Rookie towing question. Weigh station requirements.

[lpennock]

California limits trailers to 55mph. Any vehicle pulling a trailer is not allowed in HOV lane or Left lane if posted.

 

[MMiller]

We've towed our 32' travel trailer through something like 29 different states and never stopped at a weigh station. There was only one place where, looking at the signs, it seemed like they might want RV's to stop?!? Either way, we just drove past and never had any issues.

 

[crash68]

Most scales only check axle weights and I don't recall seeing any axle weight specs for pickup type trucks.

The GAWR is listed on the same sticker as the GVWR along with the vehicle VIN number for any pickup truck (1/2, 3/4, 1 ton, etc)

 

[Billet Bee]

I drove commercial for 3 decades , retired now and let my cdl go because we're SD residents and SD law does not require any special license based on weight for rvers. We have been full time rvers for 8 yrs now, we've been N-S & E-W and everywhere in between multiple times. Our gcw of truck and fifth wheel are 37,000 lbs and were 66' long, I've never once ever pulled into a scale house with my ram and fifth wheel and I've never been chased after. I have seen a very tiny amount of rv folks pulling a trailer pull into the scales but the looks on there faces was priceless and looked like they didn't have a clue. Scale houses are for commercial vehicles only, how a vehicle pulling an rv is classified depends on your specific state codes and laws so everyone should do there own due diligence research of your state residence and not take all of our words for it. I've printed out my SD specific codified laws that explains in detail what is and isn't a commercial vehicle and applicable if required weights and necessary license required and I recommend everyone do the same and put in your vehicle. 99.9% of the time if you were to get pulled over in a state outside of your residence then the cop will allow you to go on as long as your in compliance with your specific state laws but there is the extremely rare chance you get a butt head cop that impounds you because of there confusion on how rvers are handled, but I've only heard of it once and that's why it's so important to carry your specific state codes with you in vehicle. I will say the only state I've ever seen that "appears" to require anyone pulling a trailer to pull into scales is in California , every now and again ( not all of them) there will be a sign about a mile ahead of the scale exit ramp that says " all vehicles pulling trailers must enter" along with another said that read the normal " all commercial vehicles must enter", they have always been closed when I went through so I never had to do it.
As a side note to some previous comments, all axles have there own individual gawr and that is the #1 most important number (imho) you must adhere to over all other numbers because if you ever get pulled over by porta scales or in an accident for your insurance that's the numbers that will be checked that your legal on. Most certainly if you've exceeded one of your gawr then your over in others like pl and gvwr.

 

[GTyankee]

Mostly they want " FOR HIRE " vehicles to pull in

I am basically for hire & i have been across every Truck Scale across at least 15 States. I have to go where ever the Semi Truck & Trailer go.
It is me & my Ram

This boat was going to Florida, i only had to follow it to Yuma, Az., no scales on that route through California.
Truck Scales are at Exit 1 in Arizona


this Dump Bed, came from Texas, to a Gold Mine in Southern California
you could park 3 Ram trucks side by side in the bed & another Ram sideways behind them



We had 4 Pilot Cars & 6 California Highway Patrol, getting 2 of these out to the Mine

This went to Brownville Texas, it is a Survival Capsule, it was going to a OIL Derrick in the Gulf of Mexico

 

[GTyankee]

California Weigh Stations, who must Stop

Weigh-Stations (Enforcement Facilities) | Caltrans

State of California

dot.ca.gov

 

[06 Dodge]

Was talking to family back in Iowa and was told that over the past few years they have decided to leave pickup with RV trailers alone, but if you have an trailer of any kind with a load on it or in it and your over the 1001 lbs, you take chances if you don't stop, back to RV's if your pulling a RV trailer an your pickup rear end is squatting due to improper loading, your really asking to be pulled over by a state trooper and maybe even escorted to the weigh station for a nice juicy ticket...

 

[GTyankee]

Some travelers pulling a large RV, pull it with a pickup with the Bed removed, therefore Officers consider it a Commercial Vehicle.
That is why you will see a sign on that type of Rig, that will read
Not For Hire

 

[Tulecreeper]

Some travelers pulling a large RV, pull it with a pickup with the Bed removed, therefore Officers consider it a Commercial Vehicle.
That is why you will see a sign on that type of Rig, that will read
Not For Hire

Interesting, don't think I've ever seen that.

 

[GTyankee]

Some people buy a pickup with a bed,
But after they get the truck home, they realize that they could get more use out of Flat Bed.
Down here in San Diego, i see some Rams with Flat Beds towing RVs on Interstate 8 heading out to the desert on Friday Afternoons.

When i lived back In Connecticut, many people have two beds
Usually the pickup bed is up on blocks from Fall to Spring.
A Flat bed is on the pickup during that same time.
The flat bed is fitted with a Sander & they are set up with a Snow Plow Package on the front.

Not far from my Sister's Home, there is a Store that sells Plows, Sanders, & Lawn Equipment,
The property was large enough, that the store would basically rent a space on the stores property, for the vehicle owner to but their Pickup Beds up on Railroad Ties.
I thought that store owner had a good thing going.

 

[Doug63]

Additionally, there are certain states where RVs may be required to stop if they weigh more than 10,000 pounds, including Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Rhode Island, Washington (State), and Wisconsin.

https://www.transwest.com/rv/blog/weigh-station-protocol-for-rvs/

that link is inaccurate at least for GA I traveled thru GA last month and I called the GA dept of motorvehicles and dept of trans and they told me no that its for commercial only Im sure its the same for the other states

 

[jejb]

I've never seen an RV in a weigh station here in Arkansas. Our non-commercial diesel pusher is well over 10K and we have never gone through a weigh station.

 

[chopperdog45]

that link is inaccurate at least for GA I traveled thru GA last month and I called the GA dept of motorvehicles and dept of trans and they told me no that its for commercial only Im sure its the same for the other states

Yeah, we don't have to stop at weigh stations in GA with an RV in tow. I have called and asked as well.

 

[BenchTest]

If it's not CLEAR on the signage at the weigh station, do yourself the favor of not having to worry and pull through the scales. They'll either wave you through or weigh you. It's much less effort and hassle to do that than be chased down by LEO/State Patrol and possibly fined for failure to comply. Most state entities I've spoken with would rather people err on the side of caution than to just assume they're clear to bypass. Safe travels!

 

[06 Dodge]

If it's not CLEAR on the signage at the weigh station, do yourself the favor of not having to worry and pull through the scales. They'll either wave you through or weigh you. It's much less effort and hassle to do that than be chased down by LEO/State Patrol and possibly fined for failure to comply. Most state entities I've spoken with would rather people err on the side of caution than to just assume they're clear to bypass. Safe travels!

I recall 5. years ago when I left IA the last scale house I passed had signage " all vehicles over 10,000 lbs must stop at scales" and I was glad it was closed... I have since been told by some they no longer enforce it on travel trailers but am not 100% sure...

 

[Riccochet]

I've always been told that scales are for commercial vehicles. I've never seen an RV or boat go over the scales.