I just went to three different sources PA DMV the Dealer I bought the truck from and the PA .gov site to confirm, that if your trailer is 10.000 lbs or more in weight not rated weight you are required to register your truck with a combination registration to allow you to tow if you do not have this and you are in any accident, even if it is not your fault you are liable since you are not legal to tow that weight. I am currently getting my registration changed to combination I just bought the truck and my title has not been sent in. my current plate fees 306 per year for class 5 weight 11,000 to 14,000 now it will be 539.00 for 26,000 I can go 479.00 at 21,000

https://www.dot.state.pa.us/public/d...rms/mv-70s.pdf

see here
Look at the Penndot website under the vehicle code chapter 49 specifically.............. § 4942. Registered gross weight. (a) Single vehicle limits.--No vehicle registered as a truck, a combination or a trailer shall be operated with a gross weight in excess of its registered gross weight. ( Truck towing trailer.--No vehicle registered as a truck shall be operated with a gross weight, exclusive of any trailer being towed, in excess of its registered gross weight as a truck. © Combination.--No combination containing a trailer having a gross weight or registered gross weight in excess of 10,000 pounds shall be operated with a gross weight in excess of the registered gross weight of the truck or truck tractor for a combination. 4945. Penalties for exceeding maximum weights. (a) Gross weight violations.-- (1) Any person driving a vehicle or combination upon a highway exceeding the maximum gross weight allowed by section 4941 (relating to maximum gross weight of vehicles) or the registered gross weight allowed by section 4942 (relating to registered gross weight), whichever is less, is guilty of a summary offense and shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to pay a fine of $75 plus $75 for each 500 pounds, or part thereof, in excess of 3,000 pounds over the maximum gross weight or the registered gross weight.

 

This is all true on paper. And don't forget you need a class A license to to over 10k too here in PA. However, it is generally only enforced if you are, or appear to be commercial. DOT doesn't bother with RVs unless something totally ridiculous appears to be going on. That's straight from the DOT officers mouth at a seminar I went to.

For these reasons, my dump trailer is registered at 9990, and my truck at 14k. Keeps me out of the gray "could be commercial" area, and all the registration and licensing BS.

My 5th is registered at 13,465, and I don't care. I'm not giving the state another $300 a year for a trailer I tow once a month 7 months of the year. These laws were written "for commerce", and there is no personal use or RV exemption in the state of PA, as many other states have. So I have chosen to take one on my own. 95% of people towing RVs in PA don't know this, it's buried so deep in the vehicle code, and I'm ok pleading ignorance like the rest. It's your money, I feel like PA gets enough of mine.

 

I am not disputing they are getting to much money and yes they need to give the RV world a break here. but I don't want to chance some bone head running in to me or causing an accident not of my fault, and a cop who knows of this rule makes me at fault due to this rule. then since I am not valid I lose everything I own. for 200 a year more not worth it but I plan on making calls to Harrisburg and local politicians to voice my bitches on the issue maybe we all should voice this like the rest of the US wanting free stuff

 

This is about the only thing I like being south of the Mason Dixon line. Maryland has RV exemptions written in the code up to 26K. Then you can get a Non Commercial if you have a Class A and it is over that amount.


Each truck has its own registration and stands on its own. Same with a trailer.


My truck is registered at 14K and my trailer at 20K.

 

I can't see any logical way the state could make you at fault for an accident that wasn't your fault just because you didn't give them enough money for registration. That's right up there with all the B.S. floating around the web about running overweight in excess of actual truck and trailer limits. Hard to prove willful negligence, and there arent lawyers chasing rvs around the country looking for cases looking for this.

My truck is paid up at GVWR and so is my trailer. Neither are ever close to overweight and the truck is rated to tow 10,000 more than the trailer weighs. There is nothing negligent at all going on here. Just ignoring a "law" written for commercial vehicles, that is there for nothing more to pad the state's pockets as trailers over 10k can be registered permanent for under 200 and the state needs to get their money somehow.

 

I am not telling you to do anything I am posting facts so others can make the decission for themselves not here to argue the point. I confirmed with a DOT officer yesterday that they do not pull RVs over and ticket them for this but if you are in an accident they will check your GVW on both vehicles and if you don't have combo it will be part of any accident report. so you can do what you want, I don't care I don't want to risk losing everything I own, your insurance will bail since you are not legal. PA doesn't have an RV exemption

 

here is the fee schedule

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...OBNRSwljMmMz4I

 

Your insurance can't bail if your drunk, so how can they bail just because you didn't pay the state an extra $200 for registration? Be realistic here.

I hope since you are so concerned you also go get your non commercial class A licence also, becuase theres a bigger chance of getting into more issues over that than registration. Please post up the ensuing circus here when you try. Because the DMV is clueless, yes it exists, but most, if not nearly all DMV agents do not know exists.

This is nothing more than the typical age old internet weight police thread.

 

no you do not need a non commercial Class A until you exceed 26,001 lbs please go do some investigation I just talked to a DOT officer at the local police station. they police Allegheny county for most of the police stations. they get called if a traffic cop feels the need to have your vehicle checked. as I said please do as you please I am allowed to post info, to inform people. if you don't agree then ignore it. last reply I will ignore you going forward, since you think we should ignore laws. instead of ignoring them lets have them changed for RVs

 

Keep digging. You NEED a class A to tow over 10k legally in PA. You also need a class A to run a combo over 26k, as you said. If the DMV had a clue, I'd already have a non commercial class A. I prefer to play by the rules. Do some googling for the run around one poor guy got to get a non commercial class B to drive his diesel pusher in PA.....................got run around for months by the DMV.

Having the laws changed would be great, but the guys in Harrisburg don't give a **** about the people that elected them. And since 95% of people don't know they are breaking the law there is no other support to amend it.

Do I think it's a crock that there is no non commercial exemption? Absolutely. But sometimes drawing attention to something currently ignored creates a bigger headache. I was very close to upping my registration to 28k before I sold my 14k flatbed gooseneck. But since my need for it dried up, it was better to sell it, and replace with a 10k dump trailer to skirt all the laws.

I live in the DOT hotbed of PA in the Philly burbs. I'm really not an *********. I've researched this to death, gone to seminars, asked a DOT officer at the Q&A. They leave campers alone, which both your and my officer agree with. That said, I will continue to do what I'm doing. If they make a non commercial class A easier to get, I'll be at the front of the line.

 

PA weight registration requirements were apparently written in some now-dead language, and you almost need to be a law student to decipher them. I went through this probably 8 years ago when I bought my first 5th wheel. If your trailer has a registered gross weight of over 10k, the truck has to be registered for the weight of the combination. LOOPHOLE - in PA you can register your trailer for less than what it came from the factory. My current 5th wheel is registered for 9999 lbs. Factory plate says 12k, but I have weighed it during two different trips and it was never over 9,500. So I can't see paying for a class 5 or 6 sticker on my truck.


As for drivers licensing in PA, class C is single/comb <26,001 lbs. Regardless of commercial status, if you are over 26k a class C isn't adequate.

 

glad you have that option my trailer dry is 10,680 so I can't skirt that so 539 a year for me until they get this straight for RV use. I see to many quacks driving down the road that can ruin my day. not chancing it.

 

you are correct on the PA class C DL I made some calls for clarification the 10,000 lbs in the statement below doen't just pertain to the trailer it is both vehicles and the RV example explains it quite clear. if your RV doesn't fit under those weights below then you do need to move up in class any combo below the 26,001 only requires a Class C

Non-commercial Driver's Licenses

• CLASS A (minimum age 18): Required to operate any combination of vehicles with a gross weight rating of 26,001 pounds or more, where the vehicle(s) being towed is/are in excess of 10,000 pounds. Example: Recreational Vehicle, when the towing vehicle is rated at 11,000 pounds and the vehicle towed is rated at 15,500 pounds (total combination weight of 26,500 pounds).
• CLASS B (minimum age 18): Required to operate any single vehicle rated in excess of 26,000 pounds. Example: Motor homes rated at 26,001 pounds or more.
• CLASS C (minimum age 16): A Class C driver's license will be issued to persons 16 years of age or older, who have demonstrated their qualifications to operate any vehicles, except those requiring a Class M qualification, and who do not meet the definitions of Class A or Class B. Any firefighter or member of a rescue or emergency squad who is the holder of a Class C driver's license and who has a certificate of authorization from a fire chief or head of the rescue or emergency squad will be authorized to operate any fire or emergency vehicle registered to that fire department, rescue or emergency squad or municipality(emergency use only). The holder of a Class C license is authorized to drive a motor-driven cycle with an automatic transmission and cylinder capacity of 50 CCs or less, a 3-wheeled motorcycle with an enclosed cab or an autocycle.

 

Looks like I'm on the same page as you, but I have a question. I did the stupid DMV class A non com test. You're right-it was a run around, but I got it done. So I had to take truck and fiver up and do a driving test. Only ever had my truck registered as a class 5. They never said anything about it, I was under the impression the combo was registered with the class 5. Just ordered a new toyhauler from a local dealer and they never questioned it either. Only wanted to know what my truck was and what gears. So is it a different registration than a class 5? (Sorry, long time to get to the question!). BTW- the DMV officer that did the test was a long time weight enforcer (he said). I live right in the heart of truck traffic central of I-78, 22, and 309, so they are always out up here.

 

What DMV center did you go to for the non commercial class A? Did they want to see someone with a class A riding with you on the way there? Did they make you do the course as you would for a commercial class A? Or just go on a road test without running anything over? Im very good at backing but not comfortable with backing the rv blind side into a dock without a spotter. I'm very close to you, only about 25 minutes from 22, 78, and 309 intersections.

As to the registration, you are supposed to register for a combo registration. Total the truck and trailer gvwr and then register that as the "combo" weight on the truck. So you now pay over $500 a year to register the truck instead of $300. It just another way for PA to extort money from us, since a trailer over 10k can be registered permanent for $150 or so and they need a way to make up for that revenue loss over the long term.

Again​​​​​​ this is written "for commerce". While there is no recreational exemption, it is not enforced, and as you found out, for the most part nobody even knows about it. For that reason, I'll keep my money and the PA can stick it.