Questions about Hauling into Ca with an old Pete

I’m thinking the same thing .

The only way to make the ride somewhat tolerable while pulling empty in my Western 4900 was to fill the forward slung tanks .

Pure Hell running empty. Dreaded every minute of it

If I was pulling an RV it would be a Volvo riding on Vanilla pudding.

 

Lol

 

Good information there, I have a question however did you do all of your registration work at DMV or a courthouse? I'm asking because Tri-cities DMV told me that my Sterling Actera had to stay classed as a truck due to the weight but has a sleeper, microwave,etc. I asked them because I wanted it registered as an RV, maybe they saw more money?

 

You have to check with your state BMV, each state can be different.
In general, I would submit that if the GVWR is over 25K LBS, unless you remove the fifth wheel and have only one drive axle you will not be able to register as RV. There a few states out there that are different but most follow this requirement. There are additional requirements to register as RV but those are relatively easy to meet......refrigerator, microwave, portable toilet, etc.

 

Mine is single screw and has the other requirements met, except removing the 5th wheel, its 35k, the truck is used for moving my trailer which requires a 5th wheel, non commercial. I think next time I'm in town I'll hit up the courthouse/police department/ sherrifs department, oh they do registration too!

 

Like I said every state can be different but for RV registration most require the fifth wheel to be removed.
You can still have it registered as a commercial vehicle and run it as “non commercial not for hire”

 

Running not for hire is what I'm currently doing, but RV is less money for registration and insurance.

 

Got it and agreed.
I could not find a way around it, the registration wasn’t that much different. In Ohio I paid less than $200 for registration.
The insurance.....ya that is where there would be a big cost difference. I pay commercial rates at $2500 a year

 

Howdy Cowboyrich,

"I" will use the conversion of my Peterbilt 379, as an example of how EASY it is to convert a commercial truck into an RV, in the State of Washington, IF and it's a big IF, you can find a local licensing agency that actually KNOWS THE DMV requirements and how to work within the regulations to make this happen.

After a year long search for the truck I wanted for my next RV hauler, worked with my LOCAL licensing agency t set in motion all that was needed to bring the truck back home to Washington, from where I was buying it in Minnesota. I already knew what was needed to make the conversion so I set it up in ADVANCE to OVER NIGHT mail to my local licensing agency the report of sale, scale weight, receipts for the micro wave and porttapotty to them, they in turn would OVER NIGHT mail to me, my new license plates, tabs and registration as a "Motor Home".

Before I left from the truck lot where I bought the truck I had them REMOVE all of the bolts that held the commercial 5th wheel hitch in place. I did this for two reasons ONE, I didn't need the commercial hitch but as it was the middle of December every little bit of weight I could get over the drive axles was important as I had close to 2,000 miles of snow and ice covered roads crossing three mountain ranges before I got the "RV" back home; TWO if for any reason I had been stopped by the law on my way home ANY REASONABLE LEO would see that the hitch was not operational and was only being used for weight to provide traction.

Long story short, in WASHINGTON, you don't have to deal with the DMV, you don't have to deal with the court house, what you need to do is find or travel too a local licensing agency that knows the LAW and how to work within it. What you will run into when dealing with the DMV, local licensing agency's or a court house is an employee who KNOWS NOTHING about doing such a conversion, doesn't have a clue as to what to do and is to ###### LAZY to look into it so they just tell you it can't be done.

Dave

 

Mr.Cob thanks for the help,much appreciated.