Sean H

50k? i think myco is in the high 70's now and american is even higher.. there are a few 100k+ tilts running around...

Ratickle

What do you mean overweight?

RHC

Most of the info here is correct,,, but I can tell ya ,,It just depends on the Cop,,, for a fact the Fed Department of Transportation law is 8 foot 6 inches wide and anything in excess needs a wide load signage / then state laws come into play ie: a permit for daytime hauling / some city limits are banned between the hours of 2;30 thru 6;00 ,,,, yada yada yada,,, so the question is ,,, how legal do you want to be??? then you always have the insurance question,,, Do ya feel lucky to day???? Good luck,,, as I say ,,, depends on wheather the Cop left his house happy or not !

RHC

Steve H

I was feeling lucky awhile back. NOT! I got what I had coming. A $350 ticket for no signs or permit. I knew I was in trouble as soon as I saw the tape measure clipped next to his gun. And no He wasn't an armed carpenter in a blue suit driving a cop car.

Steve H

27daytona

This is the fourth season for my 35' cat and I was pulled over by a commecial CHP, my luck had run out. I was over width, no CDL, over registered weight on my Kodiak pick-up. I guess my stupidity saved me from a huge ticket in california because the officer gave me a fix it ticket which I am in the process of completing. It has been a long road to be legal. I can get an oversize permit for Cal. cheap but have not checked into an interstate permit. I intend to vacation at LOTO in June of 2007 so any info would be helpful. I will have my CDL and may just pull the trailer and hope to not attract attention to the boat with a wide load sign. Kind of funny how we need a CDL to pull our boats with a big truck and are required to go thru scales, but not if you pull a camper or toy hauler with the same tow rig. I still go past the scales. I do have a pick-up bed on my 5500 Kodiak and it does say no pick-ups on the sign at the scales. Doug

Ted G

iTrader: (1)

If you are making a trip at a specific time there are services that will obtain all the permits and give you a synopsis of your trip. You just give them the info and they take care of it. I'll try and post a link.

bgchuby01

CALIF anual permit is 90.00. going through arizona is 15.00 for a 3 or 5 day permit. This stuff is not that hard. Most states are letting you run sunrise to sunset. calif will let you run 24/7 but you need lights on the outside of the boat at the widest point. florida lets you run saturday until noon.

Here is the kicker. for florida if the boat and trailer are over 15,000 pounds then the truck needs a GVW of 26001 to be legal. they are saying that so you need a class a license to drive it. most of you buy trucks with a rating of under 26000 GVW to bypass the bigger drivers license. Now in florida be carful. it is a new law. Bottom line is under 10 ft is easy for most of you. If you get up to 11 or 12 foot wide then you need to be more on the ball.

Crazyhorse

Proper permits are a must but most permits services can only provide you with interstate highway permits, not county/city road permits. It's been my experience that if you contact the local law enforcement agencies that they are more than willing to allow you access as long as you can provide insurance and registration credentials.
No, a CDL is NOT a requirement unless you are towing your boat as a matter of business such as a race boat being transported to an event. This is viewed as a commercial transport, not a personal trip to the launch ramp. Some states do require an airbrake endorsement if you have an airbrake-equipped tow vehicle but Michigan, my state of residence, does not. Some states require any vehicle over a certain weight, quite often 26,000 lbs., to cross all scales. Again, Michigan does not.
I sold a 2000 Ford F350 crewcab dually and bought a single-axle Freightliner FLD112 with sleeper just because my insurance companies both (truck and boat) will not pay a claim if the GCWR of the tow vehicle is exceeded. My boat weighs 14500 lbs on the trailer and the dually was rated to 12,100.
The Freightliner meets Michigan motorhome requirements and is licensed/titled and insured as a motorhome. I do not pull the boat for anything other than pleasure use so I am not required to hold a CDL in Michigan or any other state, even though I may have to cross the scales in states other than Michigan.
One other fact the Buzz at Performance Marine Associates relayed to me- my insurance underwriter does not insure overwidth boats during highway transportation. The actual wording may leave you a little leeway but I can virtually guarantee you that a 14-foot wide boat is not going to be covered if there is a mishap.
I researched my particular issues with both my insurance carriers as well as with the Michigan Secretary of State, Dept. of Transportation and Michigan State Police just to make sure I was legal in every respect.
One other thing- insurance companies consider poker runs, fun runs, and almost any other planned outing as an "organized event", which means NO INSURANCE COVERAGE!!!
Please talk with your insurance company or your agent and read your policy very closely. No matter what your agent tells you GET IT IN WRITING from your underwriter, not your agent, as to whether you have coverage.
Yup, the Freightliner is placarded "Licensed Motorhome" on both doors. I've been approached by Sheriff deputies and State Police, both to say it's a nice-looking tow vehicle, one of them mentioning that it looks great going down the road. 10+ Miles per gallon too.

LostinBoston

Thanks for the info in FL. Im going to look into an annual permit. We only have a few blocks to the ramp, but woudl like to play it safe. We are under 15k but 10'9" wide. so we shoudln't have a problem with our sierra.

Crazyhorse

This is directly from the Florida DOT website. Read the exemptions, specifically the fourth one. Note that the key phrase is "recreational purposes".

http://www.hsmv.state.fl.us/ddl/dlclass.html#non


CDL Exemptions

The following persons are exempt from the requirements to obtain a commercial driver license:

* Drivers of authorized emergency vehicles that are equipped with extraordinary audible warning devices that display red or blue lights and are on call to respond to emergencies;or
* Military personnel driving military vehicles; or
* Farmers transporting farm supplies or farm machinery, or transporting agricultural products to or from the first place of storage or processing or directly to or from market, within 150 miles of their farm; or
* Drivers of recreational vehicles used for recreational purposes; or
* Drivers who operate straight trucks (single units) that are exclusively transporting their own tangible personal property which is not for sale.
* An employee of a publicly owned transit system who is limited to moving vehicles for maintenance or parking purposes exclusively within the restricted-access confines of a transit system's property.