ENCLOSED TRAILERING LEGAL ISSUES 45 FT PLUS 25 FEET + 70 FEET . OVER 5 FEET???

[kevin demers]

HELLO I HAVE 4O FT PREVOST MARATRHON XL 1996 I LOVE.. I MUST GET AN ENCLOSED CAR HAULER FOR SHOWS ETC. I PLAN TO GET A 45 H3 45 TO HALU 20 FOOT ENCLOSED TRAILER.
LEGALLY 65 FT IS LEGAL WHAT IF U ARE TOTALLY 68--70 FEET??WILL THE LAW KICK U ASS ..

AND WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES //

KEVIN D TAMPA

[kevin demers]

HELLO KEVIN SAYING HI

[garyde]

Hi Kevin. Each State will have its own limits on lengths. California is limited to 65 feet.

[Gil_J]

Kevin,

Most states don't enforce their length limits. Many say CA actively enforces. With tax revues down, others may follow. I read on a generic RV site that TN levies a $212 ticket. It would be good to know if these are moving violations as they result in points against your license.

A bigger concern would be what would happen if involved in an accident.

BTW, many that are towing 4 down full size vehicles are over 65 feet.

[Joe Camper]

There R a few states that R at 65 not many most R at 70ft. A few have no limit. Ive never heard of any enforcement sept California.

U R being prudent. Inquiring. U have a 40 and a relatively small enclosed trlr I think U will be AOK

Just for the record not to worry U cause I really believe other than Cal U will never be stopped.

BUT

The way troopers do truckers is like this. If they need to be X length for the weight they have on and they R a bit short. If it is less than 6 in they give it to U over 6 in U get the fine.

[coreygrubb]

Kevin, We have towed race car haulers, originally with toter-homes and more recently wth a coach tens of thousands of miles. they ranged anywhere from 70 to 82'. Never been stopped. For awhile we used semi's and had more scrutiny(weigh stations, saftey checks etc.) than with anything else. Present length is 82' and never a problem so far. Have not towed in Calif. for 10 yr. though. We go the speed limit or under and stay in our lane as much as possible.

[Seabyrd]

We often triple tow at almost 85'... H3-45 + Suburban + Golf Cart on Trailer !! In Texas and Louisiana never a problem... we just stay in the slow lane and obey all the other laws of the road !! Have been passed many times by troopers too !!

[Gil_J]

Triple tow; I wonder if that is something that is enforced state by state, like overall length, or each state has to accept the laws of your state of registration. Regardless, triple towing surely puts you over the legal limit in every state with a length limit. Triple towing also MAY require your last tow to also have supplemental and/or a break-away braking system. Diane's looks light enough to not require supplementary or brake-away brakes. I've seen several 5th wheels towing cars. Besides the obvious challenge to get enough frame structure to the rear of the 5th wheel to tow a car, they would seem the first to be pulled over. On a generic RV site this topic comes up often and I don't recall anyone outside of CA being ticketed.

[Seabyrd]

In Texas triple towing is legal however the length is either 65' or 70' can't remember which... it varies from state to state... I am also pretty sure that the laws one abides by are that of the state you are travelling in and nothing to do with your license plate state... can't even imagine that!! when we triple tow its slow lane only and relatively short distances... as I mentioned earlier we are VERY careful and try not to draw attention to ourselves. I do know that in Texas all Texas road laws apply to everyone regardless of your license plate.
Diane


Gil_J;90267]Triple tow; I wonder if that is something that is enforced state by state, like overall length, or each state has to accept the laws of your state of registration. Regardless, triple towing surely puts you over the legal limit in every state with a length limit. Triple towing also MAY require your last tow to also have supplemental and/or a break-away braking system. Diane's looks light enough to not require supplementary or brake-away brakes. I've seen several 5th wheels towing cars. Besides the obvious challenge to get enough frame structure to the rear of the 5th wheel to tow a car, they would seem the first to be pulled over. On a generic RV site this topic comes up often and I don't recall anyone outside of CA being ticketed.[/QUOTE]

[Gil_J]

Isn't a good thing length limits aren't generally enforced? As an example, Texas allows overall length of 65 feet. They allow 2 towed trailers or whatever behind the powered vehicle. But the overall length is still limited to 65 feet. The penalty is up to $200 for the first offense and goes up to as much as $1,000 and 6 months in jail. Most state statutes are so difficult to research and understand no wonder they are seldom enforced or even understood. As hungry as some jurisdictions are for revenue I wonder how long our free pass will continue. I know in the yachting world states like Florida, Virginia, and New Hampshire are digging in their heals on enforcement of property and use taxes. Deltaville, the former boat building capital of the Chesapeake Bay, has seen a mass exodus of yachts from their marinas. I had a conversation with the the tax collector of that county and she was just enforcing what wasn't in the past even though I'm sure she knew her actions were killing the livelihood of this quaint town.

Here's Texas Statute:
Sec. 621.203. MAXIMUM LENGTH OF MOTOR VEHICLE. (a) A motor vehicle, other than a truck-tractor, may not be longer than 45 feet.
(b) A motor bus as defined by Section 502.001 that is longer than 35 feet but not longer than 45 feet may be operated on a highway if the motor bus is equipped with air brakes and has either three or more axles or a minimum of four tires on the rear axle.
(c) The limitation prescribed by Subsection (a) does not apply to a house trailer or towable recreational vehicle or a combination of a house trailer or towable recreational vehicle and a motor vehicle. A house trailer or towable recreational vehicle and motor vehicle combination may not be longer than 65 feet.


Sec. 621.205. MAXIMUM LENGTH OF VEHICLE COMBINATIONS. (a) Except as provided by this section, a combination of not more than three vehicles, including a truck and semitrailer, truck and trailer, truck-tractor and semitrailer and trailer, or a truck-tractor and two trailers, may be coupled together if the combination of vehicles, other than a truck-tractor combination, is not longer than 65 feet.
(b) A passenger car or another motor vehicle that has an unloaded weight of less than 2,500 pounds may not be coupled with more than one other vehicle or towing device at one time. This subsection does not apply to the towing of a disabled vehicle to the nearest intake place for repair.
(c) A motor vehicle, including a passenger car, that has an unloaded weight of 2,500 pounds or more may be coupled with a towing device and one other vehicle.
(d) In this section:
(1) "Passenger car" means a motor vehicle designed to transport 10 or fewer persons simultaneously.
(2) "Towing device" means a device used to tow a vehicle behind a motor vehicle by supporting one end of the towed vehicle above the surface of the road and permitting the wheels at the other end of the towed vehicle to remain in contact with the road.


Sec. 621.507. GENERAL OFFENSE; PENALTY. (a) A person commits an offense if the person violates a provision of this subtitle for which an offense is not specified by another section of this subtitle.
(b) An offense under this section is a misdemeanor punishable:
(1) by a fine not to exceed $200;
(2) on conviction before the first anniversary of the date of a previous conviction under this section:
(A) by a fine not to exceed $500, by confinement in a county jail for not more than 60 days, or by both the fine and confinement; or
(B) if the convicted person is a corporation, by a fine not to exceed $1,000; or
(3) on a conviction before the first anniversary of the date of a previous conviction under this section that was punishable under Subdivision (2) or this subdivision:
(A) by a fine not to exceed $1,000, by confinement in the county jail for not more than six months, or by both the fine and confinement; or
(B) if the convicted person is a corporation, by a fine not to exceed $2,000.


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[Seabyrd]

Gil...
Glad I'm married to a lawyer... he knows everything too !!
Diane

[Dick in Wisconsin]

Kevin, We have towed race car haulers, originally with toter-homes and more recently wth a coach tens of thousands of miles. they ranged anywhere from 70 to 82'. Never been stopped. For awhile we used semi's and had more scrutiny(weigh stations, saftey checks etc.) than with anything else. Present length is 82' and never a problem so far. Have not towed in Calif. for 10 yr. though. We go the speed limit or under and stay in our lane as much as possible.

I can attest to the length of George and Corey's bus and race trailer. They were in the paddock at Road America with us last August and when they pulled out and drove by us the sun disappeared and it took what seemed like five minutes for the Prevost and massive trailer to glide by as everyone in the paddock turned and watched them. I was like watching the QEIII or an aircraft carrier leaving port. Everything was silent except for their train whistle.

[Dick in Wisconsin]

as I mentioned earlier we are VERY careful and try not to draw attention to ourselves.
Diane

How in the world can you NOT draw attention to yourselves? Just pulling on the road must turn every head!

[Joe Camper]

I think we need to drop the subject before we schnooker ourselves.

[jetart]

Wow, up to 60 days 1st offense and up to 6mo in prison second offense w/in year. Might want to check on a permit in Texas.

[jbchevy3]

I've had rigs as long as 92'. A 45' truck conversion with a 36' stacker trailer with an extended tounge with a mini fifth wheel. Many 45' coaches with stackers. I have NEVER been pulled over, nor did I stop at any scales. If you do that, you are asking for trouble.

As long as you can handle it, I would not worry about it. Every state has written laws, but most are not enforced or apply when it comes to a "Motorhome" pulling it.

The worst part was, stopping at a rest area, and hanging out of the spot on both ends!

[lbriant]

Kevin,
I had the same question so I went to the DMV weigh station in Iowa where I reside and ask them, he was an old timer I would say pretty high up he had to look it up and told me I would be over length because we are licensed as a motor home 65 ft is the limit 70 ft if I were a pickup pulling a fifth wheel pulling a boat ? Which didn't make sense ???
So I ask him how all the Prevost go by with stacker trailers all the time and he said no one knows the actual Law he even had to look it up, he told me not to worry about it,
But you can bet everything you own if there were ever an accident the Lawyers would Know exactly what the law read and would tear you apart ,,
That being said I have a motorcycle lift on the back of my bus then the sterling tow bar then an unlimited Jeep Rubicon and with the spare tire on my jeep on the back I think I am around 73 ft long , I guess its a roll of the Dice !!!

[John Clawson]

We were stopped by a DPS trooper on I-10 in Ozona, TX in June of 21. He asked me how long we were and I told him I wasn’t for sure, but I thought 65 feet. I prayed while he pulled a tape from front bumper to trailer bumper. He told me we were just under 65 feet and commended me for a “job well done.” He said he never fails to get to write a ticket when stopping bus conversions pulling a trailer. He said that ours was a first. So, there is at least one DPS trooper…

[Gil_J]

John,

That must have been small town TX and a young trooper or a jealous old guy.

[MIsheeTX]

John,

That must have been small town TX and a young trooper or a jealous old guy.

……or someone with nothing to do. Houston area here and tow all the time. Even the TOAD behind the H3 would be too long. You get some that need to make a stop. Usually younger ones.

[MIsheeTX]

We were stopped by a DPS trooper on I-10 in Ozona, TX in June of 21. He asked me how long we were and I told him I wasn’t for sure, but I thought 65 feet. I prayed while he pulled a tape from front bumper to trailer bumper. He told me we were just under 65 feet and commended me for a “job well done.” He said he never fails to get to write a ticket when stopping bus conversions pulling a trailer. He said that ours was a first. So, there is at least one DPS trooper…

how long is your trailer? 45’ + 25’ for a stacker is over right out of the gate.