Driving a privately owned Semi

Howdy TTNJ,

My Pete, is legally titled and registered as a "Motor Home" in my home State of Washington, it has tandem axles and a air cell cushioned articulating 5th wheel hitch. I have been traveling with such a rig for the last 6 years have been in every State west of the Mississippi and quite a few east of it and I have NEVER been stopped or hassled in anyway. I don't have any type of commercial insurance as its not needed, nor do I have commercial plates, they are not needed in my application.

Each State has its own requirements but if your LEGAL in your home State you are LEGAL throughout the entire country. That said regardless of how you are plated, licensed or insured you are subject to local weight and lenght rules. My rigs over all lenght is 72 feet, and so I "could be" subject to being over lenght in many places I have driven my rig but as I am a legal RV, I have yet to be pulled over or cited for this.


I do NOT stop at scales as I am NOT commercial and I have NEVER been cited for having not stopped. I know over 75 people on a personal basis that use an HDT as an RV tow vehicle and very few of those people I know who tow their RV trailers with a LEGALLY converted HDT have been pulled over and to my knowledge none of them have been cited for it. Like a lot of things in life, you pay your money and take your chances with some cop who enforces but in some cases doesn't know or understand the law who may have had a bad day. Drive on, enjoy your life, its to darn short to do otherwise.

I carry in the cab of my truck ALL the paperwork I need to show that what I am doing is LEGAL to include the State laws governing what an RV is, how "I" an licensed, and how the truck ( now Motor Home ) is titled, registered, plated and insured. Does this mean that I am immune to getting a ticket, no it doesn't but eventually someone who knows and understands the law will see through the mess and sort it out in my favor.

Dave

 

Hi Dave

I don’t disagree with anything you stated. Every state is different and as long as you follow your home state regulations you can travel wherever you want to.

Glad to hear Washington is a bit different, I have travelled west of the Mississippi and found more hassle that way than to east, never been to Washington though. Like you stated, doesn’t mean you won’t get a ticket but eventually you will get to somebody who knows the rules and the ticket will be rescinded. I had issue with weight stations and state fuel use taxes that way, had to pay the $ to keep moving but eventually I got everything back.

Scales can be tricky but you should follow exactly what is stated. Some scales say commercial vehicles, you wouldn’t have to enter but I would. Some say all trucks over 5K LBS must enter, we both would have to roll through. Just read the signs and follow what it says.

Care to share a photo of that Pete?

 

Howdy TTNJ,

There should be a photo of my Pete, and the trailer on the bottom of my posts. If you have your account on this web site setup not to show signatures you won't see the photo. Click this link, it will take you to the photo gallery covering the build on this truck during its conversion.

My 2001, Peterbilt 379, RV Hauler - Mr-Cob

When it comes to scales the key word is "TRUCKS", my Pete, is no longer a truck it is a Motor Home, a legal Recreational Vehicle, and therefore not subject to the DOT rules governing trucks.

Dave

 

Very nice!
I just bought this 07 379. Owning a 379 has always been a dream of mine. I run a small sales agency and have never been a real truck driver so this is just a hobby for me.

I never thought of the word “truck” as it relates to something titled as a RV but I see how you get around scales now....like I said though read the signed and follow what they say as they differ state to state.

What are you pulling behind the Pete?

 

Howdy TTNJ,

Nice Pete, love the color.

Many years ago late 1969-1972 when I drove truck for a living something as nice as my Pete was a dream indeed, now that I am retired I drive for pleasure not work and can afford to waste my money on toys before I am dead. I am towing a 45 foot long, 22,000 pound toy hauler trailer with an 18 foot long garage in it. In the garage will be motorcycles of all types or my latest and most favorite toy a CAN AM Maverick X3 XRC turbo-charged rock crawler. Gettin old sucks but as long as I can still play with big iron and smaller toys its a win, win.

Dave

 

LOL...the only good part about getting old is having the $ to do whatever you want to do, if you are lucky. Sounds like we both got lucky!
This is actually my 3rd rig, first one was 89 international 9307 that I sold about ten years ago. Second one still sits in the driveway and was a 86 white Volvo, it gets picked up next weekend as I sold it when I bought this Pete. It was under a restoration and I never drove it, and by never I mean it was shipped in and never left the driveway in the year I owned it. Found the Pete and Decided to be done with it. So all 3 trucks combined I bet I haven’t driven 6K miles, still learning how to shift gears.
The reason the Volvo never got competed was I got busy converting an old Mayflower moving van into a rv trailer. It’s 45’ as well and I can put 3 horses plus the golf cart in the back and take the wife to her horse shows or I put the dirt bikes in the bike and my sons and I will head off racing dirtbikes. Trailer will be finished within the next month or so and in the meantime I kept our Class A. I have attached a few photos of the trailer as well. Needs a new paint job and a few minor plumbing stuff done but it’s pretty close to being completed.

 

Howdy TTNJ,

My first HDT RV rig was this Freightliner which I bought as a turn key setup, it had already been converted and registered as a Motor Home.

I drove the Freightshaker for 5 years and close to 75,000 miles draging my toy hauler all over the western half of the country. It was a great truck for RV use turned much tighter then the Pete, but it just wasn't what I wanted.

Three years ago I bought the Smart Car, hauled the car in the trailer for two years but the car took up half the garage in the trailer leaving little room for toys. So two years ago I decided to build a truck the way "I" wanted it so I found the Pete and the rest is now history. So far I have towed my trailer with the Pete close 25,000 miles. I travel a lot more miles then most folks who do the RV thing but when you live in an extreme corner of the country every time I go someplace and return its a long trip.

Building a trailer like you are doing is great, you get things the way YOU want them. I am lazy and lacking in the skills it takes to do such a thing, so I just bought a nice trailer that suits my needs.

Dave

 

Well just caught up this and learned a lot! Good info for my (not so far away) older years!

Good stuff!