Weigh Stations

[iandraz]

So I'm getting close to buying a FG. Just about all of them seem to be on the east coast, which means it'll be a long trip to pick up. I was wondering, in the US do you have to stop at weigh stations in an FG? Does it vary depending on how the truck is configured?

[FusoFG]

Only commercial trucks have to stop at weigh stations. Don't know about California.

[Robthebrit]

I never stop in any of my mogs and I have never been chased down yet.

Rob

[hinoranger]

Only commercial trucks have to stop at weigh stations. Don't know about California.

There are some people here who are more knowledgable than I am about registering heavy trucks as RV's, but as a former CDL truck owner-operator, I advise you be prepared for some hassle.

Some on this board have done so without too much trouble; There's a guy on the Dodge/Freightliner Sprinter board who got rid of his Fuso FG because of the hassles w/ commercial vehicle authorities, though, too.

One work-around that might help in a few cases would be to register at or below 10,001 lbs GVW. If it's not being used commercially and is registered below 10,001 lbs, you should be exempt from pretty much any commercial vehicle authority anywhere.

At a federal level, a CDL is required above 26,000 lbs. New York is one of a few states that apply commercial vehicle laws above 18,000lbs or some other number.

Laws as to what weight you're allowed to register a medium-duty truck probably vary from state to state but FG cab and chassis is less than 6000lbs, so in theory it would be possible to operate an FG under 10,001 lbs.

There are a lot of private motorcoaches being operated well over 26,000 lbs which are not being driven by CDL-licensed drivers or being subjected to commercial vehicle authorities.

Kind of depends what you feel comfortable with and how much you can afford to be wrong....

[DontPanic42]

I can only speak for the State of Texas but your FG will be OK here. I had my FG
X-camper inspected by a DPS (Dept. of Public Safety, ie State Troopers, Texas Rangers, etc.) Officer who is one of the guys that pulls trucks over to weigh them and check for safety violations. He said I was legal. To be on the safe side I have a sign on the doors which reads, "Private Vehicle. Not for Hire". Also, I carry an up to date weigh slip from a certified weigh station.
The DPS Officer also mentioned that I might be stopped just so they could look it over as it isn't something they see every day. Not an offical stop, just being interested. So far I have been followed a few times but never stopped.

[kerry]

Bought my FG in NC and drove it home to CO. I didn't stop at weigh stations. When I registered it in CO, I told the DMV it was an RV. I don't stop at weigh stations when I drive my BlueBird Wanderlodge bus, so I concluded that since the Fuso serves a similar purpose I could drive by.

[digitaldelay]

On a side note, has anyone ever been hassled for taking a car or light truck though a "Self-Weigh" scale? I will occasionally drive through these unmanned scales to check weight distribution before a road trip, but only if there isn't any commercial trucks waiting to use it. Last week I did this at a scale just outside Edmonton and a trucker I saw later at the gas station told me I could get a ticket if the authorities saw me taking a pickup through there. I don't see the problem, but what do you guys think?

Jason

P.S. - Sorry this isn't FG-related.

[WantedWolf]

Im from Canada so i know nothing of U.S. road laws, but I say Private Vehical signs are a great idea. What about farm registration in the general U.S would this void commercial weight caps?

As for scales there absolutly should never be any issue with the public using scales on public roads Canada or U.S. I do almost daily. How else do you know if your pickup and flatdeck are under or over the 26000# commercial restriction or just plain SAFE. I doubt the government gives homeowner subsidies for $100,000 personal scales. Maybe your neibour has one kicking around you could trade some sugar for?

[ntsqd]

In CA the scales have signs saying "No Pick-ups". Seems silly, huh? If you want to know your weight you have to go to a public scale and pay for that info. I used to use the scales at the Harbor Freight main building, but they've quit leaving it on.

For work I once drove a crew cab 1 ton chevy pulling a 42 ft goose-neck (12k net) to Chicago from here on the Left Coast and back. (Yeah, that 454 gave me a 500 mile range, on 100 gallons of fuel!) By reading their truck signs the two states that concerned me the most were New Mexico and Illinois. I stopped in NM and got to pay that fine state some cash. I timed my drive to be in and out of Illinois on a weekend as that looked like it was going to be expensive. Five axles with their toll booths a mile apart was bad enough.

A fellow now in Texas had trouble when he lived here in CA and also sold the truck. I never knew the exact deal, but I think he was over that 26k limit with his GVW. Even though he had a CDL it was still a problem to drive it as a privately owned and not for hire truck.

[charlieaarons]

If the vehicle is an RV, being over 26000 lb is not a problem in North America; I'm pretty sure of that.

Charlie

[Stroller]

Kerry,

Did the DMV ask to see the truck before granting RV status? If they didn't then it's easier to registar as an RV before the box or camper is installed.

Stroller

[kerry]

Kerry,

Did the DMV ask to see the truck before granting RV status? If they didn't then it's easier to registar as an RV before the box or camper is installed.

Stroller

No, they just asked me when I took the paperwork in to register it. I didn't have a camper on it at the time but just told them that's what it was. They took my word for it.

[iandraz]

In my case I'm planning to use a temporary registration for the trip to Oregon - I think you can get something like that that's valid for 10 days or whatever. Then I'd do the camper conversion at my shop. After it's complete I'd try to get a new registration as an RV.

[RHINO]

At a federal level, a CDL is required above 26,000 lbs. New York is one of a few states that apply commercial vehicle laws above 18,000lbs or some other number.




thats only half true, the CDL comes in to play for hauling commodities, you can buy and drive a full fledged 18 wheeler with a 53 ft trailer for your own amusement if you want to,,, i dont want to get into my feelings on this matter so i'll leave it there.

as for the scales, again, its for commercial vehicle enforcement, revenue generator is all it is, i can lay it all out for you if you want to know.

you have fun with your FG and dont worry about anything.

[digitaldelay]

[QUOTE=ntsqd;338835]In CA the scales have signs saying "No Pick-ups".QUOTE]

That's too bad. I sounds like that trucker was just BS-ing me. I checked with the Alberta Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Office and they assured me that Self-Weighs in Alberta are indeed for public use. Chalk it up to the "Alberta Advantage" I guess!

[hinoranger]

thats only half true, the CDL comes in to play for hauling commodities, you can buy and drive a full fledged 18 wheeler with a 53 ft trailer for your own amusement if you want to,,, i dont want to get into my feelings on this matter so i'll leave it there.

I did say that private motorhomes are being allowed to operate well over the 26, 000 lb limit, and yes, those chassis are mechanically identical to a commercial truck.

U-haul, Ryder, etc. all spec their largest trucks @ 25,999 lbs or some arbitrary figure so they can be rented to the general public.

I still think that operation a 26k lbs+ truck that is not registered as a RV without a CDL would be considered illegal, regardless of whether it's for hire or not. Guess I'm going to have to actually look the stuff up, though.

Sorry about the thread drift, doesn't have a lot to do with the weigh station question.

[lehel1]

hello

just joined this forum and am enjoying. i also am just about ready to purchase a new fg for duel purpose use, one as a work truck and then putting a custom 14 foot alaskian camper on it for traveling. have a unimog expedition camper now that we've traveled in for years and ready for something more modern, we found we just don't use the unimog to its full offroad capacity any more.

well, onto calif rules. i've just spent a month or so going over the rules with the chp and hope this helps anyone in calif .

1st, any truck with a manufatures gvwr of over 10000lbs is a considered a full commercial vehical, this includes pickups which are no longer considered pickups in this sense. you must get a motor carrier permit as well as a CA #. the permit is $35 the CA # free. you must also put your name or a fictitious name connected with your name on the side of your truck along with the CA# and your registered weight rating sticker you payed for at the dmv. you must also enter all chp scales. you will "not need" a class A licence if your gvwr is under 26000.
the only difference in for hire or not for hire is you pay higher fees in some cases.

2nd, if you pull a trailer with a gvwr of over 10000 lbs, regardless of your trucks gvwr you will need a class A licence and all the above applies.

3rd, if your registered as a motorhome, your exempt. if you solely pull a travel trailer up to 10000 lbs your exempt, for 5th wheel travel trailer you can go to 15000lbs with an endorsement. over that you will need a class b

for motorhomes over 26000 you will also need a class A. there are other rules that apply even if your under 26000lbs if you have things like air brakes and such. some will require endorsements and other a class A licence.

now get this, if you have a truck under 26000 lbs gvwr rating, and you solely pull a utility trailer (this means you may not diconnect the trailer under this rule, is a bumper pull and a gvwr under 10000 lbs) you are exempt from all of the above including not having to enter scales. even better is you can overload a utility trailers gvwr as long as you don't exceed the total rating of the combination of the trailers tires. the calif vehicle code section for this is 34601 (g) and applies to section 27900, 34501.12, and 34507.5

for me personally this is a absolutely shame. i've been driving my kodiak pickup with a gooseneck trailer for the last 5 years and now find i have to follow all these rules. freinds of mine in the bay area have been getting pulled over with similar rigs and being hit with $9000 fines and more. others have been being pulled over in brand new pickups (many new duallys have a rating over the 10000 gvwr) and being ticketed miles from the dealer and told there trucks will be confinscated if seen on the road again until everything is in order. its totally out of hand here in northern calif.

we were also very suprised that while looking for a new fuso fg we find we cannot purchase a new truck out of state even if its 50 state compliant unless its concidered used and has over 7500 miles on it. this is according to the dmv office in sacramento. we found one nice new 07 out of state recently and find we can't buy it and register it here, and it has 50 state emissiions. something about no calif sticker, the 50 state one doesnt count.

well, enough of that. were excited about getting our new fuso and look forward to getting to know some of you on here.

hope this helps some questions lehel and laura

[lehel1]

hello defenderbeam

yes, was hoping to find a 07 long wheelbase instead of the 08/09 because of the emissions. the emissions will change again in2010 and i'm somewhat concerned about having a 1 or 2 year oddball.
we've been unable to find a 07 longwheel base though, so it seems we'll be settling for a 08.

anyone knowing of a new or near new late model pre 08 fg longwheel base for sale please let us know. we'll be picking up an 08 in a couple of weeks but still hoping to get lucky in the meantime.

it would be very interesting to see if someone can indeed rerate a trucks gvwr, look forward to hearing any news on that one.

cheers lehel and laura

[FusoFG]

The Fuso comes with a manufactures statement of origin or similar paper work with the intention that the body builder that adds the final body to the Fuso chasis will apply for the title with the final gvw.

Any body builder should be able to specify a gvw less than or equal to the gvw specified by Mitsubishi.

[Sleeping Dog]

If the vehicle is an RV, being over 26000 lb is not a problem in North America; I'm pretty sure of that.

Charlie

I seem to remember a discussion at RV.net regarding Toterhomes being driven under a standard operators license as long as it was registered as an RV.

[Robthebrit]

hello

just joined this forum and am enjoying. i also am just about ready to purchase a new fg for duel purpose use, one as a work truck and then putting a custom 14 foot alaskian camper on it for traveling. have a unimog expedition camper now that we've traveled in for years and ready for something more modern, we found we just don't use the unimog to its full offroad capacity any more.

well, onto calif rules. i've just spent a month or so going over the rules with the chp and hope this helps anyone in calif .

1st, any truck with a manufatures gvwr of over 10000lbs is a considered a full commercial vehical, this includes pickups which are no longer considered pickups in this sense. you must get a motor carrier permit as well as a CA #. the permit is $35 the CA # free. you must also put your name or a fictitious name connected with your name on the side of your truck along with the CA# and your registered weight rating sticker you payed for at the dmv. you must also enter all chp scales. you will "not need" a class A licence if your gvwr is under 26000.
the only difference in for hire or not for hire is you pay higher fees in some cases.

lehel and laura


Lehel, you getting rid of the mog?

You are bang on about the rules but there are a couple of gray areas. First is that weird gray area between 10,000 pounds above which CA calls any vehicle commercial and 15,000 pounds where the weight stickers start. A smaller round cab mog lands in this gray zone.

The second gray area is even if the GVW is over 10,000 pounds you can ask the DMV to register it as empty weight as long as the empty weight is under 8,000 (this is what they do for a domestic pickup). If you do this you can't ever be over 10,000 pounds if you get weighed. This avoids most the weight fees.

This worked out fine for my 416 doka as it was just under 8000 empty and I only ever took it camping and never came close to 2000 pounds of load (you can only drink so much beer in a weekend!).

Rob

[dhackney]

we've been unable to find a 07 longwheel base

It's a pretty simple matter to extend the frame on the FG.

We did it on ours and it was very straightforward.

1) disconnect the frame by grinding out the rivets
2) insert extension section
3) connect with grade 8 bolts
4) extend brake lines
5) extend wiring harness
6) extend exhaust pipe
7) fabricate new drive shaft

This list makes it look a lot harder than it was.

I wouldn't let frame length put you into the new fuel requirement, at least if you're planning on taking it overseas.

Doug

[mog]

we were also very suprised that while looking for a new fuso fg we find we cannot purchase a new truck out of state even if its 50 state compliant unless its concidered used and has over 7500 miles on it. this is according to the dmv office in sacramento. we found one nice new 07 out of state recently and find we can't buy it and register it here, and it has 50 state emissiions. something about no calif sticker, the 50 state one doesnt count.

I'm surprised by that one. Unless it has chanced, the 7500 miles only applied to emissions. If you are 50 state legal, you could 'import' but would still have to pay sales taxes, but you should be fine on emissions.
From current DMV website:

Anyone who brings a vehicle into California, or purchases a nonresident vehicle while in California, should be aware of the registration requirements.
NOTE: California law prohibits importing and/or registering a new vehicle with less than 7,500 miles at the time of purchase unless it meets or is exempt from California Emission standards. If you acquire a 49-State vehicle (manufactured for all states except California) from another state or country, you may not be able to register your vehicle in this state.http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/brochures/howto/htvr9.htm

[lehel1]

hello there

checked again on binging a new truck into calif, and indeed was told again by dmv sacramento unless its thru a dealer you will most likely not be able to register any deisel truck with under 7500 in calif.
on top of this if you have bought an 07 or older deisel truck and live in calif, you will need to retro fit it with the new particulate system now on the new trucks. the date seems to be by 2012 or close to that i'm told, there seems to be alittle uncertainty on the exact dates and how it will trickle down to the smaller deisel trucks.

i have also been told other states are watching calif and many may follow suit in the coming years to battle pollution.

this is to the best of my knowledge so far, be great to hear others veiws and more info if any one has some to share.

cheers lehel

[charlieaarons]

I wonder if one were to get an FG registered as an RV, maybe they would be exempt from the future retrofit crackdown.

Yes.

Charlie

[iandraz]

As a follow-up - I didn't stop at any weigh stations on my trip from Florida to Oregon. No one pulled me over so I guess I'll take that to mean it's okay not to stop in an FG!

[jesusgatos]

I didn't have any problems registering my Deuce and a Half (M109) as a motorhome here in OR a few weeks ago, but I'm having a hell of a time finding a company that will insure it...

[Arctic Cat]

I know this is an old thread but I will like to add my two cents. I’m a retired as Special Agent for the U.S Department of Transportation. Weight stations are designed to weight commercial vehicles to make sure that those vehicles meet the weight restriction. Every state has their own definition of weight restrictions in their highways, but with that said the key word in here is COMMERCIAL. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulation (FMCSR), have two definitions as to what is a commercial vehicle.

The first definition is on 49 CFR Part 390.5 and it read as follow:
Commercial motor vehicle means any self-propelled or towed motor vehicle used on a highway in interstate commerce to transport passengers or property when the vehicle— (1) Has a gross vehicle weight rating or gross combination weight rating, or gross vehicle weight or gross combination weight, of 4,536 kg (10,001 pounds) or more, whichever is greater; or(2) Is designed or used to transport more than 8 passengers (including the driver) for compensation; or(3) Is designed or used to transport more than 15 passengers, including the driver, and is not used to transport passengers for compensation; or(4) Is used in transporting material found by the Secretary of Transportation to be hazardous under 49 U.S.C. 5103 and transported in a quantity requiring placarding under regulations prescribed by the Secretary under 49 CFR, subtitle B, chapter I, subchapter C.

Also 49 CFR 390.3(f) clearly state that “Unless otherwise specifically provided, the rules in this subchapter do not apply to— (3) the occasional transportation of personal property by individuals not for compensation nor in the furtherance of a commercial enterprise.

So there you have it. If you are just RVing or driving a truck for your own pleasure the regulations are not applicable to you.

The other definition is regarding CDL license. While CDL licenses in the U.S. are issued by the each individual state, every state has to abide by the federal definition in 49 CFR Part 383.

49 CFR 383.3(a) (a) state as follows: The rules in this part apply to every person who operates a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) in interstate, foreign, or intrastate commerce, to all employers of such persons, and to all States.

So as you can see if there is not commerce, the regulations are not applicable to you:

Examples 1: John drives a 36,000 lbs RV for his pleasure from Alaska to Wyoming. He is not engaging in any commerce whatsoever. The regulations do not apply to him.

Example 2: Jane drives a 36,000 lbs RV to take it from the factory in Ohio to the dealership in Florida. She gets paid to do this. Because she is charging to do the work, the regulations are fully applicable to her including the CDL requirements. She would need a Class B CDL license.

Example 3: Martha drive tractor with a trailer to carry her horses to a show. (GVWR of the tractor 30,000 LBS with a trailer with a GVWR of 14,000 LBS) She doesn’t get any money or prizes to do so. Also she doesn’t have any sponsors. She does this for pure pleasure. Once again no commerce not regulated.

Example 4: Stephen drives a tractor with a trailer to carry his horses. (GVWR of the tractor 30,000 LBS with trailer with a GVWR of 14,000 LBS) He doesn’t actually get any money to do so. But he competes and he may win a prize of $500, if he comes on first place. Also he has a sponsor that provides feed for his horses in exchange for him to put their name on his trailer. The DOT don’t care whether you win the prizes or not, but to the DOT the fact that you may make some money is enough to prove commerce in this case, additionally because he actually advertise for the feed company in exchange for the feed for his horses, the monetary value of the feed is considered a factor in determining his compliance with the regulation. Also because the combination of the tractor and trailer is over 26,000 LBS with a trailer over 10,000 lbs, he will need a Class A CDL license. :1888fbbd:

[Arctic Cat]

Also about the weight; The weight that the Federal DOT use to determined the weight of the vehicle is the GVWR stated on the plate not the actual weight of the vehicle, UNLESS the vehicle actual weight EXCEED the actual GVWR, in that last case the ACTUAL weight will be used.