I know someone who pulls a huge 5th wheel with a Dodge 2500 6.7L or 6.8L.
But.... He is hauling something waaaay over the truck's rating which could be problematic if there was an accident. Insurance may not pay and there could be a high law suit, fines, tickets, etc since he is way over the truck manufacture's rating.


Just because his truck can pull it, doesn't mean it's legal or safe.


Take a look at this article....
My truck pulls it just fine.


I met someone in the RV park where I stay that told me he was in Arizona and cops were pulling over anyone outside RV parks that looked like they were over-pulling and checked them for truck ratings and trailer weight.


I had someone else tell me California cops will pull you over and will not permit another foot of travel if the truck ratings are under the equipment weight being hauled or pulled.


Another man was pulled over in one of the Carolinas and forced to stop and have someone else drive the unit because his license was not correct for the weight ratings.


https://rvshare.com/rv/do-you-need-a...to-drive-an-rv


What States Require a Special License for RVs?

In many states, you can hop in your RV and head off into the sunset without worrying about motorhome license requirement. Unfortunately, we are a divided nation, and some states want you to have a special license in some cases. States that require a non-commercial special license for RVs over certain lengths or weights are:

• California
• Connecticut
• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Illinois
• Kansas
• Maryland
• Mississippi
• North Carolina
• New Mexico
• Nevada
• New York
• Pennsylvania
• South Carolina
• Texas
• Wyoming

If you're driving illegal, don't.....


Pickup trucks pulling or hauling trailers have weight and length restrictions that require a special license for several states.
This list is close to the one posted above but may vary.


Check this out...
http://changingears.com/rv-sec-state-rv-license.shtml


Most states have an RV exemption. States that do require a special license are often but not always (California) just a written test and possible road test. While some states like California also require a medical exam or certificate every 1 or 2 years. California pretty much requires a commercial class A license for vehicles over a certain weight or combined weight/length. No matter what you're pulling or hauling, including RV's.

 

Interesting read ... thanks for posting it up Batman. BTW - this thread may have been better posted up in the "Bumper Pull" Forum.

It appeared that many of the references in those articles were directed to those who pull very heavy loads i.e. over 20,0000 lbs. Having said that, I think it's safe to say a large number of truck owners who tow RVs (or carry them i.e. truck campers) are at or beyond the safe and legal limit. This likely also holds true for light duty truck drivers who tow, float and haul all kinds of heavy loads in the course of their daily work too.

Some owners beef up their trucks and add mods that will make them handle better and safer but these modifications do nothing to raise the legal weight capacity ratings like GVWR etc. Another factor that is critically important but doesn't legally count for anything is your risk factor ... which is directly proportionate to how you drive. i.e. never over 65 mph with a load, always leaving lots of braking space between vehicles and distributing/securing the load properly etc.

As a Canadian truck camper operator who pulls a cargo trailer behind when camping, I'm curious if I was pulled over in the USA, would they accept the fact that I am licensed and legal with my load and weight numbers according to my Canadian home province or would my feet be held to the individual state's towing/hauling licensing fire?

 

That is a good question.. Does the US highway patrol in various states recognize and honor Canadian Driver's License for legal weight, length allowances and restrictions?

 

can o worms that is!

 

GVWR has more to do with warranty than anything else.

Above a certain level, states have registration fees.

Civil liability? If in an accident, anything and everything will come into play.

I did tow over-length once in California. About 6 inches over. Did not get pulled over. I only learned later that I was supposed to have had a commercial endorsement for non-commercial use for that rental travel trailer. Would have been a written test, no medical exam, no practical (driving) test.

No modification to any vehicle will change the manufacturers weight rating for your vehicle. Now, if you research your F-250 with the camper package and identify that the only difference between it and an F350 with a higher GVWR is the blocks under the rear end, and you install those blocks, then I have no issue.

If you also find the capacity with lower gears is higher and you change the gears, I again have no problem with that.

I'm sure any competent lawyer could represent you in court if something happened.

Now lets put a 6" lift and taller tires on this same truck. And tow at the weight ratings and something goes wrong...

Maybe you blow the engine or tranny. Will the manufacturer honor a warranty claim? Those taller tires lowered the effective gear ratio.

Or you have an accident. That truck is no longer factory or like a factory truck.

Also, where you going faster than 55 when either of these bad things happened? Even with a completely stock truck within the weight limits?

I'm not into the hype and fear the article suggests, but also recognize we have a duty to be good citizens out on the road.

Go ahead and put those bags on the rear of your truck. Chip it. Bigger turbo. Other mods. Lift it with big meats. Just don't push beyond what is safe in the configuration you build. That might be a bit more than your door sticker, and it might be a little less.

 

What law says you can't tow faster than 55 or 65 mph? I have never heard of anything like that around here.

 

Well, that is Ohio for you. As long as it isn't a house trailer (45 MPH), go as fast as you want!

 

the older I get.. the more I value my commercial license ... and the few years of driving truck.

every RV rig or trailer over 5,000 pounds should take a state test..
learn the rules and learn to drive a rig...

OR,,, " RV driver in training "

 

I disagree, we have enough rules, regulations, fees, tests, and licenses we need already, we don't need anymore.

 

A few years back Texas was in a drought. We had nothing for the farm cows and horses to eat.
most of the hay was coming from Kansas, but they were screwing us. Some round bails were as little as 50 pounds. Most were filled with trash, sO the Texas hiway dept, started stopping almost everyone ulling a trailer.

 

I really hate that myth, it's just not true. Negligence can't be used to deny a warranty claim, otherwise the at-fault party's insurance would never cover anything. Even in the case of gross negligence, like DWI, insurance will still pay out. They may summarily drop coverage afterward, but they have to pay.

Likewise your liability insurance will cover a lawsuit for negligence up to the limits of your policy. And if you have a supplemental umbrella policy, you'd be covered under that as well.

Accidents are almost always caused by negligence. That's why we carry insurance.

 

BUT.................all these states MUST honor ones home state drivers license. I.E. since I live in AZ, I can drive anything that AZ allows me to drive anywhere in the USA. Now, with that being said, there is EQUIPMENT (like double trailers) that are not allowed in certain states, regardless of driver license qualifications.

 

I was grandfathered in when cdls were required I have a B with airbrakes but I can kick myself for not getting the A licence. All it would have taken was 1 more written test.

 

as far as insurance NOT PAYING...

that in it's self is a court battle..
they MUST PROVE you intended to do harm/damage. they can TRY not to pay.. so you go to court..

since you are NOT required to know what something weights...
so NO requirement for you to Weigh something you carry or tow.
another reason a CDL type should be required for RV.. a driver with a CDL MUST know what he is transporting.

its an accident ..

as for the door tag... or the Tri-fold towing guide... its a GUIDE... and as stated.. for Warranty issues. Period.
43 years as a Dealership mechanic ( not Ford )... dealing with warranty claims... not once did the factory ask or demand carry or tow information.

as far as training or test to drive an RV RIG.... a law is made most of the time because of Dumb people doing Dumb things...

my opinion, only my opinion, and is worth what you paid for it.

 

I live in Texas. And own/operate a RV Resort (Jet's RV Resort in Bacliff, TX we allow truck campers and even hippie style School Bus/RV conversions, as well as $100k Class A diesel pushers) so this caught my eye. The common Class C Texas driver's license suffices unless vehicle GVWR is > than 26,001# or the towed trailer is > than 10,000#. Then Texan's should upgrade to a non-commercial Class B or A, depending upon vehicle weight rating. https://www.dps.texas.gov/DriverLicense/dlClasses.htm . (news to most redneck Texans, including myself)