Phil D

In Gainesville, VA, at the Hillwood Camping Park for the duration of this work assignment, which will likely last until sometime this fall.

Before taking it to the shop, check your Owner's Manual. There may be something as simple as a fuse or two that need to be inserted to enable full functionality of that circuit. If nothing simple or obvious like that can be found, then you're almost certainly going to have to take it to the dealer, since, with no voltage on the trailer brake wire in either socket, the trailer brake wiring circuit appears to be open.

No, it wasn't a fluke, Rick. There was a provision in the single sticker law that if the current inspection on a vehicle was still valid when the initial renewal under the law came due, then the vehicle wouldn't require re-inspection. I'd thought that was for renewals on vehicles with annual inspection stickers during the first year of the program (March '15 through February '16), but obviously it's good for vehicles with valid biennial inspections, too. That said, it's not going to work as you're hoping for that trailer, unfortunately, because under the new law, the inspection that you just had done in January isn't good for a year like it used to be, it's good until your registration expires -- in November.

Unless you're replacing an axle for some other reason, ratio changes are generally accomplished by just swapping out the carrier. I would caution you about going into the process with a "target" ratio in mind, as you're discussing. Many factors enter into the selection of a final drive ratio, and a large, arbitrary change can easily result in a very poorly performing truck.

I'm not familiar with any Teton model being named "Limited". Their top tier models were always, to my knowledge, the "Royal" line.

Welcome back to "civilization", George. Sorry to hear of your employment misfortune. The low oil prices are putting the hurt on a lot of us that work in the oil and gas patch. Best of luck in your quest to get your travel arrangements straightened out.

That rig looked a lot better (and happier) when I last saw it, northbound on TX 6 a little over a year ago. It didn't have all of that white stuff on it!

Better look into a pintle hook on the back of your fiver so that you can double tow a fuel tanker to feed that hungry "buzzin' dozen", but it sure will be singing a pretty song while it polishes off that load of fuel!

The problem, unfortunately, is one of semantics. Traditionally, pickup beds came in two sizes. The nominally eight foot "long" bed (at least 96" long front of bed to tailgate), and the nominally six and a half foot "short" bed (at least 78" long from front of bed to tailgate). In recent years, in conjunction with the gain in the popularity of crew cab pickups, truck manufacturers have added a less than six foot bed (typically only offered on half ton models, I believe) that allows a full crew cab, mini-bed pickup that's no longer than an extended cab, long bed pickup. In fact, the same chassis can support either the EC/LB or CC/MB configuration. Where the problem comes is that the industry now refers to the less than six foot "mini-bed" as the "short" bed. The former "short", 6 1/2 foot bed is now known, if I'm not mistaken, as the "standard" bed. So, when your RV dealer or your RVing buddies tell you that towing a fiver with a short bed pickup requires a slider hitch, they're referring to YOUR configuration. But when you go ask the salesman at your truck dealership, who's probably only dimly aware of pickup history, at best, and knows nothing other than what he/she finds in his/her manufacturer-provided reference materials, he or she will tell you that no, you don't have a short bed pickup, so you must not need a slider hitch.

I've had my fifth wheel inspected in the Rio Grande Valley several times. If DeMontrond RV also services what they sell, I would think that their service department could do it. Maybe you'd have better luck talking with the service manager there, rather than a clearly less-than-knowledgeable salesperson. If they don't, check other RV service facilities. Sooner or later, you'll find one that is knowledgeable enough to take care of you. An inspection for towables is pretty much what you said -- tires, lights, etc. I can't remember if they moved the combination to check for trailer brake function last time or not.

The most recent information that the state has given to the Escapees office is that the former "out of state" exemption is being restored. Next year (September 2015) you'll be unaffected, according to some of the news articles that have been posted, since your inspection will be good beyond your then current registration. Effective the following year your inspection will expire in September, along with the previous year's registration, and you'll have seventy-two hours upon arrival at your destination in December to get everything inspected.

They intend to have the inspection status tied directly to the vehicle registration process eventually, Stan, but that's one of the "startup" problems. The program is set to kick off in less than eight months, but the database of valid inspections to which inspection stations are to directly input the information is not ready, nor is it expected to be ready when the combined inspection/registration goes live in March. So, for the time being, everybody will get a certificate from their inspection mechanic to take to the Assessor/Collector's office when they renew (no word yet on how the certificate is to be tendered in conjunction with online renewals, since many Texans avoid having to make the trip to a registration office like the plague), with the electronic version to follow some day. The inspection data will be manually input from that certificate at the time of registration/renewal processing, so it will be available to LEOs and plate scanners, but it will be an "after the fact" entry for the foreseeable future.

Blues, I was as surprised as you were by the recent announcement, because I was, indeed, under the impression that the needed revision would have to be made during the next legislative session, not as a part of any administrative action. The original out-of-state exemption had been removed, supposedly, as a result of the new legislation, so whatever relief could be obtained would have to come the same way, according to what I was told. I have only heard once from Escapees, in the person of Mr. Koca, in a response to the long, detailed email that I'd sent them back when they originally solicited input from Escapees members that would be adversely affected by the new law. HIs reply indicated that, at that time, they were speaking to the agencies involved, along with members of the legislature, and that the points that I'd raised in my email would be presented to them, but I was still left with the impression that it was all being done with the intent of getting something ready for immediate action when the legislature returned for their next session, and that nothing could be expected before then. As far as the concerns expressed by some that enforcement of the inspection laws will suffer due to the lack of a sticker, well, they're not doing all that well with the current system, either, so the compliance level will almost certainly go up. Just this morning, on the way to work, I passed an old pickup truck bearing current registration and an inspection sticker that had expired at the end of October of 2012 -- and the vehicle's appearance was such that it should have caused every LEO that it's passed in the last twenty months to look for a current inspection sticker. It's also true that anyone willing to evade the inspection requirements by falsely stating that their vehicle is out-of-state likely won't be discovered unless their registration is run through the system by a LEO for some other reason. For that reason I'd have to think that, should any of us that take advantage of the out-of-state exemption in the future be "stopped" by a LEO for any reason during the seventy-two hour grace period, they're going to be very aggressive about forcing us to thoroughly document our vehicle's continuous absence from Texas, but that's a reasonable expectation.

While we're all going to have to wait for the details, it appears that what they're doing is reinstating the original inspection exemption for out-of-state vehicles. It didn't previously preclude the possibility of online renewal, and there's really no reason for it to do so now. Obviously no one seeking the exemption is going to appear at an Assessor/Collector's office to request it, so they're going to have to establish a procedure for invoking the exemption, for both mail and online renewals. For the online renewal, it could be something as simple as checking a box stating that the vehicle is currently out of state, or as detailed as clicking on something that takes the applicant to a statement or affidavit for completion. There was also no limit to the number of years that the exemption could be taken previously, so long as the vehicle was continuously absent from the state, and there's really no practical reason that they'd need to limit it now. If something is compelling a Texan to be elsewhere, that is punishment enough. Mark or Teri, I apologize if you thought that I was calling out a lack of precision in your post. That certainly was not my intent. I was simply trying to point out that some folks had commented on this topic in other Forums, either instead of or in addition to posting on this one, and that they may have elected to reply elsewhere, even if they'd been active in this thread. I had already done so myself, and didn't think it appropriate to place duplicate posts in multiple threads.

There are multiple threads in several of the various Fourms on this topic, and this same notice was posted to several of them. There are responses there, too, so there have been more than two comments posted about it.

I agree with Jack. Those that will see little or no impact don't understand what the big deal is, and those of us likely to be severely impacted are impatient for a solution that's going to be months in coming, if indeed one is offered at all (a solution has been promised, but we all know how little politicians and bureaucrats value their promises). Many have speculated in this thread about the underlying motive for the change, but that is irrelevant at this point. Those responsible for the provisions of the new law have been accused of ignorance, stupidity, carelessness, and many other unflattering attributes, but whatever the reason for which it was done, the fact remains that the former inspection law had two clearly defined options that granted relief to Texas residents that were traveling out of state when their current inspections expired, and made the system work for them as well as those that remained in-state -- options that were clearly inserted into the law over the years because they addressed a recognized need -- but for some reason they were summarily deleted in the rush to set up this new system, instantly putting many Texans that either know or suspect that they are likely to be out-of-state and unable to return on a timely basis at some point in the future in serious jeopardy of being unable to register their vehicles without also having to establish a new domicile (and quite possibly also re-insure) elsewhere, something that many of us are unwilling and/or unable to do. The "solution" is as simple as reinstating the former option for the vehicle owner(s) to defer inspection until up to three days after returning to the state and reaching their final destination, although the DPS and TxDMV would have to develop a mutually agreeable new procedure by which the owner(s) could inform (or, for legal purposes, possibly affirm via affidavit) the DMV that they're invoking that option at the time of renewal, instead of just not getting the vehicle in question inspected, as was done under the old system. They could also reinstate the option to have a vehicle safety inspected in another approved jurisdiction, but there are at least four significant drawbacks to doing so: 1) As stated earlier, it's an option available to so few out-of-state Texans as to be nearly useless, 2) As with the first option, it would require the development of a procedure to notify the DPS and the DMV that this option is being utilized in conjunction with renewal, 3) It results in a second windshield sticker, defeating the purpose of the new system, and 4) It would create an exemption from emission inspection for vehicles that are registered in and may ultimately be returning to a county in a non-attainment area, something that the US EPA might disallow.

That is the list of states (and the District of Columbia) that I referred to in my earlier post. Not all of those jurisdictions, however, as mentioned in the FAQs on that link, will inspect Texas-registered vehicles, and most travelers and out of state workers aren't going to want to have to temporarily register their vehicles in another jurisdiction just to obtain an inspection. That list also becomes moot upon the implementation of Texas' new combined inspection/registration program next year, since the new law, as currently written and on the books, is entirely dependent on either obtaining a certificate of inspection from a Texas inspection station to be physically submitted with the registration renewal, or the inspection station's entry of a record of inspection into the as-yet non-existent, state-run database of vehicle inspections. That's the reason for the urgency to obtain some kind of relief via an amendment to the law implementing the new system very early in the next legislative session. They've created this mess for Texas residents traveling and/or working out of state when their registrations become due precisely because they removed the "obtain an inspection within three days of arrival" and the "obtain a qualifying inspection in another jurisdiction" options in conjunction with the implementation of the new system.

No, that's not a viable solution for many that may find themselves in this situation. While not widely known, that solution actually existed in the prior law. Texas had an extensive list of states having safety inspection programs that met or exceeded the standards of Texas' program, and an inspection sticker from any state on the list was accepted as legal until expiration by the DPS, even after the vehicle returned to Texas. But there was a two-fold problem with that solution, the first being that it only helps if the Texas resident happened to be in one of those states in his/her travels on a timely basis, and secondly, many of the states that were on the Texas list of acceptable programs won't allow a sticker to be issued for a vehicle that is not registered in that state. Once those states that won't permit the inspection of out-of-state vehicles were "discounted" from Texas' list of acceptable programs, the list was so short that the exception became virtually useless to most affected Texans, as would still be the case were it to be reinstated.

Yes, that's what I was told. Unfortunately, the changes passed to create the new inspection/registration process explicitly removed the portions of the former law that allowed for inspections to be deferred until the vehicle returned to the state. Presumably that's the reason that a solution can't be obtained via DPS rulemaking, since the current law has no provision for deferrals of any kind. One would think, though, that it would be reasonably simple and uncontroversial to introduce a bill to reinstate the old language, with the addition of a provision stating that the procedure for obtaining a deferral (affidavit, etc.) will be determined by the DPS.

I'm in very much the same situation as is Jack, except that my schedule is even less predictable. Back when the Escapees Legislative Affairs staff requested input a few months ago, I sent them an extensive description of the situations that can arise, both for "continuous travelers" that would likely find it difficult to get back to Texas on a regular enough basis to keep everything inspected and registered, and for those of us that work "on the road" and have little to no control over both when and how long a period we may be out of the state. I was subsequently told that it would be passed on to the appropriate committee that is expected to consider solutions for the upcoming problems surrounding the new inspection/registration program during the next legislative session. For those that come back to Texas on a regular basis but have one or more vehicles that have registrations that come due when you're likely to be out of state, there is a solution IF you're able to return to Texas once (per vehicle) to fix it. If you renew in person at one of your home county's Assessor/Collector's office (I'm told there is no provision for doing this in conjunction with an online or mail renewal), they are able to sell you more than twelve months' registration, which can put all of your vehicles in the same registration "window" when you're most likely to be "home". In my case I renewed my wife's car for seventeen months, moving the renewal month from June to November, a month in which I'm somewhat more likely to be "at home" than June, and in the month when my pickup is also due. Because my absences are work-related I'm still in need of the same relief that others are looking for during the next legislative session, but moving that one vehicle from June to November helped the situation somewhat.

The most interesting thing about your experience, Wayne, is that you got the system to issue you a three year registration. Others have previously reported, starting several months ago, that they were unable to obtain multi-year registrations online, as they'd been removed as an option in anticipation of the upcoming single sticker system.

What a surprise, Jeff! I thought that you and Cindy were fixtures at Harrisburg East. Have a great summer!

The affidavit that I'm referring to is provided by the DPS at the time of application for a Texas drivers license in conjunction with moving into Texas, upon which the applicant affirms that he or she has registered all owned vehicles in Texas. It has no other usage, so far as I know, so it most likely isn't available online. While Texas requires that you affirm that you've registered all owned vehicles in Texas, I'm sure that in the case someone that owns two residences, and owns a vehicle garaged at their "other" residence, an exception would be made, since that vehicle isn't intended for operation on Texas highways. Lots of folks are in that situation, and it's done all the time. I live in a subdivision comprised primarily of travelers, mostly RVers, in south Texas. Plenty of my neighbors are registered and licensed in South Dakota, because that's where they're domiciled. It works and it's legal, because they spend less than six months in Texas. None of them that I know of, however, are domiciled in Texas and carry South Dakota licenses and registrations. If that were to become a commonly used method of evading the new common inspection/registration law, however, I suspect that South Dakota-domiciled Winter Texans will be seriously inconvenienced, as every LEO in Texas would then view a South Dakota registered vehicle as a potential scofflaw Texan. This is why it's essential that Texas changes the new law to provide an exemption for Texans traveling and/or working out of state under the new process, just as currently exists under the existing inspection law.

The order that Barb describes is the ONLY order that is supposed to work anywhere in Texas when moving into the state, because: 1)You must sign an affidavit stating that all of your registered vehicles are registered in Texas in order to obtain a Texas drivers license. 2) You cannot register those vehicles in Texas without first having them inspected in Texas. In conjunction with that first inspection, the inspection station will issue a VIN certification slip that is required to complete the registration process. As Jack and Barb both stated, once you're registered, you won't be asked again about it. Given that Texas law requires their residents to have all vehicles registered there, whether they subsequently verify it or not, I suspect that it would be best to obtain a drivers license from the state in which you elect to register your vehicle(s), should you no longer wish to register in Texas.

Jack, I saw you and Danielle headed north on TX 6 going through Bryan on the 12th. Your rig looks quite impressive on the road.