The F-450 has a GVWR of 14,500# and weighs around 9,000# so the 11,500# and 8,001# are going to be to low. There is no reason that you can't declare the GVWR lower, but no way will you get it under 8,001# empty.

 

I have not yet seen anyone ticketed. I have seen the CHP stop guys at a check point before. I have no idea if they got a ticket. They did have the portable scales out and having RV's pull up on them, but never saw a ticket.

What I have seen a number of times is trailers in the ditch. I'm guessing it came down to a few things why they were in the ditch. Weight is one of the issues. Speed is the other. 99% of them were tow behind trailers. We saw one just two weeks ago. It was a cadillac escalade towing a airstream trailer. The trailer had to be 30' long. He was coming down the hill I'm guessing with to much speed. It happen less the 5 minutes before we got to them.

In the last 5 years I have seen about 40 RV trailers rolled over. Three of those had dead people in them. One was a accident that happened right in front of us. It was one of those guys with a 1/2 truck towing a heavy trailer going to fast. The next thing you know the trailer was swapping from side to side. The guy didn't know what to do and hit the brakes. Next thing you know the truck and trailer rolled over a few time. The little girl in the back was killed. Man that got to me big time. At that point I knew I had to sell our old truck and get a bigger truck so my family would be safe. All I can say is slow down big time you guys that are towing tow behind trailers.

 

State Farm insured my F450 in Georgia without a problem. The rate was about the same as my F350 I traded in.

 

Well, you saw what you saw, I've been on the road a little over 9years and may have seen one or two. For sure bumper pull trailers can get the best of a light tow vehicle. That's not my point. My point was, is and will remain that there are no police agencies out there weighing RVs and pick up trucks to ensure that they are in some kind of compliance with the door stickers. Cause if they were I was just gonna put an f350 door on my truck. Seriously though, I reviewed the web sites of a lot of states because I towed a heavy fifth wheel with a 250 and I didn't find one that had weight restrictions related to non-commerical RVs. There are a couple that have laws about exceeding the tire capacity, and some on the width or length of trailers but I didn't find any on weight. It makes sense to me because there are so many ways to modify a truck to handle the weight. Besides, what you are pulling doesn't put weight on the truck, only the hitch weight adds to the truck load. And like I said you can modify the truck if you're willing to spend the bucks. (see the attached pic and tell me if the truck looks overloaded). Anyway, this subject remains the number one argument starter on the RV sites. You have a nice day, I'll shut up now.

 

Maryland has a 26K max before you have to upgrade to non commerical license and of course the length issue. that is it as far as I know.

 

Nice setup, Stanley.

 

The same goes for CA anything over 26,001 you need a class B.

 

Great post, Blew a trailer tire at 70mph going downhill to buid speed for the next hill. Traded up to a 450 and it pulls much safer. Also slowed down to 62-65. Also keep checking tire pressure. Run my 5ver at 72# and they heat up to 80# on the hot roads. When I blew a second tire found the other tire was up to 100#, had a faulty air pressure gage to begin with.

 

All states have the 26,000 limit on regular license, anything over and you have to get Class B with air brakes.

 

Well, I was gonna get out of this subject but I keep getting emails and I can't help myself, I have to look. The internet is filled with information and some of it is even accurate. Vehicle door sticker weights, towing, commerical and non-commerical laws and federal versus state laws are surely some of the most mis-understood and argued about subjects on the truck and RV sites. It amazes me the number of statements made as absolute facts that I know are not. I just had to pull out my Georgia class C license which states: "all recreational vehicles are included in this class". There is no weight, length, axle or brake restriction. If it's an RV I can drive it or tow it, period. It's the same license I've had for 15 years when my RV was a pop up trailer. It requires no special tests or endorsements. As it happens my rig weighs in at right around 25K lbs but I think there are a lot of class As that exceed the 26,000lb threshold. Now in fairness let me add that if it was a dump truck or delivery trailer or something like that I would need a class B, which I get by going down and asking for it and of course paying a little more. I don't know this but, knowing how states tend to copy stuff from one another I would bet that there are many states where the law is the same.

 

I was just about to jump in....^^^^^^^^but you beat me to it.

The weight and licensing restrictions ONLY apply to commercial vehicles. RV's are exempt.
This is why you see the "not for hire" signs on some MASSIVE haulers.

 

Interestly after i sent the post above I surfed around on the various states web sites and found that almost every state I looked at is different. Some have different classes of licenses but there called other than A B or C. Some do require a different class for a non-commerical RV over 26K some don't. I was suprised I thought they would all be pretty much the same. I'll tell you Georgia is pretty good in the area of leaving RVers alone. I saw a thing in Maryland I think where they give a drivers test for new RV applicants. Part of it was backing up between cones for 150 ft or something like that. I think it said you're only allowed one stop and pull up. Now that's just some retired trucker f*&^ing with people. I've towed a 5th wheele for 9 years and 47 states and I don't think I've ever had to back up 150ft.

 

Yes it is amazing what you can get off the internet, some facts some not.
What is fact is that the Feds set the regs a few years back so all states are on the same page, each state may word it differently but still the same limits apply. The 26k limit is set for electric over hydralic brakes anything over air brakes apply regardless or not if its commercial plated.
True RV's dont apply to the 26k rule but the RV manufactures are held to standards, you think they would make a Trailer thats heavier and allready over the limit for most regular license holders, dont think so.
IMO I'd be willing to bet that your 5er is on the max end of any trailer weight with electric brakes.

 

I have A 2008 F450 when I first got it, It cost $1700 A year for insurance because of the $750,000 liability coverage. When I pickup my new lance camper and contacted my insurance co. they insured the truck and camper for $1200 A year, because now it's A RV and I don't have to have the $750,000 liability coverage.

 

StanleyZ--is that trlr a 36TK3? I have one, the PW is 4200#. Your 250 stance looks real good for a heavy trailer. Any extra stuff on the rear suspension?
Joe