truck legality and trailer ideas

[ironpig70]

buddy is looking to put a utility bed on his truck and then an overhead camper. i've beentold that in ca a utility bed changes your truck classification and thus you must scale out. but cannot find anything. any insight???

option #2 is to use a long goose neck trailer or fifth wheel but neither of us know the techincal differences so if someone could explain it thanks :D any way want to take and drop a overhead camper on the front and put the rig(jeep) and quads on the back. which leads me to the next question any body have the maximumm specs on lenght and width of trailers in ca or is it measured from the bumper of the truck to the rear of the trailer.

[70~K5]

buddy is looking to put a utility bed on his truck and then an overhead camper. i've beentold that in ca a utility bed changes your truck classification and thus you must scale out. but cannot find anything. any insight???

option #2 is to use a long goose neck trailer or fifth wheel but neither of us know the techincal differences so if someone could explain it thanks :D any way want to take and drop a overhead camper on the front and put the rig(jeep) and quads on the back. which leads me to the next question any body have the maximumm specs on lenght and width of trailers in ca or is it measured from the bumper of the truck to the rear of the trailer.

The utility bed is a "gray" area depending on the motor carrier officer he's talking to at the time, but with the camper on it should be OK.
Over all lenght is from the forward most point to the rear most point including the load. max width is 102"s and max length is 70' for a semi, IE 5th wheel. Truck and pull trailer max is 65'.

[ironpig70]

let mee see if i read you correct

truck equals 25' so trailer can be 40'

truck equals 25' so fifth wheel is mid bed so 5' in so that means a 50' fifth wheel

now thats a big ass trailer now i assume that their is an axle restriction and weight as well. where can i find weight and axle requirements because we both are class c drivers(as in a car)

[SanDiegoCJ]

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/cdl_htm/sec1_a.htm

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/cdl_htm/lic_chart.htm


Those two links give you the basic info.

[64Trvlr]

I have a utility bed on my truck and have driven it all over CA, with and without my trailer. I've never been stopped or had to scale it. Maybe the out of state plates helped?

[70~K5]

I have a utility bed on my truck and have driven it all over CA, with and without my trailer. I've never been stopped or had to scale it. Maybe the out of state plates helped?

Do you have commercial plates on your truck? Az has the non-commercial PU plate and California doesn't. Also as I said it depends on the DOT cop and I see utility bed trucks running through the scales in the SF bay area. Someone has told these people they need to go thru the scales.

[ironpig70]

you can get non commercial plates in ca but you have to ask for them. but who in their right mind would own a truck and not have commercial plates :D

[70~K5]

you can get non commercial plates in ca but you have to ask for them. but who in their right mind would own a truck and not have commercial plates :D

Yes if you have a shell on your PU. But if the PO-PO catch you carrying anything in a open bed without commercial plates you'll get a big ticket for it. Where as AZ has a special plate for PUs used by non businesses.