R.V.laws of other States, wich laws do i follow? New to out of state Bus driving

[jackdale]

Each State has different laws about towing, do i go by the laws of my State? new to out of State R.V. driving.

[Melbo]

Pretty standard is 60 feet including toad

Safety chains are normal but assisted braking is according to weight and state laws.

HTH

Melbo

[gumpy]

No. You'll have to obey the laws of each state. About the only ones that have reciprocity are registration laws.

However, most states are similar, so chances are, if you are legal in your state, you'll be legal in most others. Some of the eastern states get a little stupid about things,
but most of the others are pretty reasonable.

Other than that, if you have more specific questions, give us more detail, such as where you are, where you are going, and what specific laws you are concerned about.

[white-eagle]

I don't really worry about laws in each state.  Unless you are way over the 60 ft, like 70-80 ft, it's probably not an issue.  way overweight is probably more of a safety issue for you than a legal one that you will get busted for.

however, all bets are off if you drive 85 in a 70 or something like that, because then they start checking everything and looking for issues.

local laws always apply, but many officers have more to do than debate whether you are 60 or 63ft long, unless you do something dumb or give them a hard time about something.

We pull a Chevy Express van.  i'm guessing with the tow bar, we're closer to 65.  never been questioned, not even at a rally by other folks.  Mostly folks just wanta know why the engine is running.

[niles500]

If your passing through - Federal maintained (funded) highways are no problem - State and Local roads can be - FWIW

[kwood]

White-eagle:

Could please tell me your set up for towing the Chevy Express.  We have one also and have been debating the best way to tow it if possible.  Your advice on braking/towing/hitch connections would be invaluable, especially if you use a transmission pump or other method to preserve the transmission.

Thanks,

Kevin Wood

[Jriddle]

I agree with White-Eagle you will not have problems unless you go looking for them. It is not like the old days. Today if you run a stop sign you can bet that insted of getting a ticket for that offence you will be lucky to drive away without three or four more tickets for other things.

John

[bevans6]

You can tow a Chev Express four down with a proper tow bar and base plate setup.  The debate on brakes in a towed vehicle rages, but the easiest way to go is a brake buddy type system that presses on the brake pedal.  That vehicle has hydraulic assist brakes, if the engine isn't running they are about non-existent (at least mine were that way, on my Express van) so idling the engine while you tow it has the dual benefit of making the brakes work and keeping the transmission alive.  If you don't idle the engine you have to disconnect the driveshaft in some way, or install a transmission fluid pump.  You could probably do some sort of cost benefit analysis of idling the engine vs installing the aftermarket kits vs buying a different vehicle vs actually crawling under and disconnecting the drive shaft.

I know what I'd do, but you probably actually like your Express van.  Mine was worth less than the cost to repair it after five years and less than 50,000 miles.

Brian

[Nusa]

For some laws, you may have to satisfy BOTH the state you're in and your state of registration. For commercial vehicles, federal law and the DOT set the rules in many areas, at least for the interstate system and access roads. For everything else, the state you're in trumps everything, unless they grant reciprocity for that area of state law.

What the law says and what you can get away with are two different things, of course. You take your own chances.

[jackdale]

I live in Oregon, i have a 40ft. eagle and pulling an 09 chevy crew cab  short box, probably close to 65ft. I do not have to have brakes on my towed rig.

[Sean]

I live in Oregon, i have a 40ft. eagle and pulling an 09 chevy crew cab  short box, probably close to 65ft. I do not have to have brakes on my towed rig.

...in Oregon.

The minute you cross the line into a different state, the laws of that state take over.  In most states, you'll need not only service brakes on the toad, but also a break-away stopping system.

This is one of those cases where you'll likely never be stopped, but all hell will break loose if you have an accident that can be attributed to failure to comply with the law.

-Sean
http://OurOdyssey.BlogSpot.com

[white-eagle]

kwood and bevans6, i started a new post so as not to hijack this one.  see a post titled chevy express towing.