does a motorhome and trailer have to pull into the commercial scales?

[xracer144]

I have run thousands of miles with various motorhomes across Canada and the United States. I always see motorhomes pulling trailers sitting in line with the semi trucks to scale. I notice this as I drive past with mine and nobody has ever given chase. Am I missing something? Should I be scaling too? I'm in a 29ft bumper to bumper class c pulling a 16 ft total length trailer.

 

[Ned]

Private RVs are exempt from the weigh scales.  I can't recall ever seeing an RV in line at a weigh station.

 

[Chet18013]

I would think that the only RVs you would see going on to a scale are the new ones, being driven by a commercial driver. These would qualify as commercial rather than private vehicles.

Chet18013

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

The only RVs I've seen at highway weigh stations are those that are commercial in nature, e.g. have some commercial logo/ad on their side or are pulling a trailer with commercial goods.  If you are strictly private, you are not required to stop. Nor do they want to stop.  Agricultural checkpoints are a different matter, if you have produce onboard that you are transporting across state lines.

 

[Ron]

The only time you need to drive a private RV through the scales is if the HP stops you and issued an invitation.  I am aware of at least two cases in which such an invitation was issued both to 5th wheelers.

 

[Marsha/CA]

As side note on this discussion, in Oregon when the scales are "closed", you can pull in on the scales and get a read out.  It's very simple to do and free.

Marsha~

 

[dave95.1]

Signs in Nebraska say commercial vehicles AND Pick-ups pulling trailers.  Doesn't say anything about RV's so I never stopped with the motorhome, but see plenty of pick-up pulling 5ers stopped.

 

[ArdraF]

Pickups pulling trailers may be included because some states (such as California) register ALL pickups as commercial vehicles.  I believe it stems from the fact that so many pickups are used by people in the construction industry and such.  These people were registering their pickups used for business as private vehicles so the state changed the registration to make all pickups have commercial license plates.

ArdraF

 

[SNOWDOGSX2]

On Rt 13, south of Dover Delaware there is a weigh station with a sign posted prior to it stating "All vehicles over 10,000 lbs. must stop", this really surprised me as I am a retired state trooper who was in charge of the commercial vehicle unit in my troop in NY and never saw such a thing. I drove by it without stopping but I guess I could have been ticketed for disobeying the sign.