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Re: [RC] Flatbed trucks and Weigh Stations - Dyane Smith

Yeah, I went with the Ford because I also needed a bigger payload to
accommodate the pin weight of the gooseneck and because I waited until the
last day of the Employee Discount sale to make up my mind.  There are enough
tradeoffs in the pickup industry to cause permanent meltdown in potential
buyers.

I am looking into changing out the axles (they are torsion axles which
apparently can't be just raised).  I don't really want to raise the trailer
because I have ramps for my old, arthritic gelding, but I'm trying to scope
out all possible solutions.

It doesn't bear a lot of thinking about, but being addicted to horses must
be a lot like being addicted to any other drug.

Dyane

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Laney Humphrey" <laneyhh@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, September 30, 2005 10:06 AM
Subject: Re: [RC] Flatbed trucks and Weigh Stations


Two comments, one probably not useful, one maybe:
1) not all new PUs are jacked to the sky.  That's one reason I've loved
my Chevy/GMCs 4x4s - they aren't very high.  That won't help if you've
already bought a truck that's a skyscraper.
2) I had the same problem of older gooseneck with newer truck.  There is
some adjustment in the gooseneck itself, i.e., the hitch can be raised
which helps.  Even doing that, my trailer always rode at an angle.
That's hard on the rear most tires and axle and also the reefer which
likes to be level.  I finally had the axles raised which was pricey but
not nearly as much as buying a new trailer!
Laney

Dyane Smith wrote:
Hi, Gary,

Thanks for the explanation.  I haven't been stopped yet.  This is all in
an
(over) abundance of caution.  My new truck is arriving next month and
I'm
trying to figure out how to make it all work (very tall truck,
relatively
short gooseneck).

One of the other Ridecampers suggested getting an aftermarket pickup
bed.
I'm going to look into that.

One particularly irritating thing about all this is that, at least as I
understand it, RV'rs are exempt from this bed requirement.  So also are
people hauling for agriculture, which makes me wonder why horse trailers
would not be considered a version of agriculture.

Dyane

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Gary Fend" <garyfend@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Dyane Smith" <sunibey@xxxxxxxxxxx>; <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, September 29, 2005 7:30 PM
Subject: Re: [RC] Flatbed trucks and Weigh Stations



I went through what you are going through a few years
ago because of my work vehicles.  I did a lot of
research and talked to DOT, CHP, and DMV.  Before
going into detail, here is the bottom line.  All
trucks and vans in California are commercial vehicles
(look on your registration and it will say so, or your
license plate will be in the format of a number
followed by a letter and then a bunch of numbers).
All commercial vehicles are required to stop at weigh
stations but pick ups are exempt.  If you remove your
pick up bed--you are not longer exempt.  Once you are
considered a non-exempt commercial vehicle there are
various levels of further requirements depending on
your vehicle weight and length.
Here's what happened to me.  We have a bunch of vans
set up with instruments to do stack emission testing.
One of the vans is a cut off with a box installed.
One day after many years of clear sailing the driver
was pulled over for not stopping at a weigh station.
No citation was issued (maybe because it was a
government vehicle) but the driver was told to stop at
all weigh stations in the future and get a safety
check and certificate.  That's when I started calling
around and found there are a lot of un-enforced laws
on the books.  Including the requirement that all
commercially licensed vans stop at inspection
stations.  We complied with the officer's request to
stop for inspection for about 6 months but got tired
of being waved through the inspection so we
discontinued the practice.  We have not been stopped
since.  It all boils down to how bored the CHP at that
weigh station is.
I also know a landscaper who converted from a
pick-up/trailer to a stake bed truck to save on bridge
tolls until he was pulled over for not stopping.  He
has gone back to the trailer.
BTW, where were you stopped?

Good luck
Gary


--- Dyane Smith <sunibey@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:


It turns out that in California, if you take the
pickup bed off your truck (because they are making
the 4x4's skyscrapers, now) and replace it with a
flatbed to get the bed under the gooseneck of a
trailer built before 2000, you have to register as a
Commercial vehicle, get a Class A license, keep a
log and stop at all weigh stations.

Anyone else having these problems?  Are you
stopping?  Did you get a new license?  How did all
this work out for you?

Makes me insane.  The GVWR of the truck is 11,400;
the trailer 12,000.  But, the CHP assures me that
even a little Ranger would no longer be classified
as a pickup if you removed the bed.

Anyway, I'd appreciate ideas.

TIA

Dyane





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=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

 Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
 Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
 Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp

 Ride Long and Ride Safe!!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=






=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp

Ride Long and Ride Safe!!

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Replies
Re: [RC] Flatbed trucks and Weigh Stations, Gary Fend
Re: [RC] Flatbed trucks and Weigh Stations, Dyane Smith
Re: [RC] Flatbed trucks and Weigh Stations, Laney Humphrey