REVscene - Vancouver Automotive Forum

sebberry · 05-01-2011, 12:21 AM

I know that a class 5 driver needs an endorsement on his/her licence if the RV they are towing is 4,600kg or greater.

How often is this endorsement actually checked for? There's a lot of large 5th wheel RVs on the road and I wonder how many people are aware of this requirement.

Do the police/CVSE ever pull them over into weigh stations and check for the required endorsement?

I know someone with a trailer in excess of this weight and I mentioned this to them. When they insured the trailer they asked about this requirement and they were told it was not required. I worry that if people are relying on their insurance company to tell them there could be a lot of stranded travellers should they encounter an enforcement blitz.

seekerbeta · 05-01-2011, 07:33 PM

the CVSE does it alot out in Hope and Kent, friend was just caught doing that thing exactly. 300$ in fines and he had to buy and overweight permit

http://www.eaglemotorplex.com/forum/read.php?2,11431

Edison_Chen · 05-01-2011, 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seekerbeta

the CVSE does it alot out in Hope and Kent, friend was just caught doing that thing exactly. 300$ in fines and he had to buy and overweight permit

http://www.eaglemotorplex.com/forum/read.php?2,11431

There is some good information in that forum re: vehicle weights and requirements/plates and etc.

Soundy · 05-01-2011, 08:15 PM

^Edison's avatar is so cute it makes my brain explode into candy.

Edit: oh yeah, and the OP in that thread sounds like a RSer - "what a crock of s#@t". Really? What is? That you didn't know the rules and got busted? The CVSE officer even told him, it's the same rules that have been in place for years... as with so many questions (and "what a crock of s#@t" complaints) we see in this forum, the real fault lies with the poster not familiarizing himself with the rules of the road.

skidmark · 05-01-2011, 09:44 PM

I used to do it whenever I found one that looked interesting.

I also know it is easy to get in trouble with the GVW as unless you ask, an Autoplan Agent will sell you 1.5 x the curb weight of your vehicle as the licenced GVW.

sebberry · 05-01-2011, 10:52 PM

I checked with the owner of the trailer (that was in my first post) tonight. He said after checking with the insurer AND the Ministry of Transport, they were told twice that there were no requirements for licence endorsements.

Now, I know what you're thinking.. "why didn't he call ICBC". Fine. Why did the MoT and the insurer explicitly say there was no such requirement? Why didn't they recommend that they call ICBC?

Interesting that when they fine you for doing somethign dangerous, you can buy a permit to keep doing it. Can I have an overnight permit to speed? Drive drunk? Text and drive?

skidmark · 05-02-2011, 12:28 PM

I agree with you here. Why is exceeding your licensed weight a fine on an escalating scale that quickly becomes quite a significant fine. However, overload a vehicle beyond the weights that its manufacturer says is unsafe and you get a fixed price ticket that can be much less by comparison.

I have also been the victim of not knowing who to ask the question of. The weigh scales, traffic police and ICBC at head office come to mind as your best bets. After that, EnquiryBC.

sebberry · 05-02-2011, 12:36 PM

On a slightly unrelated note, why is it that some North American cars are rated with a lower towing capacity than the same car in Europe? Not talking about big RVs here, but the difference in ratings for my car mean in Canada I get stuck with a tent-trailer but in the UK the same car would be able to pull a decent small RV.

I'm guessing it is because NA drivers are generally treated like incompetent morons. (Driving curfews at night in tornado stricken Alabama right now because the lights are out).

Soundy · 05-02-2011, 12:53 PM

Maybe because "the same car" isn't actually the same in different markets? Like the Euro versions are outfitted differently? Bigger brakes, transmission cooler, little things like that?

I can get two different versions of my Jeep that have different tow ratings, too.

sebberry · 05-02-2011, 01:36 PM

It may be, but I don't think so.

I have an Outback, which has smaller brakes than the Legacy it is based on, yet in Canada it has a higher tow rating than the Legacy. No extra tranny/oil coolers.

Soundy · 05-02-2011, 04:17 PM

Or maybe Transport Canada simply has different regulations and ways that they gauge capacity, based on things OTHER than simply assuming that drivers are "incompetent morons". Ever think part of the problem may be that drivers are given TOO MUCH credit for their ability in the UK?

I mean, obviously not you, because you're a special case who's superior to us all, but you know... drivers in general.