Virginia RV Laws

[dgorila1]

VIRGINIA: Maximum RV width 102 in.; maximum motorhome length 45 ft.; maximum trailer length 45 ft.; maximum RV height 13.5 ft.; maximum combined length for two-vehicle combination 65 ft. Riding is allowed in truck campers. Overnight parking in rest areas is permitted unless posted otherwise. RVs allowed in the HOV-3 (carpool) lanes if there are three or more occupants. In the Tidewater area, RVs are allowed in the HOV-2 lanes only if there are two or more occupants and the gvw is less than 10,000 lbs. Tunnel Regulations: Maximum height 13 ft 6 in. Maximum of two approved propane gas tanks 20 lbs. each. Tanks must be turned off when going through tunnels.
RV Safety Requirements: All trailers: safety chains. Trailers over 3,000 lbs.: trailer brakes, breakaway switch. State Driving Laws: Right turn on red allowed, unless posted otherwise. Wipers on/lights on. Front-seat passengers are required to wear seat belts; children up to 5 yrs. must be in child-restraint safety seats. Radar detectors not permitted.
More Information: Department of State Police, P.O. Box 27472, Richmond VA 23261-7472; (804) 674-2000

[wickcopland]

Wow....Just saw this...I have a 2006 Show Hauler that is 46ft long..tow a 32ft tri axle trailer that is 27,000lbs when loaded...been doing it for 6 years and never been even stopped or questioned....

[dgorila1]

Originally Posted by wickcopland

Wow....Just saw this...I have a 2006 Show Hauler that is 46ft long..tow a 32ft tri axle trailer that is 27,000lbs when loaded...been doing it for 6 years and never been even stopped or questioned....

That's just what the official posting is from the DMV website. Enforcement is a whole other question :-) I don't think they'll be able to tell you're 1 ft over in length unless you got stopped and they checked the registration or other identifying info for the trailer. I do notice that certain times of the year, the state police but more often the Motor Carrier/Safety division of the Va Beach Police and sometimes Chesapeake Police like to sit on the interstate near the popular truck routes/off ramps and pull over trucks hauling debris to the dumps or loaded dump trucks. I think they make some good revenue catching overweight and safety violators. Just look for the white Sprinter Vans with blacked out windows sitting in the median. I've never seen them pull an RV yet.I think you would have to have an obvious violation for them to do so.

[Bob86ZZ4]

If they're commercial vehicle enforcement units, they can't pull over a legally licensed private rv. C.V.E. officers are usually not police/trooper/sheriff officers. They are primarily citizen officers and most states they can only enforce the commercial truck regulations. The key to look for is if they have a gun. Now, they all work under some sort of law enforcement agency. So they can certainly radio a cop and get you pulled over and then assist the officer in figuring out what/if any laws are being broken. So it's best to be nice to them.

[hot rod]

I'm surprised showhauler even built that unit a 46', 45' RV length has been a national standard for years. Should not really bother you though, only 2 places length is automatically checked, some scalehouses have a laser that checks that at the same time they weigh you, but I suspect you are not crossing scales. Also, they can do the same thing at some turnpike toll booths, but those personnel aren't dot cops so you should have no problem there either. I know for sure that the WV turnpike checks width and length automatically, I know someone who was towing an overwidth sailboat and got the redlight at the toll booth and had to backtrack and find a way around the whole state...

Most states now have 72' max, but some still have the old 65', either way you are way over. In the past, race rigs like that have pretty much gotten a free pass when licensed as an RV but that is all changing as the states are hard up for money. Some states are actively targeting racers, defining you as a commercial vehicle with the theory being you race for a purse so it is for profit. Also, racers are an easy target for overweight tickets, most of the smaller trailers are overloaded as soon as you put in a racecar and some tools, add a atv or golf cart and you are way over. I know a local dirt racer who had to pare down everything in the trailer, go with a smaller atv and really be careful to get the weight down to what the trailer was rated after an expensive ticket. Check out some of the forums on Old Hippie, they have a bunch of racers posting on there. The guy that runs the forum is selling a similar rig that was way to long and going to something smaller.