Overloaded pickup truck.
Posted by Dogs_Breakfast78@reddit | Truckers | View on Reddit | 13 comments
Not sure if this would be the right forum, but I’m certain there are some DOT officers lurking in the weeds here that might be able to shed some light for me. This afternoon saw I fella pulling a camper trailer behind an old dodge ram pickup. The trailer was clearly more than the truck could handle plus he had the box of the truck loaded with crap. Anyways, I got to wondering if anybody has ever seen a situation like this get pulled over by the cops or by a DOT officer for being overloaded. Is this something that happens? If not, why? Because it should. A pickup truck overloaded by even a thousand pounds is far more unsafe than a tractor trailer overloaded by a thousand pounds. Truck driver gets a fine for that thousand pounds and buddy in the pickup carries on to the campground and enjoys his weekend. What gives?
StoneDruid@reddit
they should, just passed a pickup trying to pull a tractor up a hill in Oregon. apparently it failed cause it was burning to the ground
LonleyWolf420@reddit
Saw one in idaho that was to big for there rig and they lost control.. the entire top half the camper was on the left side of the road in pieces and the leftover flatbed was on the right..
The amount of cars I'm seeing tow camper this year is insane..
Saw a Subaru outback pulling a 16-20ish? Ft tandem axles trailer.. there's no way it's rated for that..
mr-doctor2u@reddit
I passed a mid 2015ish grand Cherokee pulling a 30ft camper up the tetons last summer. I never saw that rig again, I very much doubt it made it.
Temporary_Big8747@reddit
The truck probably didn't have a weight distribution hitch/anti sway bar. They're legally not required, but make a world of a difference when pullinga camper. It's easy to see camper pulling vehicles without this because the camper wobbles all over the lane & looks like a drunk driver. Personal vehicles towing towing their own normally don't get pulled over for this. Without one, your reaction time is very limited if some road obstruction or sudden maneuver happens suddenly because you don't have much stable control.
chico-dust@reddit
Personally I've never seen DOT/Highway Patrol pull over a pickup for being over their tongue weight but I'd imagine they probably respond to the inevitable Jacknife rollover when buddy catches a slight breeze.
EnolaNek@reddit
Dad used to use his old 1/2 ton Chevy to pull a trailer full of cast iron shit (can’t be much more specific without doxxing myself). Overheated his truck on flat ground multiple times, riding on the safety blocks, never pulled over for being overweight or anything of the kind. I hauled about 3,000 pounds of granite in the back of it at one point, no trouble at all going straight past a state trooper with a vehicle that was difficult to control due to the weight. I don’t think they give a rat’s ass what you do in a vehicle that is clearly being used for personal stuff.
beipphine@reddit
Truck drivers are professionals and do it for a living, and ought to know what they are doing therefore get less leeway.
Most 1/2 ton pickups towing a camper and a hauling a family to a campsite are over the GVWR.
potatocross@reddit
Hey I’m not over GVWR with my setup. But I absolutely see insane shit at the campgrounds.
I got a bigger truck because a 2000lb popup was too heavy for my old one and yet I see people driving the same truck pulling 30ft campers.
beipphine@reddit
The issue isn't the towing capacity itself, its the payload capacity, it can be as low as 1400 lbs on a new F150, add in at least 10% tongue weight of the trailer. Yeah, it can legally tow a 10,000 lb bumper pull 30' camper, with trailer brakes and a weight distribution hitch and a 150 lb driver. Add in 4 passengers, and all the crap you bring with camping in the bed, and you're overloaded.
potatocross@reddit
Yea. I know. Are you the same person that tried telling me I was over before?
I’ve had full blown arguments with idiots that don’t even know what my tow rig or my camper is before. I also know how to adjust my tongue weight by moving the weight in the trailer. I also have a very small camper.
But thanks for explaining what I already knew.
Dogs_Breakfast78@reddit (OP)
So that’s it? Because we should know better? That’s kind of weak.
I’m not suggesting everybody pulling a camper should have to go thru the scales (because there’s far too many variables to efficiently monitor every single vehicle towing a camper or utility trailer) but in a situation like this one today, where the guy was *clearly* pulling a load larger than his vehicle was designed to safely tow, shouldn’t there be some onus on him to “know better”?
nortyflatz@reddit
You don't live close to the border, do you?
Seen mattresses stacked 15 feet high. (Easy.)
Wooden garage doors stacked 12 high.
55 gallon poly drums up and over the cab, in a cage.
Did I mention "tire" hauling pick-ups? Those Cat 988 loader tires are about 3500# apiece. stack 3 of 'em in a flatbed and you're >10,000# ina pick-up....
TouchMyBoomstick@reddit
Unless it’s commercial then no. Can’t be a road pirate if you go after the poor ones, got to go after the fat and rich commercial vehicles.