5.0GN tow

​There is one area where there are clear cut regulations. If your truck and trailer combined are heavier than 10,000Lb, you are subject to commercial regs and can be held accountable to them, including the requirement of proper licensing of the tow vehicle. ​​​​​​

The above is not actually fact. If you are a commercial vehicle yes you fall under commercial rules and require a CDL. I have been all through this as a retired LEO and with the OH PUCO MV carrier enforcement district supervisor. If you registered as Non Comm RV in your home state then MV compact laws apply. The MV compact laws are what allow you to drive across state lines without having varying equipment laws and licensing laws leave you open to citation everytime you cross a state line. If you are legal in your state to operate the vehicle you are in, then you are legal in all states. It also allows your state to add points to your license for moving violations committed out of state.

For example I am legal to operate my 28 to 30k rig in OH because its non comm and an RV so CDL and ELD rules dont apply. Therefore even if say California requires CA residents to have a differing license in their state, and OH resident licensed in OH in an OH tagged truck and trailer does not have to have a CDL in California to legally operate. Now if CA says xyz highway is not able to hold 28k pounds then I cant go there, but as long as my rig is legal for the road and legally equipped to operate in OH, it's good in CA too.

Can you imagine the confusion that would reign if not for MV compact laws?

Flamingtaco

Doesn't matter because people are still being ticketed for pulling TT's in F250's, and judges are making it stick.

5.0GN tow

If that is is the case it was not handled correctly by the court involved and sometimes a lawyer is worth the cost even in traffic cases.

5.0GN tow

This is pulled directly from the Ohio Revised Code and is pretty standard language in state codes around the nation. It is the foundation of interstate commerce, and free travel between states. Commercial vehicles now are covered by the FMCSA, and the state laws are aligned with it. CA just lost a case where they tried to be too different from FMCSA rules on hours of service.

4503.37 Certificate of reciprocity - exemption from requirements.

(A) A certificate of reciprocity issued under this section shall exempt the owner and the driver of every motor vehicle which is duly registered in the state, district, country, or sovereignty other than this state, to which the certificate is granted, from the laws of this state pertaining to registration and licensing and the penal statutes relating thereto, provided such owner or driver has complied with the law in regard to motor vehicles in the state, district, country, or sovereignty in which the motor vehicle is registered and complies with such law while operating and driving such motor vehicle upon the public roads of this state.

4507.04 Nonresident exemption.

Nonresidents, permitted to drive upon the highways of their own states, may operate any motor vehicle upon any highway in this state without examination or license under sections 4507.01 to 4507.39, inclusive, of the Revised Code, upon condition that such nonresidents may be required at any time or place to prove lawful possession, or their right to operate, such motor vehicle, and to establish proper identity.

Effective Date: 10-01-1953.

jcb206

Please provide examples...Actual court cases. Always love to see new info. Thanks in advance.

13XLTEco

@Flamingtaco Please show examples. I tow legally, but you piqued my curiosity.

Flamingtaco

I came across a few cases browsing RV forums earlier this year, do no remember where. I've been catching up on TT tech in prep to build a trailer, that issue was not my focus as I'm not building anything that large.

Stitan

Would it bother me not a bit. If i was overloaded with my travel trailer then yes for sure it would bother me. How about buying ice and food close to where you're going?

jcb206

Any help would be greatly appreciated. We see a lot of of hearsay on these forums. No one can seem to post one account of a recreational TV being overweight and getting into legal trouble.

mikeinatlanta

You would have to define recreational. In west Texas they are getting notorious for busting horse and race car trailers, but they are busting locals. My brother and sister in law have both been busted. Getting tickets for size, weights, and cdl requirements. She got it for towing her horse trailer with her F250 and no cdl. My brother got it for being over length with the race car trailer by about two inches (if I recall correctly). It's a straight up revenue generation thing. I don't know of anyone getting ticketed with a straight up RV or people just passing through.