.
It does make for inconsistent application. If you haul with an RV towing a horse trailer over 7,000 lbs you have to put commercial plates on the RV and trailer. But if you have a LQ horse trailer that weighs 40,000lbs and haul it with a 20,000 lb semi you can put RV plates on both.
That could make it really tough, my car hauler is over 7000lbs, I can't legally take it into Oregon? Never considered it would be that bad.
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Really? I have never heard of an air brake endorsement? How do you get one of those?
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i believe thats an option with a CDL. i don't know if its even offered for a standard drivers license
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There is no such thing as an air brake enodorsement on a CDL in the states.