If someone, lets say a husband and a wife, had money to burn and they wanted to buy a tractor and trailer and just travel the country, would they have to follow the same regulations as any common carrier? Would they have to log and follow HOS? Would they have to pay special taxes and be plated in certain states? Keep in mind they would not be hauling any freight just more or less vacationing in a tractor-trailer.
My question is not why would they want do this but rather could they do this?
Vacationing in a tractor-trailer
Discussion in 'Questions To Truckers From The General Public' started by choo choo train, May 19, 2007.
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you would have to have them registered as an RV that is the trailer would have to have living quarters in it and the tractor would have to be rergistered as a non comercial vehicle and under the 26000 lbs gross vehicle weight which would make it real hard to do since most tractor weigh around 19 to 20000 lbs by them selves. and you would still have to have at least a class b cdl with air breake endorsment to fit in this catagory. Now if you get a class 6 rig and haul a 5th wheel trailer then you are in the ball park.
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In order for the tractor to be registered as an RV it would have to be a single rear axle.
I cannot imagine why any one would want to vacation that way. Get an RV so that you have all the amenities of home that way. -
That sounds like a nightmare vacation!
GAPrincess Thanks this. -
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Another issue that pops up is the suspension on a semi when you put a 5th wheel or other type of camper behind it. The suspension is rated to work with a miuch heavier load, and a s a result it transmits the bumps and any shock loading into the frame and hitch of the travel trailer. They aren;t designed for that stsiff of a suspension, and as a result they can be easily damaged. There is an inexpensive way to modify the trucks air ride suspension to compensate for this, but unless you know about it, you won't have a very long life out of a camper being pulled by a class 8 truck. Most class 6 size trucks are designed so that they can have a lighter weight suspension, to get around this particular problem.
If you were to go through with it, contact me and I can inform you how to build "ping tanks" which is how you solve the problem. It's a fairly cheap solution, requires a little fabrication at home. -
The more I think about this I would have to ask why would they want to do this? -
a big beautifull Peterbuilt with a 500 Cummins pulling a 53 ft RV.
People could bow as I passed, it would be awe inspiring.
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Don't take this too seriously guys. It is a hypothetical situation. You know how you see these millionaires on TV tricking there cars and trucks and whatever just because they can. What I was thinking about is a guy who has everything but has always wanted to drive a tractor-trailer. I wasn't suggesting that he pull an RV. I was just thinking that the guy and his wife would travel the country and see it from a truck drivers view. He would buy a new Pete 389 loaded with all the bells and whistles. He could pull a flat bed or a box. It really doesn't matter. They could sleep in the sleeper or get a motel room when they wanted.
I was just curious about the regulations. It would be his own truck to do with what he wanted. He would have a class A CDL. Would he have to get his own authority or pay any kind of taxes? He wouldn't be hauling anything or working for anyone. Again, don't take this too seriously.... -
There is a Motorhome out there that is exactly what you are talking about. It's called a Toterhome, made by Renegade, Haulmark, and now Pace American. These are usually Freightliners trucks with 16' or 17' sleepers. They are licensed as motorhome and can be used to pull gooseneck traliers up to 48'. They have refrigerator, cooktops, showers, kitchen sinks and are all accessible from the driving compartment. This is what DOT says are require in order to be classified as a motorhome.
Many of these units are used to pull race trailers. The key to these trucks being LEGAL to drive without a CDL, is they must be owned personally, and anything you haul must be owned by you also.
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