driving unsafe vehicles

[bevans6]

Up here the DOT and OPP regularly ( in fact, I'll be looking for serious looking TV reporters standing in a field talking about how many vehicles they put OOS on Monday since it's a long weekend up here and they always do a recreational vehicle blitz on long weekends) do highway side safety inspections on RV's, campers, you name it.  As far as I know, private vehicles are subject to identical safety regulations and fines as commercial vehicles, that may be unique to Ontario, I don't know.  I do know people who have been parked for incorrect licenses, overweight vehicles, etc, and gotten the multi-thousand dollar fines to fight in court.  Heck, several years ago there was a serious run on DOT certified hooks and chains to replace the chintzy S-hooks that came on trailers that weren't legal.  And trailers got parked until the hooks were changed!  I heard just a month ago that they had started pulling the big RV's over to check drivers licenses on the QEW near Niagara, since so many RV's were crossing over back from the winter in the south.  I guess it looked like a decent revenue opportunity!  In Ontario, over 24K lbs or air brakes, you can't drive with a normal passenger car license.  And we make no distinction between private or commercial operation.

In general, in the US aren't private vehicles subject to DOT safety regs?  If you have a privately registered vehicle, don't you have to comply with brake pushrod extension, and operating lights and such stuff?  Or are you legally exempt as a private, non-commercial operator?

Brian

[cody]

As the economy falters I'm sure we'll find far more drivers being cited for offenses that we hadn't given a second thought too in the past, there are far more regulations on the books that are available to officers as tools for revenue enhancement now than at any time in the past.  About all we can do is try to comply with what we're aware of and drive as safely as we can, if we can avoid many of the red flags that alert officers to a potential windfall, I'm sure we can get thru the day with a minimum of anguish, I know that there are fewer warnings being given now for relatively minor infractions.  My career started in the State Police as a road officer and we went thru many cycles where we were cautioned on the ratio of warnings to citations, the old idea of a quota system where officers were expected to write a certain amount of tickets was an old wives tale with our post but I can't speak for other posts or other states.  Shortly after our wreck I transfered to the dept of corrections, so I can't speak for their policy in later years but knowing how the state of michigan likes to operate I'm sure it hasn't changed to any great degree from what I was used too.

[Lin]

Brian,

Interesting info on Canada DOT.  In the US, you can drive any RV with a mere standard license.  Would we be in violation of Canadian law if we cross over there?  Also, it would seem that we would need your approved chains on our toads.  What do approved safety chains look like?

[John316]

Brian,

What does that mean for when we come to Ontario? Does that mean that we need air brake endorsement, or does Ontario honor Kansas requirements.

God bless,

John

[bevans6]

DOT approved hooks and chains are needed for loads of varying sizes, they are usually gold in colour.  the thing on the hooks is that over a certain weight they are forged or high tensile steel and they always need a spring loaded snap closure, the old style S-hook that just hooked back onto the chain is what they got rid of.  I don't know if out-of-province people would have a problem, and most newish stuff I've seen just looking around complies anyway.  It just seems that every few years they go on some rampage against recreational stuff, which is otherwise ignored.  For a while it was horse trailers at horsey shows.  They are often overweight, and they don't have annual inspections on their trucks or their trailers, and their trucks aren't licensed for the weight.  Toyhaulers and horse trailers with living quarters are a grey area up here.  A trailer intended for carrying a car, or motorcycles or horses, that happens to have living quarters, isn't always considered an RV up here.  RV's get all sorts of exemptions.  My bus is exempt from annual inspections, for example, even though if it was still a bus and not an RV it would be required, along with real monthly chassis inspections with paperwork, instead of what I do, which is take all the wheels off and inspect things every 10,000 miles or annually.

On the drivers license, if you are legal in your home state you are legal here, drivers licenses are reciprocal.  Which I guess means that I have the equivalent of a CDL commercial license in the US.  I have to rewrite the air brake test every three years, but I don't need a medical for my D license.  If I upgrade to a C (commercial buses), B (school buses) or A (tractor trailer, trailer over 10K lbs) I would need medicals I think every three years.

Brian

[kyle4501]

Brian,

Interesting info on Canada DOT.  In the US, you can drive any RV with a mere standard license.  Would we be in violation of Canadian law if we cross over there?  Also, it would seem that we would need your approved chains on our toads.  What do approved safety chains look like?

In SC, if your RV is over 26,000 lbs, you are required to have a special license class above the standard one required for a car, but not quite a CDL tho.

[Lin]

Kyle,

Even though it would really make sense to require a higher skill license to drive these things (I always joke that it is a good thing the vehicles around me don't know how dangerous I am), I have not gotten one.  Would SC expect compliance from out-of-staters?

Brian,

If it is only the S-hook that is the issue, couldn't one just add a shackle to be legal.  I currently have safety cables that has S-hooks with a slip-on, rubber retainer to keep them in place.  I am not 100% confident in them anyway, so I may want to shackle them.

[bevans6]

It depends on what you call a shackle.  the links that you get with a threaded nut to close the loop are not approved for trailer chain use from what I've been told.  It's more that they aren't rated for a specific weight than any thing else, the hooks and chains have to be rated for the weight of the trailer.  What I buy are forged hooks that have a spring loaded closure, I attach them to the chain with a bolt.  Here, called clevis slip hooks  http://www.ontheball.com/chains.htm  I buy the grade 70 ones.  If nothing else the plating is better, they don't rust as quick, and it's not like they are expensive.

Now, this info is from trailer manufacturers local to my house (there are two or three that I talked to when buying a light landscaping trailer a few years ago) and a couple of people that got tickets for different things.  Not exactly the ideal source for accurate information.  I think that depending on the weight of the trailer, under 2000 lbs is still ok with the S-hook with no closure. 

Brian

[buswarrior]

The issue with fastening devices and load security in general moving forward is a displayed rating.

If it does not have a classification or rating of some sort, it has become junk in the eyes of the commercial world.

Reputable manufacturers have been moving to imprinting on their product for many years now. Even the small ratchet tie downs are starting to come with labels.

Safety chains and all their hardware need to match the rest of the towing system and the weight of the towed stuff.

For instance, 1/4 chain with those 1500 lb wind up "C" loops does not cut it on a 5000 lb hitch system. Using an unmarked bolt and nut (maybe grade 3?) to fasten those chains to the drawbar... you get the drift.

For a little more, get your towing hardware at the commercial supplier, not at the big box store. The enforcement types will take one look, be somewhat surprised to see the familiar stuff, compliment you and send you on your way.

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[kyle4501]

Kyle,
. . . . Would SC expect compliance from out-of-staters?

Usually, SC will defer to the visitor's home state requirements.

[Barn Owl]

In state or federal parks it is not legal to have a gun on board period, no matter how secured or removed from its ammo.

Carry with pride my friends:

Right-to-Carry Takes Effect In National Parks

National Rifle Association of America, Institute for Legislative Action.