CHECK YOUR TITLE FOR THE EW 26,000 or less

[RandyA]

This is especially true if buying a HDT:  Your title should have two weight sections, one for Empty Weight and another for GVW or your maximum fully loaded weight.  Commercial owners really don't care what the empty weight is - they only concern themselves with GVW.  Unfortunately, mistakes are made when a title is first registered and the EW may be recorded as equal to the GVW or over 26,000 pounds.  You know, DMV folks are not perfect and can make mistakes.  Anyway, if your EW should be recorded incorrectly (over 26,000#) you might play HE double toothpicks getting conversion approval for a motorhome or RV designation.  You may find that your DMV will refuse to correct your title. (Yes, different rules in different states.)  I ran into this problem when I  bought my VNL670 and the EW was reordered as being 26,500#.  The factory build weight ticket was 18,400#'s, the CAT scale tickets were right at 21,000# with a bed and fuel, the door plate was 24,000# but DMV refused to correct the mistake saying it should have been done when the vehicle was first titled/registered.

Just something to check for before laying down cash for a used truck you intend to get motorhome, rv or custom converted vehicle certification for.

[GlennWest]

Interesting. Hadn't heard of that one

[Pete Kildow]

So these people with 40K Class A motor homes would need there ratings at under 26K also? When I had my T600 Registered at a Motor home. There's no weight on the title. And was not asked that question.

Was told the under 26,001 rating had nothing to do with me. Unless I was commercial, that was by a DOT cop last week. Grossing 45K with my dump trailer.

[Steve from SoCal]

In Kansas ANY vehicle over 10K  needs a certified weight to register.    My neighbor is a seed dealer and his scale is what I used.     The Fla title had a weight on it but, the tag office wanted a recent actual weight.    

Steve 

[Big5er]

On 6/24/2019 at 9:32 PM, RandyA said:

Just something to check for before laying down cash for a used truck you intend to get motorhome, rv or custom converted vehicle certification for.

Randy, why does "empty weight" make a difference in what TYPE of registration you get? In my state registration goes by actual weight on a non commercial vehicle. So get a scale ticket, figure out which weight group you fall in and register it for the max weight in that price group. But if your motorhome weighs 30, 40 or 50000 pounds, so what?

[Sehc]

Trailer registrations in NJ are based on manufacturer's curb weight, empty,  not load weight.

[$ Spot]

On 6/24/2019 at 10:32 PM, RandyA said:

This is especially true if buying a HDT:  Your title should have two weight sections, one for Empty Weight and another for GVW or your maximum fully loaded weight. Unfortunately, mistakes are made when a title is first registered and the EW may be recorded as equal to the GVW or over 26,000 pounds.  You know, DMV folks are not perfect and can make mistakes.  Anyway, if your EW should be recorded incorrectly (over 26,000#) you might play HE double toothpicks getting conversion approval for a motorhome or RV designation.  You may find that your DMV will refuse to correct your title. (Yes, different rules in different states.)  I ran into this problem when I  bought my VNL670 and the EW was reordered as being 26,500#.  The factory build weight ticket was 18,400#'s, the CAT scale tickets were right at 21,000# with a bed and fuel, the door plate was 24,000# but DMV refused to correct the mistake saying it should have been done when the vehicle was first titled/registered.

This would have me finding another office, unless the focus is on the GVWR anyway. Just sounds wrong for a correction not to be made at the DMV when documentation is in hand.

14 hours ago, Big5er said:

 In my state registration goes by actual weight on a non commercial vehicle. So get a scale ticket, figure out which weight group you fall in and register it for the max weight in that price group. But if your motorhome weighs 30, 40 or 50000 pounds, so what?

I've been a reader here for just over 2 years, participant for just over 2 weeks, and recognize your state as Texas based on what I've read. Also based on what I've read at a TXDMV pdf along with a sticky here by David-and-Cheryl in the RV Action Items sub-forum, I thought that TX used the GVWR for registration purposes. Your comment here hits home as I'm en route to be a Texan as soon as I get there. If I use the GVWR to register, do I need a Scale Ticket as well? Thanks

     Spot

Edited June 29, 2019 by $Spot

[Big5er]

4 hours ago, $Spot said:

 I thought that TX used the GVWR for registration purposes. Your comment here hits home as I'm en route to be a Texan as soon as I get there. If I use the GVWR to register, do I need a Scale Ticket as well? Thanks

Texas uses gross vehicle weight (not gross vehicle weight RATING) plus heaviest load carried...so my HDT is registered for it's weight plus the weight of the smart (yeah, I know it's already paid its road tax, but when it is on the truck it is a LOAD). So YES, you will need a scale ticket unless it is currently registered as a MH and the title has its empty weight......but as cheap as it is to weigh it, take a scale ticket just to be safe. If I had to use GVWR, then my truck would be in the 55,000 to 70,000 bracket (oh hell no!) and I wouldn't be a Texan anymore. 
Here are the 2019 fees....

ALL VEHICLES
6,001 lbs. – 10,000 lbs. = $54.00
The annual registration fee for a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight of 6,001 lbs. – 10,000 lbs. is $54.00, plus applicable fees and local county fees.
Note: The gross vehicle weight of a truck is determined by adding the empty weight of the vehicle and the heaviest load that will be carried by the vehicle (carrying capacity) during the registration year.

WEIGHT BASED REGISTRATION FEES
Vehicles 10,001 lbs. or more will pay the following registration fee*, plus applicable and local county fees
10,001-18,000 lbs. = $110.00
18,001-25,999 lbs. = $205.00
26,000-40,000 lbs. = $340.00
40,001-54,999 lbs. = $535.00
55,000-70,000 lbs. = $740.00
70,001-80,000 lbs. = $840.00

 

EDIT:         BTW: welcome to Texas

Edited June 29, 2019 by Big5er

[$ Spot]

Thanks for the info and even more for the welcome to Texas When I read that portion of the pdf it made sense but seem to conflict with the chart that I found and the one that David-and-Cheryl have in their sticky that I mentioned earlier that has the GVWR as a determining rate factor. I've also read that it's good to have either a picture of the trailer's spec sticker or a spec sheet so the info on the pdf, which is what you've shared, makes even more sense. Thanks again my friend

     Spot

21 hours ago, Big5er said:

 

ALL VEHICLES
6,001 lbs. – 10,000 lbs. = $54.00
The annual registration fee for a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight of 6,001 lbs. – 10,000 lbs. is $54.00, plus applicable fees and local county fees.
Note: The gross vehicle weight of a truck is determined by adding the empty weight of the vehicle and the heaviest load that will be carried by the vehicle (carrying capacity) during the registration year.

     

Edited June 30, 2019 by $Spot

[Big5er]

$Spot, somehow I misunderstood your first post...and missed the word "trailer". My trailer is registered for 22500 lbs, which is empty weight plus carrying capacity as stated on the manufacturers tag on the hitch (also on the Certificate of Manufacture, since I bought new). Now, my Volvo is registered for 18000 lbs which was empty weight (as per a scale ticket) plus whatever the heaviest load I expected to carry and then rounded up to the max weight allowed in that weight category. Sorry for any confusion.

Edited June 30, 2019 by Big5er

[$ Spot]

On 6/30/2019 at 3:21 PM, Big5er said:

$Spot, somehow I misunderstood...……… Sorry for any confusion.

No, no, no, we're good. It's all clearer than before we chatted. Thanks again 👍

     Spot

[RandyA]

In Virginia you cannot just register a semi as a motor home.  You have to apply for a custom conversion and do all the DOT stuff.  If it passes you are given a new title as a motorhome.

When I did mine all was going smoothly until the agent noted the actual tractor weight was listed as 26,500# on the title.  For some "strange" reason Virginia will not do a custom conversion on any thing over 26K. (bus, truck, train ...........makes no difference).  I can not tell you why or how some folks get a Greyhound bus' title changed..... or maybe they don't?  Things are a little different in the bus world.

I was dead in the water with this news.  (stupid) DMV rules do not allow a title's tractor weight to be changed unless you are a certified or registered body builder.  I arrived armed with a photo of the door sticker showing under 26K, a CAT scale ticket showing under 26K and a piece of paper like a cash register receipt that showed the truck to be 18,000# when it rolled out of the factory door.  Those papers did nothing to convince them to change the title.  The agent apologized and agreed the title was wrong, but she could NOT change it.  BTW, the issue was taken to several higher-up's at DMV that gave the same answer,

So..... here I was back in 2009 with a truck I could not register in Virginia as anything other than a commercial vehicle due to a mistake on the title that showed the tractor's weight as being 26,500#.  The "computer" would not allow changing and if a DMV employee tried their job was as good as gone.

That is how SD got into the picture.  No problems getting a custom conversion RV title for a motorhome and tag. (NOT Private Truck!)

I have since heard of a similar incident  on one of the FB pages where a guy in one of the NE states had an almost identical problem.  His solution was to sell the truck and forget an HDT conversion.

The post was simply a "stop and look" warning if buying a new or used truck to check your title and the Licensing authority before you finish the purchase to be sure there are no weight mistakes on the title.  Everything differs from state-to-state.

[Pete Kildow]

12 hours ago, RandyA said:

In Virginia you cannot just register a semi as a motor home.  You have to apply for a custom conversion and do all the DOT stuff.  If it passes you are given a new title as a motorhome.

When I did mine all was going smoothly until the agent noted the actual tractor weight was listed as 26,500# on the title.  For some "strange" reason Virginia will not do a custom conversion on any thing over 26K. (bus, truck, train ...........makes no difference).  I can not tell you why or how some folks get a Greyhound bus' title changed..... or maybe they don't?  Things are a little different in the bus world.

I was dead in the water with this news.  (stupid) DMV rules do not allow a title's tractor weight to be changed unless you are a certified or registered body builder.  I arrived armed with a photo of the door sticker showing under 26K, a CAT scale ticket showing under 26K and a piece of paper like a cash register receipt that showed the truck to be 18,000# when it rolled out of the factory door.  Those papers did nothing to convince them to change the title.  The agent apologized and agreed the title was wrong, but she could NOT change it.  BTW, the issue was taken to several higher-up's at DMV that gave the same answer,

So..... here I was back in 2009 with a truck I could not register in Virginia as anything other than a commercial vehicle due to a mistake on the title that showed the tractor's weight as being 26,500#.  The "computer" would not allow changing and if a DMV employee tried their job was as good as gone.

That is how SD got into the picture.  No problems getting a custom conversion RV title for a motorhome and tag. (NOT Private Truck!)

I have since heard of a similar incident  on one of the FB pages where a guy in one of the NE states had an almost identical problem.  His solution was to sell the truck and forget an HDT conversion.

The post was simply a "stop and look" warning if buying a new or used truck to check your title and the Licensing authority before you finish the purchase to be sure there are no weight mistakes on the title.  Everything differs from state-to-state.

Man that would be tough for sure. Guess were lucky here in Tn. Truck weight was not even an issue. And lots of people have Class A's that  push the scales at 40K, so never give it any thought.

Same for our 5th wheel, nothing on the weight. Just a $14.00 per year I think renewal on the tag.

[RandyA]

8 hours ago, Pete Kildow said:

Man that would be tough for sure. Guess were lucky here in Tn. Truck weight was not even an issue. And lots of people have Class A's that  push the scales at 40K, so never give it any thought.

Same for our 5th wheel, nothing on the weight. Just a $14.00 per year I think renewal on the tag.

Ahaaaa........ Tennessee.  Yep, I was born and raised there.  We bought a new TT in 2005.  I decided to register it in Tennessee using my mom's address.  Sales tax would be higher but I would be free of that &X%! yearly 4% personal property tax assessed here.  A letter came back telling me I could not register the TT in Tennessee because I did not have a Tennessee driver's license.   Uh.... wait a minute here.  You cannot drive a travel trailer because it has no means of self propulsion.  Why would I need a driver's license?  Maybe I was just planning on parking it.  So, I thought I would try my defense and wrote a letter asking why I needed a TN driver's license for something that could not be driven.  The answer was simple - because that is what the regulations say.  Try to make a DMV rule make sense and it won't happen because it is in "the book" or what the "computer says".  It is like trying to buy something with an obvious $1.00 price tag at Lowe's that is missing a bar code.  Here is another one that makes my head itch:  Buy a big full featured slide-in camper for your pick-up that is more expensive than a TT - but it has no wheels.  Unlike the TT you do not need another tag, additional liability insurance, pay personal property tax, have State inspections or anything extra beyond what the PU requires.  In fact, it doesn't even require a title!  Moral?  It is best if your added mobile abode doesn't have wheels. 

[Pete Kildow]

21 hours ago, RandyA said:

Ahaaaa........ Tennessee.  Yep, I was born and raised there.  We bought a new TT in 2005.  Here is another one that makes my head itch:  Buy a big full featured slide-in camper for your pick-up that is more expensive than a TT - but it has no wheels.  Unlike the TT you do not need another tag, additional liability insurance, pay personal property tax, have State inspections or anything extra beyond what the PU requires.  In fact, it doesn't even require a title!  Moral?  It is best if your added mobile abode doesn't have wheels. 

Agree when we bought our Truck camper. That was in 2005, Did not have to do anything in the State of Tn. We made a trip to Denver Co. Paid cash for the Okanagan 8-11SL. Got back and was told being we paid cash. They did not need to see us.

Used it up until 2012, then sold it to a guy. Told him I have no title. Only a Bill of sale, and the paper work showing where we bought it.

But they sure made up on it when titling the 2012 Heartland Landmark Key largo. Then tried to sell me a Semi Trailer tag for it. And told me with it I never had to renew it. Good for the life of the trailer. 😱

[noteven]

O.M.G. - I just shelled out $476.00 Canuck dollars to register ...

5 trucks (including a Kenworth class 8)

and 2 motorcycles

fir a year

trailers are “permanent” one time fee as long as you own it...

ssshhhh don’t give our guvvermint genius’sz any ideas...

Edited July 8, 2019 by noteven

[Steve from SoCal]

52 minutes ago, noteven said:

O.M.G. - I just shelled out $476.00 Canuck dollars to register ...

5 trucks (including a Kenworth class 😎

and 2 motorcycles

fir a year

trailers are “permanent” one time fee as long as you own it...

ssshhhh don’t give our guvvermint genius’sz any ideas...

Whatzat Merican dollar two seventy eight?

 

Steve

[noteven]

You’d have to spend about $375.00 USD Steve.

Slide in campers aren’t a vehicle -no fees.

Oh but our dmv isn’t totally immune

I bought a home built utility trailer a friend did not need at his new place for $150. It is made with good workmanship, lights, reflectors, he had it for 12 years properly registered. I go to register it and it now needs an inspection and a “VIN created”.

$60-$100 for an inspection.

Then fix what they find “wrong”.

$150 for a VIN from an approved Creator of VINs once it passes inspection and then the new reg fee...

So the trailer was all legal yesterday but needs inspection ...

”It’s the rules...”

 

Edited July 8, 2019 by noteven