"Authority" for pleasure use?

As for costs, I paid the following for my one truck and trailer....

48 State apportioned registration out of Wisconsin for 72,000 gvwr and 25,000 miles per year...1,500 bucks. That is about 16 cents a mile. Leave off California and that goes down a lot. Had I done it in Illinois, it would have been more.

Trailer Reg was $50 in Wisconsin

Fuel Tax, you pay as go..... Just got to keep records so they can divvy up the money. There is an application fee, but its not much (I forget what it actually is)

UCR is under a $100 (I forget what it actually is)

 

Ok I looked at the Pic's you have and if that is the truck we are talking about then IMO it is a class 8 truck. You have a 5th wheel, Air lines, everything needed to haul a trl with freight. So I can see why State DOT's are giving you a hard time. As I see it you have two choices. Take the 5th wheel and air lines off and put a camper on it OR get your auth. and dot numbers. As is it's a truck.

 

Logbooks are only an example and the point was if you don't cover you ### you're open to all the rules and regulations as a class 8 truck. I agree that considering a prize as commercial is beyond ridiculous but you have to make sure you present no doubt that you're non-commercial so you don't get hasseled. I don't think you'd have problems with the seasoned inspections or commercial LEO's but get a rookie and you might be held up for serveral hours proving to the guy it's not a truck that makes any kind of money. For starters I would remove the fifth wheel. If you don't need it why have it? That's my opinion. Besides, the people that know the most are the ones at the truck shows doing what you're going to do. I'm sure they've got all the laws and regs down pat.

 

If you don't want to remove the fifth wheel, you could remove the grease and paint it to match the truck. (thanks to Gashauler for the idea to address the fifth wheel)

With the ATHS stuff, one of my pet peeves is seeing modern (newer than 25 years) trucks participating in antique shows. Antique shows are for antique trucks, by all means, go to the show, but don't take up space with something you can see at a truck stop.

 

Why remove the 5th wheel when all you have to do is remove the locking jaws?
Just because a person were to win money at a show with it does not make it commercial. It would be a hobby and all he is required to do is report the winnings to the IRS. Otherwise, there are a couple hundred thousand cars, trucks, MOTORCYCLES and more out there that should have commercial tags...no way.

Every state has a statute that defines what is and isn't a commercial vehicle. Just go to the state website and search, print it out and keep copy of it with you.

Sure you might get delayed but you will know that you are legal in the end. If you got a ticket anyway just mail your documents to the clerk and it will be dismissed. This did happen to me when I bought a box van that still had a company name on it and I used it for a one time move from PA to FL. I was in the right and proved it. Tickets thrown out.

 

Like I said before, talk to the people that do this kind of stuff all the time so you get the right information. You don't want to be dealing with any problems at the scale house unless you've got time and money at hand.