Weighing the Bus

TheHollands! · August 18, 2013, 05:45:58 PM

Had some fun this past week while visiting Scott Bennett. I have never weighed my bus and as I was building it have roughly kept a tally on what I thought it might weigh. Scott hooked me up with a local scale and we headed down there with fellow bus owner Shaun (herd of turtles). We all took guesses before rolling on. 34800lbs. I have a 1984 MCI -9. My informal tally was surprisingly close although I was dreading the possibilty of being over weight. Have other folks been more calculated as the've done there buildouts?
Craig

5B Steve · August 18, 2013, 06:12:37 PM

I had no idea what mine weighed untill heading north to the Sturgis ralley a few weeks back on hwy 29N . A sign said all trucks , buses , motorhomes ect. This scale was north of sioux city, Ia. I pulled up on the scale , stopped and the sign above said precede to the back of the building. What'this all about. Inspection? Weight
what? Top the tanks off several miles back. 149 gal on board, 110 gal fresh water. Could I be overloaded (oh! God hope not) long story short they were asking everyone where they were headed and if to Sturgis do you have anything on board if you were going to be a vendor there. I guess it was a REVENUE THING. I was free to go. Turned an walked out the door, stopped turned around , went back in side and ask what was my weight.

They said it 23,386 LB. Guess I have along way to go before it's over weight. Maybe thats the reason it gets good fuel mileage.

Steve 5B...

Dave5Cs · August 18, 2013, 06:33:21 PM

OK now, What did each axle weight, then what does each corner weigh. Go back to the scales and have more fun.

Dave5Cs

niles500 · August 18, 2013, 06:39:29 PM

Steve, they have a weigh station on I90 near Rapid City too that doesn't state if the vehicle is commercial or not - Even though I have an RVIA sticker I went through - Still not sure if it was required - I guess your saying I did the right thing but it was still confusing -

Seangie · August 18, 2013, 06:46:58 PM

Craig -

Ill be weighing mine on the same scale before I leave here. I am hoping that we are under 30! Ill post back here once we get weighed.

-Sean

Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 4

Ed Hackenbruch · August 18, 2013, 07:43:56 PM

Steve, i think that you still have about 10,000 lbs. to go before being over weight.

Scott & Heather · August 18, 2013, 08:33:54 PM

Quote from: Seangie on August 18, 2013, 06:46:58 PM
Craig -

Ill be weighing mine on the same scale before I leave here. I am hoping that we are under 30! Ill post back here once we get weighed.

-Sean

Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 4

Pretty sure you weigh around 45,000 lbs Sean. You might need to add a bogie to that Eagle

bevans6 · August 19, 2013, 03:51:40 AM

I have to register my bus for actual weight in Nova Scotia (sucks, it costs way more than my insurance!), so on the way back from passing my DOT inspection I ran it across the local highway maintenance crew scales, which they leave on 24/7. It was 11,150 Kg, which is 24,530. That is loaded light, with no water, but almost full fuel. I think that with 60 gallons of water and our normal luggage it will be closer to 25,500, which is very close to my estimate of 26K.

Brian

Jon · August 19, 2013, 04:25:44 AM

The first thing I do when I get a different coach is load all our stuff in it, full the water tank, fill it with fuel and get it weighed.

How can anyone drive a coach without weighing it? That is how the correct tire pressures are determined.

white-eagle · August 19, 2013, 09:15:32 AM

are those iowa scales mandatory? last few weights we did showed a tad over the gvw, like maybe a ton. not sure what that might mean since we are not commercial, but i don't feel like stopping to get weighed and find out i need to use up a 100 gal of fuel and empty all tanks. and we have to go to sd to get new drivers licenses. maybe i'll just skip ia.

Jon · August 19, 2013, 09:52:17 AM

Unless you are a commercial vehicle you are not subject to going over the scales or having a roadside weight check any more than a conventional RV or travel trailer.

And we aren't going to tell anyone that you are overweight. (Your coach, not you)

B_K · August 19, 2013, 10:39:16 AM

Quote from: Jon on August 19, 2013, 09:52:17 AM
Unless you are a commercial vehicle you are not subject to going over the scales or having a roadside weight check any more than a conventional RV or travel trailer.

And we aren't going to tell anyone that you are overweight. (Your coach, not you)

Quote from: 5B Steve on August 18, 2013, 06:12:37 PM
I had no idea what mine weighed untill heading north to the Sturgis ralley a few weeks back on hwy 29N . A sign said all trucks , buses , motorhomes ect. This scale was north of sioux city, Ia. I pulled up on the scale , stopped and the sign above said precede to the back of the building. What'this all about. Inspection? Weight
what? Top the tanks off several miles back. 149 gal on board, 110 gal fresh water. Could I be overloaded (oh! God hope not) long story short they were asking everyone where they were headed and if to Sturgis do you have anything on board if you were going to be a vendor there. I guess it was a REVENUE THING. I was free to go. Turned an walked out the door, stopped turned around , went back in side and ask what was my weight.

They said it 23,386 LB. Guess I have along way to go before it's over weight. Maybe thats the reason it gets good fuel mileage.

Steve 5B...

Jon not to dispute you as you are in most cases 100% correct!

However here is where it gets tricky! They put up a sign saying ALL trucks , buses , motorhomes ect.
So any law abiding citizen that pulls in as directed is questioned.
Once someone admits they have ANYTHING they plan to sell there, then they just became "COMMERCIAL" and are subject to all rules governing commercial vehicles.

First and for most will be a ticket for not being registered as such and no having USDOT #'s on the side of the bus.
Second will be log books and such.

So yes Steve you are correct it is a revenue thing!

I'd bet $100 that anyone in a motor home, NON-Commercial bus or any other non commercial looking rig that just rolled right on past the scales would not be chased down and harassed.
But once you "voluntarily" pull in as directed to by the sign they will take advantage of it and question you.
Also those that have company names on their rigs and trailers and such that don't stop are subject to being chased down and made to return to the scale where they will go over them with a fine tooth comb and "try to find ANYTHING to make an example of them"!

BK

belfert · August 19, 2013, 11:10:35 AM

I have never pulled into a weigh station, but neither have I seen one that says RVs or motorhomes must weigh. There is a weigh station along I80 that does weigh in motion and the sign often says truck pull in, but I have never done so and have never been chased down.

Seangie · August 19, 2013, 11:42:13 AM

Quote from: Scott Bennett on August 18, 2013, 08:33:54 PM
Pretty sure you weigh around 45,000 lbs Sean. You might need to add a bogie to that Eagle

Scott - You may be right. I think we will leave the 4 turtles with you. Seeing as 3 of them are girls.. that should loose us about 7.5k right there. And if you'd stop feeding me ice cream every night we just might make weight!

-Sean
www.herdofturtles.org
1984 Eagle Model 10S

akroyaleagle · August 19, 2013, 01:26:42 PM

I don't remember ever seeing a sign that says RVs must stop anywhere. I have travelled from Alaska to Key West and most points in the US, Canada and the northern half of Mexico.

I can find no requirement in the SD State Laws for RVs to stop.

I did come across this but caution it is not State Law, only AAA interpretation. If you expand the State name, you will find weigh stations in the alphabetical listings.

http://drivinglaws.aaa.com/laws/weigh-stations/

It would not surprise me that the State was stopping RVs at border stations to inquire about commercial activities. If you are involved in commercial activities in any way you are probably Commercial!

I had a bit of a run-in with a Canadian DOT Officer once about converted buses not being Commercial Vehicles. I did not convince him even when I produced the law. They can get Pig-Headed on occasion.

States are getting a bit carried away with possible new found revenue sources. South Dakopta is one that has a law that State sales tax must be paid on anything bought out of state includung the Internet.

When I moved here in 2007 from Alaska, I had to pay sales tax on all of my vehicles I brought with me. Their justification was, "You didn't pay sales tax in Alaska". It got more stupid the farther I pursued it, including Sate Senators and Representatives. I paid the tax.