Current one ton owner... Looking for better

[MrSeas]

Don"t know if Arizona has any "garage" laws......

I seem to remember this Arizona topic being discussed here a short time ago and it was an issue that was not easily dealt with IiRC.

[Big5er]

 

So i guess my question is, if i drive a vehicle registered as a motorhome in another state does the registration as motorhom negate the CDL requirement? or does the fact I am an AZ resident over ride the states designation as a motorhome?

 

damn these grey areas are so insane!

"Motorhome" registration has nothing to do with CDL law. The "C" in CDL means "commercial". Even a moped can be a commercial motor vehicle under the right circumstances.

But to answer your question, other states will allow you top drive whatever your home state allows. So if your home state says it needs a CDL, then that is what you need. If your home says you can drive it with no special license then that is what you need. Now, when you slap those "commercial" plates on your HDT and your state also requires a CDL, you will be working extra hard to convince the folks in other states that you are not a commercial vehicle. It can be done, but it could be a nuisance.

 

i understand all of what you are saying and thats where it gets interesting. in the eyes of the law an LLC is a complete and separate entity from your person, the exception being Taxation LLC's are pass through tax entities but that doesnt matter here. So the LLC can own assets itself. its actually a fairly common practice amongst class A rvers from what I recall when my father was a full timer.

 

The question comes about since this is technically a bit different, instead of avoiding registration fees, this is about vehicle classification.

 

i wonder if AZ realizes how much revenue it misses out on with its dumb laws

After having batted this around with several colleagues, we have pondered what is an LLC? It is a Limited Liability Company...a business entity. So you, as an individual, are driving a company owned vehicle, as a benefit of your association with that company, whatever that association is. Recreational usage of CMV's is only exempt from the fed regs if profits are claimed as income of your tax return (and yes, the use of a company vehicle is taxable income. Trust me, I know since I have one.) and corporate sponsorship is not involved. Since the vehicle belongs to the company, wouldn't that constitute "sponsorship" of whatever endeavor you are engaged in? Those are not easy or cheap tickets. And those violations of the FMCSR's are out of service violations. Driving off isn't an option, well I guess it could be, unless you want to take a big gamble since some jurisdictions say that driving an OOS vehicle is a jailable offense, others simply impound the vehicle until the OOS violations are corrected. Getting an AZ CDL while your vehicles are impounded in Texas is gonna be a pain in the you know what. Especially since at that point everything you are transporting becomes your "cargo" (travel trailer, smart car, motorcycle, etc) and no one is going to let you off load cargo from a vehicle they are impounding.

Is it likely that this could happen? Not really. Is it possible? Well, yeah, it is possible.

[evilgto]

"Motorhome" registration has nothing to do with CDL law. The "C" in CDL means "commercial". Even a moped can be a commercial motor vehicle under the right circumstances.

But to answer your question, other states will allow you top drive whatever your home state allows. So if your home state says it needs a CDL, then that is what you need. If your home says you can drive it with no special license then that is what you need. Now, when you slap those "commercial" plates on your HDT and your state also requires a CDL, you will be working extra hard to convince the folks in other states that you are not a commercial vehicle. It can be done, but it could be a nuisance.

 

After having batted this around with several colleagues, we have pondered what is an LLC? It is a Limited Liability Company...a business entity. So you, as an individual, are driving a company owned vehicle, as a benefit of your association with that company, whatever that association is. Recreational usage of CMV's is only exempt from the fed regs if profits are claimed as income of your tax return (and yes, the use of a company vehicle is taxable income. Trust me, I know since I have one.) and corporate sponsorship is not involved. Since the vehicle belongs to the company, wouldn't that constitute "sponsorship" of whatever endeavor you are engaged in? Those is not an easy or cheap tickets. And those violations of the FMCSR's are out of service violations. Driving off isn't an option, well I guess it could be, unless you want to take a big gamble since some jurisdictions say that driving an OOS vehicle is a jailable offense, others simply impound the vehicle until the OOS violations are corrected. Getting an AZ CDL while your vehicles are impounded in Texas is gonna be a pain in the you know what. Especially since at that point everything you are transporting becomes your "cargo" (travel trailer, smart car, motorcycle, etc) and no one is going to let you off load cargo from a vehicle they are impounding.

Is it likely that this could happen? Not really. Is it possible? Well, yeah, it is possible.

 

 

I wonder if you are over thinking it. an LLC doesnt have to be a for profit entity (I also have 2 LLC's right now)

 

an LLC is primarily a vehicle to limit liability to ones person, not always used in conjunction with business but usually (for example instead of my NFA Trust i could have formed an NFA LLC)

 

Now the question is pretty much this

if the vehicle is registered as a motorhome or recreational vehicle not bearing any commercial plates, and is driven by a person in a state where a CDL is not required to drive a motorhome, is it driving a motorhome? or is it driving a class 8 commercial truck?

 

lets take the LLC out of it entirely... someone visits from out of town, and offer to let me test drive their truck... is it a violation of the law that I am driving a commercial vehicle in that case? or is it a motorhome?

 

who wins in this case i guess is the primary question, does the state claim that even though this vehicle is clearly marked, registered, and being used as a motorhome that it is in fact a commercial vehicle therefore requiring a CDL?

[Big5er]

Now the question is pretty much this

if the vehicle is registered as a motorhome or recreational vehicle not bearing any commercial plates, and is driven by a person in a state where a CDL is not required to drive a motorhome, is it driving a motorhome? or is it driving a class 8 commercial truck?

I answered that. You are required to have whatever type YOUR HOME STATE requires.

Drivers Licensing and Vehicle Registration are the only two items that are reciprocal in any state. You can register your HDT in any fashion that is allowed by your HOME STATE (motorhome, private truck or commercial vehicle) and drive it all over the country with whatever license is required by your HOME STATE. It isn't hard to find out what your home state requires and issuing a citation for wrong class of license is easy.

 

if the vehicle is registered as a motorhome or recreational vehicle not bearing any commercial plates, and is driven by a person in a state where a CDL is not required to drive a motorhome, is it driving a motorhome? or is it driving a class 8 commercial truck?

Go read the definition of a CMV. Your HDT qualifies. Then there are exemptions...the one we are interested in is the recreational usage one. As I said before, anything, even a moped CAN be a CMV. So, taking the totality of the circumstances, you tell me what you vehicle is. It is not simply based on registration or the type of vehicle. You asked half of two questions and put them together. The DL law of the state you are driving in does not matter. That is determined by your home state. Whether you are driving a motorhome or a commercial vehicle is a totally different matter. What you are driving could be both. Your question, as asked, can not be answered.

[evilgto]

I answered that. You are required to have whatever type YOUR HOME STATE requires.

Drivers Licensing and Vehicle Registration are the only two items that are reciprocal in any state. You can register your HDT in any fashion that is allowed by your HOME STATE (motorhome, private truck or commercial vehicle) and drive it all over the country with whatever license is required by your HOME STATE. It isn't hard to find out what your home state requires and issuing a citation for wrong class of license is easy.

 

Go read the definition of a CMV. Your HDT qualifies. Then there are exemptions...the one we are interested in is the recreational usage one. As I said before, anything, even a moped CAN be a CMV. So, taking the totality of the circumstances, you tell me what you vehicle is. It is not simply based on registration or the type of vehicle. You asked half of two questions and put them together. The DL law of the state you are driving in does not matter. That is determined by your home state. Whether you are driving a motorhome or a commercial vehicle is a totally different matter. What you are driving could be both. Your question, as asked, can not be answered.

 

 

You completely glanced over my simplification of the question.. if you came to PHX today, and lent me your truck for a test drive.. does the classification of your vehicle suddenly change to a commercial vehicle?

 

btw I dont mean to come off as argumentative, I am trying to understand the idiocy of the regulations out there, none of this makes logical sense.

[Big5er]

I drank a Dr. Pepper before I typed this. Let me slow down and try again.

 

 

does the classification of your vehicle suddenly change to a commercial vehicle?

To give you the answer you want to hear, it does not...provided that you are using it strictly for recreational purposes. It is mine and not yours. If it is properly and legally registered in MY HOME STATE, then it is properly and legally registered in YOUR state (and every other state). As long as you are legally licensed in YOUR home state to drive MY motorhome, then you may "test drive" it anywhere in this country. Come to the rally in Kansas. My Texas motorhome and your AZ CDL will be fine. Texas says my truck is a motorhome and AZ says you need a cdl, therefore what Kansas says is a moot point. If you don't have a cdl from AZ then Kansas could give you a ticket, since AZ says that is what you MUST have. If I come to AZ, I expect to need to prove that Texas does not require me to have a CDL, since that is what they are familiar with. They are capable of learning this fact on their own, but I am prepared to assist them in their search.

 

But my vehicle is already a CMV, by definition. There is no "change" of classification to be made. It is exempted from the commercial regs, not by how it is registered in my home state but by how it is used. That is why your LLC "could" cause you a headache. My HDT is a class 8 truck. It is also a motorhome. It is also a commercial motor vehicle that is exempt from the Federal Regulations governing CMV's.

 

How my vehicle is registered (in Texas, as a motorhome) does not define whether it is commercial or not. The two are not one and the same. Any vehicle, motorhome, car, moped CAN be a commercial motor vehicle. Our HDT's are CMV's based solely on their size. I deal in facts...the totality of the facts. That is what I do. Your question is not what and how you need to be asking and will lead you to the wrong conclusion.

 

"Do I need a special license to drive my motorhome?" No.

"Do I need a special license to drive my motorhome.....to the drag races where I make money?" Totally different question..and different answer

"Do I need a special license to drive my motorhome....it's really really big and over 26,001 lbs" Again, totally different question..and again different answer

"Do I need a special license to drive my motorhome....it's really really small" No.

"Do I need a special license to drive my motorhome...and I haul dynamite in it"

 

There is no simplification of the question. There is only the question.....the whole question.

[evilgto]

I drank a Dr. Pepper before I typed this. Let me slow down and try again.

 

 

To give you the answer you want to hear, it does not...provided that you are using it strictly for recreational purposes. It is mine and not yours. If it is properly and legally registered in MY HOME STATE, then it is properly and legally registered in YOUR state (and every other state). As long as you are legally licensed in YOUR home state to drive MY motorhome, then you may "test drive" it anywhere in this country. Come to the rally in Kansas. My Texas motorhome and your AZ CDL will be fine. Texas says my truck is a motorhome and AZ says you need a cdl, therefore what Kansas says is a moot point. If you don't have a cdl from AZ then Kansas could give you a ticket, since AZ says that is what you MUST have. If I come to AZ, I expect to need to prove that Texas does not require me to have a CDL, since that is what they are familiar with. They are capable of learning this fact on their own, but I am prepared to assist them in their search.

 

But my vehicle is already a CMV, by definition. There is no "change" of classification to be made. It is exempted from the commercial regs, not by how it is registered in my home state but by how it is used. That is why your LLC "could" cause you a headache. My HDT is a class 8 truck. It is also a motorhome. It is also a commercial motor vehicle that is exempt from the Federal Regulations governing CMV's.

 

How my vehicle is registered (in Texas, as a motorhome) does not define whether it is commercial or not. The two are not one and the same. Any vehicle, motorhome, car, moped CAN be a commercial motor vehicle. Our HDT's are CMV's based solely on their size. I deal in facts...the totality of the facts. That is what I do. Your question is not what and how you need to be asking and will lead you to the wrong conclusion.

 

"Do I need a special license to drive my motorhome?" No.

"Do I need a special license to drive my motorhome.....to the drag races where I make money?" Totally different question..and different answer

"Do I need a special license to drive my motorhome....it's really really big and over 26,001 lbs" Again, totally different question..and again different answer

"Do I need a special license to drive my motorhome....it's really really small" No.

"Do I need a special license to drive my motorhome...and I haul dynamite in it"

 

There is no simplification of the question. There is only the question.....the whole question.

 

 

I appreciate it, and agree with you the usage should define the classification, the only reason I mention the way the vehicle is registered is that i would assume (and we know where that gets us) that if a DPS officer saw non commercial plates on the vehicle, and towing a recreational vehicle, all signs would point to Motorhome and not to a commercial vehicle, that would then be re-enforced if he were to review the registration and see that it is indeed registered as a Motorhome and by definition used for recreational purposes.

 

the LLC does make this a bit more grey, however I do know for a fact Class A motor home drivers have been doing this for decades (hell there is an entire cottage industry sprung up around this just to save on registration costs), and the question of commercial use doesnt seem to spring p in those cases.

 

This is all just mental masturbation at this point, the reality is even if it were 110% legal the officer could interpret the law differently and do whatever he is going to do, just like he could impound any of the HDT's rolling through AZ not being driven by a CDL licensed individual (since AZ doesnt recognize HDT's as Motorhomes) but i have a feeling if that were happening we would hear about it no? (obviously the officer would be in the wrong, but since when does right vs wrong play into fines and vehicle seizure?)

 

Insurance is the next question.. That i need to speak with an agent about having it insured for personal use but registered to an LLC.... (again another crappy grey area)

 

 

Now that said.. the Truck would never be used for commercial purposes...

[rickeieio]

I don't want to hi-jack this, but several posts above, it was stated that one's drivers' license, and vehicle registered to that person, need to be in the same state.

 

I live in Indiana, my rig lives in Ohio, 5 miles away, on land I own there. As I understand, Ohio requires said rig to be licensed where it's parked roughly 11 months/year, and my driver's license needs to be from the state where I live.

 

So, I figure Phil will know, and hope he sets me straight, once the Dr. Pepper wears off.

[RickS]

Even though AZ does not allow HDT's to be registered as motorhomes this doesn't mean they wouldn't recognize an registration and DL from another state or province that this is legal to do. We have thousands of people from Alberta, Canada that snowbird in southern USA every winter. My truck is registered as a "motorhome" and I have the proper license with an air ticket endorsement which is required by law if you have air brakes on your vehicle. So, that is legal wherever I travel. It seem's to me the best way for you to get into a HDT for pulling your RV in AZ is to follow the laws of the state and register it as required and get the proper DL required by the state you live in.

[evilgto]

Even though AZ does not allow HDT's to be registered as motorhomes this doesn't mean they wouldn't recognize an registration and DL from another state or province that this is legal to do. We have thousands of people from Alberta, Canada that snowbird in southern USA every winter. My truck is registered as a "motorhome" and I have the proper license with an air ticket endorsement which is required by law if you have air brakes on your vehicle. So, that is legal wherever I travel. It seem's to me the best way for you to get into a HDT for pulling your RV in AZ is to follow the laws of the state and register it as required and get the proper DL required by the state you live in.

 

you would think that.. but no.. the insurance costs alone of doing that would make it prohibitive, not to mention i think there seems to be a disconnect on ownership of the vehicle. if I dont own the vehicle the rules seem to be in a grey area which is all I was trying to get at. not to mention the fact the insurance company will probably deny any claim if they found out i was using the truck for personal non commercial use.

 

I have done some further research, and not only is the idea of registering your vehicle using an LLC in a different state (and the LLC owning said vehicle) common, there are companies that perform this task, and insurance companies that specialize in insuring it.

 

I may ask a DPS officer what his interpretation of the situation would be if he pulled me over... which will obviously vary from officer to officer, but it will give me an idea.

 

All of that said, This is probably my only option without serious implications for my NFA Items which i will not be dealing with the BATFE again on those if i dont have to...

[I'mdonewiththis forum]

 

 

I may ask a DPS officer what his interpretation of the situation would be if he pulled me over... which will obviously vary from officer to officer, but it will give me an idea.

.

You already had a good discussion with a CMV officer without getting pulled over!

[VegasFlyer]

You have had input from two LEO's, who are both essentially telling you the same thing.

 

You can position yourself with fifteen LLC' and a parakeet, that will not definitively keep you out of an enforcement situation if the officer who is dealing with you does not get the factual information that they need to clarify what you are doing.

 

Given a driver with an AZ DL and a Wyoming truck licensed to an entity other than an individual, opens the commercial factor question as Big5er was trying to explain to you. Where that one would end up depends on a lot of variables. The biggest one being what state you are in when you get pulled over.

 

In. An earlier comment you wrote that you doubted that would be a matter to ever appear before a judge. That is a very big assumption on your part. That all depends on what state and jurisdiction is dealing with you.

 

It is obviously your trail to journey, a lot of folks are recommending that you might put most of your effort into exploring legitimate ways as you go.

[Big5er]

I don't want to hi-jack this, but several posts above, it was stated that one's drivers' license, and vehicle registered to that person, need to be in the same state.

 

I live in Indiana, my rig lives in Ohio, 5 miles away, on land I own there. As I understand, Ohio requires said rig to be licensed where it's parked roughly 11 months/year, and my driver's license needs to be from the state where I live.

 

So, I figure Phil will know, and hope he sets me straight, once the Dr. Pepper wears off.

If you can explain it, then you are on the right track. "Most" people do not have 2 homes. The "I live in both places" line doesn't go very far. But realistically, the only people that can write you a ticket for that are the 2 states involved. Texas has "no dog in that hunt" whether you pay your road taxes to Ohio or Indiana. Now, if it was Texas and Indiana, then we would have a leg to stand on and some interest in determining where you reside and why you don't have your truck or license here. If you aren't a resident of the state that stops you, the only questions are 1) is the vehicle currently registered in your state? and 2) do ya have the proper license from your state?

[evilgto]

You already had a good discussion with a CMV officer without getting pulled over!

 

From a state that isnt involved... I am not discounting what he is saying in the least.. Just trying to understand.

 

You have had input from two LEO's, who are both essentially telling you the same thing.

 

You can position yourself with fifteen LLC' and a parakeet, that will not definitively keep you out of an enforcement situation if the officer who is dealing with you does not get the factual information that they need to clarify what you are doing.

 

Given a driver with an AZ DL and a Wyoming truck licensed to an entity other than an individual, opens the commercial factor question as Big5er was trying to explain to you. Where that one would end up depends on a lot of variables. The biggest one being what state you are in when you get pulled over.

 

In. An earlier comment you wrote that you doubted that would be a matter to ever appear before a judge. That is a very big assumption on your part. That all depends on what state and jurisdiction is dealing with you.

 

It is obviously your trail to journey, a lot of folks are recommending that you might put most of your effort into exploring legitimate ways as you go.

 

 

you say legitimate... as far as I am aware (and this is where I would like clarification) everything I am talking about as an option is 100% legal. its actually more legal and viable than the other options at hand, making my domicile state some where else.. well I do live in AZ, so that would be illegal/not a legitimate option, registering as a commercial truck with a CDL, not really an option...

 

So legally speaking what options do I have that are both legal and reasonable?

 

I guess im banging my head against how illogical AZ's thinking is here... because it has a 5th wheel hitch its a commercial vehicle.. my 1 ton has a 5th wheel and isnt required to be registered as a commercial vehicle, hell it can even tow 30,000 lbs...

[Steve from SoCal]

I have cars and trucks registered in California and Kansas, I hold a California DL. I live in California but have a business in Kansas where I stay for months at a time and, keep cars and trucks.

 

For the original poster; LLC's are points of contention with many states because of the loss of revenue. Having an RV in an LLC is OK IF you are a full timer I suppose, as a fixed resident of a state with aggressive tax agents it is a bad move IMHO

 

Steve

[evilgto]

I have cars and trucks registered in California and Kansas, I hold a California DL. I live in California but have a business in Kansas where I stay for months at a time and, keep cars and trucks.

 

For the original poster; LLC's are points of contention with many states because of the loss of revenue. Having an RV in an LLC is OK IF you are a full timer I suppose, as a fixed resident of a state with aggressive tax agents it is a bad move IMHO

 

Steve

 

Shitty part is I dont want to cut out on my Tax liability.. I would rather just register my truck as a motorhome like it is...

 

honestly while its shitty and illegal, I would almost just change my domicile state to TX and bypass all this shit if it werent for the difficulty in the NFA trust, and the felony charges that could arise if i were to do something wrong in the BATFE's eyes....

[evilgto]

btw another serious issue is insurability, insuring a commercially licensed vehicle and using it for personal use will almost certainly be grounds for the insurance company to deny any claim.

[Dollytrolley]

As some folks on the forum may recall .....a couple of years ago AZ got a little carried away with the commercial 8 cent higher diesel tax than RVs were to have to pay......

 

My criminal past follows me even to the diesel pumps so.....I just pump 60 gal into the driver side tank and then print to rec and then move the truck across to another pump on the next island and just after a few gallons pumped in two chaps walk up and flash badges from AZ tax Dept and informed me that I was illegally pumping privatectax fuel into a commercial vehicle......I smiled and said this is not a semi it is a motorhome.....the smiled and ask for my DL and when I SHOWED it to them the said it is not a CDL .....I smiled said indeed it is NOT a CDL.....one chap went over to the state rig and called someone .....ond a few minutes later a young police officer arrives and the tax men chatted with the officer....shortly one of the tax men ask me for my fuel receipts and I sad no I owned the receipts....mean while the officer ran my plates and sure enough the Dollytrolley is a motor home and in Oregon you do not need a CDL to drive any size motor home period.....Next THREE new chaps arrive at our party .....one is the station manager, one is the oil company local manager and the third chap was a contract lawyer for the oil company.....the tax guys jumped on the station manager for allowing to pump Pvt tax diesel into a class 8 truck and then the oil company lawyer piped up that enforcing the complex fuel AZ tax laws was not the oil companies employees job.....I could tell that the police officer wanted to be somewhere else.....so while the tax guys and the oil guys had a,heated chat I went over to the officer and have him a slip of paper with my cell number and our stable address, and bid him good day and drove off.....

 

In the heat of the debate the tax guys filled out a citation but it never got past the oil company lawyer......close call......

 

AZ has nice winter weather but fairly complex laws.......

 

Drive on.....(Oregon class C DL works fine in AZ.....)

[evilgto]

As some folks on the forum may recall .....a couple of years ago AZ got a little carried away with the commercial 8 cent higher diesel tax than RVs were to have to pay......

 

My criminal past follows me even to the diesel pumps so.....I just pump 60 gal into the driver side tank and then print to rec and then move the truck across to another pump on the next island and just after a few gallons pumped in two chaps walk up and flash badges from AZ tax Dept and informed me that I was illegally pumping privatectax fuel into a commercial vehicle......I smiled and said this is not a semi it is a motorhome.....the smiled and ask for my DL and when I SHOWED it to them the said it is not a CDL .....I smiled said indeed it is NOT a CDL.....one chap went over to the state rig and called someone .....ond a few minutes later a young police officer arrives and the tax men chatted with the officer....shortly one of the tax men ask me for my fuel receipts and I sad no I owned the receipts....mean while the officer ran my plates and sure enough the Dollytrolley is a motor home and in Oregon you do not need a CDL to drive any size motor home period.....Next THREE new chaps arrive at our party .....one is the station manager, one is the oil company local manager and the third chap was a contract lawyer for the oil company.....the tax guys jumped on the station manager for allowing to pump Pvt tax diesel into a class 8 truck and then the oil company lawyer piped up that enforcing the complex fuel AZ tax laws was not the oil companies employees job.....I could tell that the police officer wanted to be somewhere else.....so while the tax guys and the oil guys had a,heated chat I went over to the officer and have him a slip of paper with my cell number and our stable address, and bid him good day and drove off.....

 

In the heat of the debate the tax guys filled out a citation but it never got past the oil company lawyer......close call......

 

AZ has nice winter weather but fairly complex laws.......

 

Drive on.....(Oregon class C DL works fine in AZ.....)

 

 

interesting experience.. btw use class is defined as a gross vehicle weight, OR total number of axles... if you were a tandem truck then you were supposed to pay the .26 cent pergallon tax.. if you were singled, and under 26,000 lbs you can get away with paying the 18c tax.

 

funny thing is tag axle class A's were supposed to pay it no matter what,

 

i dont know if they still charge that tax... I will have to look next time im at the pump

 

(i fill the truck up in the commercial lanes because its just easier)

[JPL]

eviglo Big5er is a professional Cop so he knows the laws especially if you drive in Texas. I would recommend that if you drive in Texas have the tag/ drivers license match. I have a 98 Volvo that is registered as a motor home in Va. It came from Minn and was titled as a M/H there. Trying to convert one here is very hard at the least. The tags are cheaper the insurance is cheaper(State Farm) and the personnel property tax is 4 times cheaper. I have a CDL only because I wanted one not because I needed on (I don't). What is the problem? Take the written test take your rig to DMV an do the drive test.It hasn't changed the insurance or anything else but when Smokey stops me to check I have it and don't need it. I've had the truck for 5 years now. Before, I towed with a 550. Never would I go back to a little truck. Just my choice. We bought the truck all ready setup to tow 5ers. I really wanted to convert my own but this way I was towing right off the bat. There is always a rig on the forum for sale. It would have been great if you could have gotten to the ECR last week. We had 54 trucks there. You could have gotten a wealth of info there. Maybe you can make the West Coast Rally or the National Rally in Oct. Many helpful sessions talking about everything HDT. Many sessions for the Wife. So hope I helped and if you have more ?'s just ask. Pat

 

 

The Old Sailor

[evilgto]

eviglo Big5er is a professional Cop so he knows the laws especially if you drive in Texas. I would recommend that if you drive in Texas have the tag/ drivers license match. I have a 98 Volvo that is registered as a motor home in Va. It came from Minn and was titled as a M/H there. Trying to convert one here is very hard at the least. The tags are cheaper the insurance is cheaper(State Farm) and the personnel property tax is 4 times cheaper. I have a CDL only because I wanted one not because I needed on (I don't). What is the problem? Take the written test take your rig to DMV an do the drive test.It hasn't changed the insurance or anything else but when Smokey stops me to check I have it and don't need it. I've had the truck for 5 years now. Before, I towed with a 550. Never would I go back to a little truck. Just my choice. We bought the truck all ready setup to tow 5ers. I really wanted to convert my own but this way I was towing right off the bat. There is always a rig on the forum for sale. It would have been great if you could have gotten to the ECR last week. We had 54 trucks there. You could have gotten a wealth of info there. Maybe you can make the West Coast Rally or the National Rally in Oct. Many helpful sessions talking about everything HDT. Many sessions for the Wife. So hope I helped and if you have more ?'s just ask. Pat

 

 

The Old Sailor

 

 

Definetly I am here for input.... Just trying to figure things out...

 

The question I have is if the vehicle is registered as commercial it will require commercial insurance, and using a commercial vehicle for personal pleasure would be grounds for your insurance company to deny your claim wouldnt it? I mean commercial vehicles are supposed to be used for commercial purposes (thats why most commercial registered passenger cars say for offical use only).

 

so whats worse, dealing with a cop, a tax man, or an insurance agent. this literally seems like the position I am being put in with the desire to go HDT.

[Steve from SoCal]

There are a couple of folks here that DO live in Az and have HDT trucks, they ARE registered as commercial vehicles with commercial insurance. They use the trucks to tow personal RV trailers. It is more costly and having a CDL is NOT a plus unless you need it.

 

One thing not mentioned here yet is interstate travel with a commercial vehicle, unless you enroll in IFTA and have a USDOT number you will need to buy trip permits every time you cross state lines. I have a USDOT number and I can tell you it is not a trivial matter to maintain.

 

Perhaps you could buy some ranch land in Tx or Ok and base your RV at the ranch

 

Steve

[Dollytrolley]

Escapees took the fuel tax /motor home issue all the way to the tax-top-dog in Az and guess what......the top-tax-dog wisely sent a public letter exempting PRIVATE motor homes from the COMMERCIAL fuel tax....I carry a copy of this letter in my onboard documents......and purchase private tax fuel......no problem....

 

Don't leave home without your tax letter....

 

Drive on.....(Enjoy the drive...)

[MrSeas]

Mr Evigto,

You are welcome to join us in Caldwell Idaho for the

West Coast HDT Rally in June.

 

http://www.rvnetwork.com/index.php?showtopic=121931&page=1