[Vision2020] Does your RV need a diet?

[April Fingerlos]

Something tells me my 1400lb gelding would not be happy riding on the back of my husband's BMW650 or Suzuki 650DR... For his benefit, I'll keep my living quarter, three-room horse trailer for his benefit, thanks! :-) 

I have a reader-service article on truck selection for horse trailer towing, published late last year in Horse & Rider magazine, going up for an American Horse Publications award. I might add that the whole overweight/DOT number/weigh station issue is an extremely controversial topic. Select states started enforcing existing DOT rules on any vehicle over 10,000lbs (calculated in four different manners) in an attempt to capture road use taxes that were leaking through their fingers (Idaho is wishy-washy on the whole deal, of course!). The crackdown three years ago by Latah county enforcing "T" plates on trucks 3/4 ton and greater caused a bit of a stir, too--again, to ensure trucks were registered properly for their weight and road usage. Last year, Washington nearly passed a law that would have enabled the construction of checkpoints and weigh stations on state highways, not just freeways and US highways. Those of us that haul with our purpose-built vehicles know everything you've posted, or they'll learn it at the many interesting classes at the event in Lewiston.  It's when we see unbelievable stupidity such as this:

http://fuglyhorseoftheday.blogspot.com/2008/02/nhr-but-too-good-not-to-share.html 
http://fuglyhorseoftheday.blogspot.com/2007/10/look-ma-no-brains.html

...that we get really scared. REALLY scared.

FWIW, the motorcycle convention/rally didn't interest hubby and I one tiny bit. I was headed for a horse show that day, and I think hubs was under water, harassing fish and chasing shrimp somewhere in Puget Sound. Gotta prioritize those interests, you know!

April

April Fingerlos
Moscow, ID