Im moving to alaska in a year and a half, driving from Northern California to Fairbanks. I will be using the truck in my sig to take my 10 foot cabover, and an enclosed trailer with my girls car and all our belongings. My total combined weight should be around 20,000lbs. Will I run into trouble at Canadian scales only being a 3/4 ton? Any info or expirience will be appreciated.

 

If the DOT's won't bother you with that load in Cali., they won't here. California is worse communist than British Columbia.

 

RV's don't have to report to weigh scales here so you shouldn't have any problems, besides GCW is 20,000 I think.

 

Washington state is as bad or worse than California. Canada was fine with me when I moved up here to Alaska.

 

That's true in both Alberta and BC. However, the DOT's are weighing RV's and personal vehicles in BC that look overweight. It is happening here as well, but I haven't personally seen it as much as in BC.

 

Basically keep your load looking neat and tidy and not dragging on the ground and all will be well. They will probably treat you better then us locals. But in a year and half who knows what great ideas they will come up with.

 

here in california the truck is considered commercial because it has an altered bed, meaning i have to stop at all scales. They don't go by the manufactures gvw, they go by tire rating. So, it doesn't matter how much spring i have, if there is an exhaust break, sway bars, nothing, just if i have 10 ply tires. Im asking so far in advance because im on a budget and it is very expensive to make the move. What is the max trailer weight up there with out a special license? over 10,000 here i need a class a, but only becuase of my altered bed, if i had a normal bed, it wouldn' t matter

 

Only if you're a licensed commercial vehicle over 4500 kg do you actually have to pull into the scales. If not, don't worry about the altered bed.

 

you will not have issues here, sure sounds like I would getta California too. By what I am reading I dont even want to go visit there. If you want to do anything seems there is a rule to make it tough. Your one tough deal going through BC will be to fight the urge to stop and stay there. That is one very beautiful province to travel in and visit. I have lived there, but they like to many rules too.

 

yah man, Ive been through B.C several times, a very nice place, i particularly enjoyed the area between Prince George and Rupert. But, you are right, the regulations are out of control, here in California and in Canada. That is why im moving back to the great state of Alaska.

 

Actually, in BC only vehicles licensed for 5500KG or more need to pull into a scale (unless of course the vehicle looks grossly overloaded and you are directed to do so).

If the trailer is licensed for over 4600KG, BC drivers require an endorsement on their license. If California requires you to have any special endorsements on your license, the local mountie would expect you to have it (if he knew the rules that you are supposed to follow).

As California is even more strict about vehicle lengths than OR, WA, or BC - I don't think that you are going to have an issue there.

For the most part you will find that the Mounties are pretty reasonable.

Don't do things to attract attention like going too fast or too slow. Being so heavy that the back bumper is dragging on the ground, etc.

Here are some sites you can do research on:
http://www.britishcolumbia.com/information
http://www.icbc.com/
http://www.kmbykm.com/index.html
http://www.rvda.ca/regulations.asp
http://www.travel-british-columbia.c...82003)GVWR.pdf
http://members.shaw.ca/behind.the.wheel/main.htm (written by a (now retired) RCMP officer)

 

Man I'm jealous!!! I wish I could move back right now....lived in Palmer (MatSu Valley) for four years April01 to April05 (military). Anyway I don't think you'll have any problems. Like someone else said....if you look "safe" you'll cruise right through.

 

To the best of my knowledge...

Alberta weights are per axle, max of the minimum of:
-10 kg (22 lbs) per cm of tire width (2.54 cm/in) (so, for a LT245R16... that = 2450 kg or 2450 * 2.2 lbs, but this is more than what would be stamped on the tire... see next bullet)
-tire rating stamped on the sidewall (at the inflation pressure indicated)
-regulated axle ratings (i.e. 9,000 kg for a single dual axle, 17,000 kg for a tandem dual axle, etc.)

Basically, go by what is stamped on the side of your tires. The other limits apply more to semi's and large vehicles of that sort.

There is no particular weight at which you require a special license/endorsement. It has more to deal with the number of axles and type of braking systems.

Enjoy the trip. When you see a truck pulling a three axle trailer, and that trailer pulling a two axle trailer... those are allowed to weigh 140,000 lbs. We deal with weight up here by sticking more axles under the thing.