Attention Visitors and Lurkers - Please Read and Respond to this Request

[bushpilot]

what bob says is true - but how many race haulers w/ a 30+ foot triple axle stacker do you ever see pulled over.

in my own GREAT state the MAXIMUM speed for travel trailers is 60/55 (day/nite) but you dont see that enforced EITHER.

 

most states have a maximum rv length of 45 feet.

 

http://www.woodalls.com/articledetails.aspx?articleID=2377513

[imadtchmn]

Oh Yeah, How do you get a picture of your rig under your screen name

 

in the signature part of your profile, just click the image icon and add the url of where you have the picture of your rig. You can use any picture site to do this with. Copy the url to the image http popup and save.

[jholderbaum]

How many people have been pulled over for having 40+' motor homes? I assumed that at least 45' would be acceptable across the US. My fault for assuming I guess. Every motor home I have looked at, Class 8 conversion of just Class A has been over 40' per the specifications.

[Chad Heiser]

There are length restrictions on motorhomes, but they are state by state. In CA for example, a motorhome up to 40' has no restrictions on travel. Between 40' and 45', you are restricted on what roads you can travel in the motorhome. Any motorhome over 45' is illegal in CA and cannot be driven on any road.

[bushpilot]

How many people have been pulled over for having 40+' motor homes? I assumed that at least 45' would be acceptable across the US. My fault for assuming I guess. Every motor home I have looked at, Class 8 conversion of just Class A has been over 40' per the specifications.

 

im 42 front to rear, 60+ w/ the jeep

we run houston to the northern tip of virginia (winchester) several times a year...NEVER been stopped (40 foot is no reason to stop us).

 

ive been stopped ONCE, in texas...for no front tag on the coach...got a warning (fwiw i dont run front tags on ANY of our vehicles, its a personal preference).

 

 

 

There are length restrictions on motorhomes, but they are state by state. In CA for example, a motorhome up to 40' has no restrictions on travel. Between 40' and 45', you are restricted on what roads you can travel in the motorhome. Any motorhome over 45' is illegal in CA and cannot be driven on any road.

 

my previous post #457 lists the restrictions/limits by state

[jholderbaum]

Thanks for the heads up. I guess it's up to me to decide if I want to worry about over-length in a legal sense. A 52' rig might be pushing it a bit, but if I can keep it down to the length of a prevost 45'er I should be ok. Anyone here hauling a large enclosed trailer full time or mostly full time behind a long rig?

 

Jess

[KU9L]

In 2007 when my aerospace electronics work went overseas we started RVing with a 19' travel trailer pulled by a 1/4 ton Ford Ranger. I also used it as a Toad when I delivered new Class C motorhomes and specialty trucks in an attempt to keep afloat financially. When our passive solar house in the mountains of Colorado finally sold in Oct of 2008, we bought a 2001 28' 5er. We tried to buy a bunch of HDT's, but only the darned Chevy dealer would finance us with a new 1 ton single cab 6.6L dually truck w/11' flatbed. A year later we upgraded to a new 35' 5er & eventually upgraded from a gooseneck adapter to a 5W hitch. In Aug - December 2011 on our 3rd warranty visit to the factory service center for our ailing new 5er, we spent a frigid fall in NW KS waiting to get emergency repairs. A day after leaving the factory service center we had a 10" crack in our outside slide corner wall from a misadjusted slide that the factory overlooked. We took our 5er to a friend to be repaired & adjusted, then sold it on consignment. After four years of workamping we found it difficult to work & make frequent factory visits at the same time. We traded trucks (more financing) & bought a Lance truck camper in which we tow a jeep rubicon. We spent the next year touring FL (winter) & the GPAA gold fields of WY (summer) having the time of our lives. After being told that Retama Village didn't want our kind (redneck motorhome/truck camper trash) we bought a park model in Fort Myers, FL which we have been remodeling on our days off while workamping this winter. We have decided to eventually rent out our park model & return to more full-timing roles. Although our Lance truck camper with super slide will go to the smallest remote campgrounds and boondocking sites near the GPAA gold claims, we find that living in 90 sf is a bit cramped while workamping. We've been watching NH the past few years and know that we will buy a NH 5er when we get a chance to finally upgrade our truck to a class 7 or 8. We still want to gold pan on some of the GPAA gold claims, and found many places that would let us park a large 5er nearby if we bring our jeep & gold panning tools with us. We also play with ham radio, do day trading, & a few other hobbies that workamping has hindered lately. I'd like to find the right combo of large 40-45' 5er with subdivided office pulled by a HDT that carries a rotating array of Smart car, ATV or side by side, etc. Can we have my cake & eat it too? We think so, it has been our dream for a while & glad we had a chance to refine our dream while we were out having fun rather than just workamping our way across the US. We have 14 years yet before we get a pension so have to find smarter ways to abundance than waiting for a ship to come in, LOL.

 

Dave & Sheila Knapp

[GITTIN LIT]

I GUYS MAINLY TRYING TO GET INFO ON GETTING MY SEMI LICENSED AS AN RV FOR HAULING MY PULL TRUCK AROUND THANK YOU JIM

[Kenwwilson]

My wife and I just bought a 1999 Volvo 610 last week. It has already been singled with a custom hauler bed and has a N14 select w/a 10 speed. I need to get a trailer saver hitch for it. We pull a 36' 4 Star 4 horse slant with living quarters. We enjoy riding mules in the mountains. The truck has a couple of air leaks that I have to fix and something is up with the electric trailer brakes. I have a fifth wheel plate ordered for the trailer, should be here today. I can't wait to hook it up and try it out. I had a Kenworth T300 with a cat 3126, The Volvo is a lot more truck!

[OldFlySwatter]

Hello Kenwilson, as they say around here "Welcome to the dark side". You've made a wise choice on your HDT. Just you wait until you get her all hooked up and head up into the mountains. You'll have to sit on your hands to keep from clapping uncontrollably. I know of what I speak......

 

I have a 99 Volvo 610 singled and pull a 4-Star four horse 38' foot trailer with mine. Mine has a M11 w/a 10 speed also. (Gets 10-12 miles per gal. loaded) The wife and I love to ride our horses and camp in the mountains also. We're also kind of fond of the flatlands. Great minds must think alike. A few weeks ago someone had a trailersaver hitch for sale on here in the "accesseries for sale" section. That's the hitch I've got on mine and love it.

 

You won't believe how much safer you'll feel coming down the mountain with your new breaking ability and your three speed jake brake. Going up the mountain with these units is great, but coming down them with these trucks is as my little grand-daughter says "more greater".

 

Ed

[beyerjf]

Lurked for a few minutes, then joined the forum. Lots of solid info here. 60 yo truck driver here recently divorced after 40 years, going fulltime in a Work and Play 34 FK. Still will do the trucking thing, and park the W&P where ever. Going to the HDT rally in Kansas in Oct 2013 for sure... see ya there

[Jim Hicks]

beyerjf, welcome to the forum! I look forward to meeting you at the Rally. I know there is a lot I can learn from a Truck Driver with your experience.

 

Jim

[ruthanns1]

Hello All, My wife and I are planning to retire 5-20-2016 and we have been lurking on your sight. We are going to be full timers and are looking into the HDT to haul

a 5th wheel which we are looking to purchase in the next year or so. But the tow vehicle we are looking to get sooner. Your sight has so much info I really like how you guys share your know how and all the info, and how you are willing to help someone just starting out. We are hoping to go to the Rally in Oct. and get to meet everyone face to face and pick their brain.

 

Hope to see you all then and chat.

Chip and Ruth Breighner-La Bounty

[Star Dreamer]

Welcome! The HDT rally is the best to check out HDT's, drive one plus see some wonderful full time 5th wheel trailers and be able to check out all the various modifications everyone has made.

 

Hope to see you there. Dave

[HollywoodSmoke]

Hello all,

Been a lurker for a while. Have been planting a seed in my wife's head for about a year. Im 52 years young and currently live in Aruba.

I know not such a bad place to live. I do miss the open roads of the U.S. though. The time line on purchasing my dream truck( Volvo 770 ) will be in the next few years. It would probably be on a half year basis that we would be on the road, calling N.Carolina home and Aruba the other home. I must say what a great sight if you ever need any kind of assistance.

So keep the rubber to the ground and I'm sure I will be reading up on all of the great articles on this site.

Best regards y'all !!

[utahbeemer]

Lurked for about 10 minutes then joined . I'm retired USMC officer, traveled full time w/my wife for two years. due to health issues we stopped, issues resolved. looking to start traveling again. had a 41' toy hauler and a Dodge 1 ton dual lie, w/ a 600hp motor plenty of go, just not enough stop. Looking seriously at a HDT. A used trailer and maybe remodeling it some (38-40') length. Knowledge is power, and not repeating the same mistakes is empowering. Not to mention more cost effective.

[HERO Maker]

Welcome,

 

Continue to read and enjoy learning everything you can about these big guys.

 

I, like you, always like learning from others who have been there and done it (right or wrong).

[Mekanic]

New guy here from Ohio. I have a RV I built I call the U-RV (F-700 & 24 ft U-haul box) I tow a trailer with my Jeep on it on my vacations.

Edited July 10, 2013 by Mekanic

[jkoenig24]

Hi Heavy Haulers, I'm John. I've been an intermittent Lurker since learning there were Heavy Haulers. I didn't start RVing until 2010 when I bought a 17' Casita Spirit Deluxe travel trailer to facilitate a trip to the Burning Man Festival in Nevada's Black Rock Desert. My tow vehicle then was a 2004 Toyota Sienna minivan. That first trip was 22 days driving from NY to Rice, TX to pick up my fiberglass "egg" at the Casita factory. I headed out from Rice, through rush hour traffic in Dallas and, on to Nevada. I had a great first experience! In 2011, I retired and did a 4+ month trip out west. On that trip, the AC on my Toyota died on a 102º day. The 10+ hour drive to get to Oshkosh, WI was brutal. 2012 saw me get a 2010, Mercedes Benz Sprinter van. Its a 3500 series with the high roof and long wheelbase. I did two trips (South to Florida+ for five weeks starting in March and then, four months out west starting mid-July). I'm currently on the road and, would like additional space my 17' Casita can't provide. I can see myself as a full timer for the next five+ years so, its time to get a serious rig. While at the Tom Johnson CG in North Carolina last year, I saw a Class 8 pulling a large 5th wheel and, it had a Smart car up behind the cab! This seems like an ideal way to go. In the 70's, I drove a transit bus in NYC. I've driven large fire apparatus. I'm not cowed by large vehicles. I don't have any experience in class 8 tractors though. I'm hoping I can learn enough here from all the experienced haulers so as to be able to get the "right" class 8 the first time. Reading various posts, it sounds like Volvo makes class8 trucks that make a good truck ~ house conversion. I expect there are others. I need to learn about class 8 trucks; what's very reliable, who gets the best fuel economy, where to find / buy a class 8 without getting burned, what modifications are recommended and how to go about those mods. Diesel engines, how old is too old? Are pre-DEF worth looking at? I'm sure I'll be thinking of lots more questions. As to a 5th wheel, I'm hearing good things about Montana / Keystone units. What else is really good? What should I stay away from? I'll stop now and peruse this forum some more; I have a lot to learn. Informed advice will be most welcome! Thanks in advance! Regards, John

[rickeieio]

There are some tried and true units for sale here. Some are killer deals. As one who bought a rig piece meal, I HIGHLY advise that you consider a complete unit.

 

Look in the "For Sale" section of the forum, and then do a search on that person's post to get a feel for their character. But I'll tell ya now, I've been lurking and then posting since sometime in about early '09, and I can't think of anyone with a rig that I wouldn't trust.

[HERO Maker]

John. Welcome. Learn all you can and don't skip the Resource Guide, Jack's website as well as Mark's.

 

Come to the Rally in October and check out some of the rigs there. There could even be a few for sale. Depends on how fast you want to pull the trigger, but like rickeieio said, there are some great complete packages out there now.

 

Enjoy the hunt!

[Mike62]

I have been lurking for the past year! I have read all the information I could find. I am going to upgrade to HDT as soon as the wife and I retire in the next year or 2. I have not been able to find information on if singling a freightliner is possible or not? Yes I know the Volvo is easy but the cost of used trucks is going up because of cali emission laws. If someone has some in site please share it with me.

[Randyretired]

I singled an older (99) FL a few years ago. It was as easy as any HDT. I don' t know about the newer ones but I would expect them to also be simple. Make sure you like the truck before you single it. We didn't like the FL and sold after a trip.

[HERO Maker]

Make sure you like the truck before you single it. We didn't like the FL and sold after a trip.

Wow! That's Great Advice! And it sounds like singling it was not the deciding factor!

 

Good advice. Drive a few and imagine the next 5 hours in it, for a few days in a row!

[Big5er]

Drive a few and imagine the next 5 hours in it, for a few days in a row!

And then you will buy the Volvo. They are sweet to drive, right Rocky?