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I have my pick up truck registered as a recreational vehicle in California 
which DMV said was ok as long as I leave the camper on, and it's much 
cheaper to register it.
Cyndee

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Gary Fend" <garyfend@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Dyane Smith" <sunibey@xxxxxxxxxxx>; <>
Sent: Thursday, September 29, 2005 7:30 PM
Subject: Re: [RC] Flatbed trucks and Weigh Stations


> I went through what you are going through a few years
> ago because of my work vehicles.  I did a lot of
> research and talked to DOT, CHP, and DMV.  Before
> going into detail, here is the bottom line.  All
> trucks and vans in California are commercial vehicles
> (look on your registration and it will say so, or your
> license plate will be in the format of a number
> followed by a letter and then a bunch of numbers).
> All commercial vehicles are required to stop at weigh
> stations but pick ups are exempt.  If you remove your
> pick up bed--you are not longer exempt.  Once you are
> considered a non-exempt commercial vehicle there are
> various levels of further requirements depending on
> your vehicle weight and length.
> Here's what happened to me.  We have a bunch of vans
> set up with instruments to do stack emission testing.
> One of the vans is a cut off with a box installed.
> One day after many years of clear sailing the driver
> was pulled over for not stopping at a weigh station.
> No citation was issued (maybe because it was a
> government vehicle) but the driver was told to stop at
> all weigh stations in the future and get a safety
> check and certificate.  That's when I started calling
> around and found there are a lot of un-enforced laws
> on the books.  Including the requirement that all
> commercially licensed vans stop at inspection
> stations.  We complied with the officer's request to
> stop for inspection for about 6 months but got tired
> of being waved through the inspection so we
> discontinued the practice.  We have not been stopped
> since.  It all boils down to how bored the CHP at that
> weigh station is.
> I also know a landscaper who converted from a
> pick-up/trailer to a stake bed truck to save on bridge
> tolls until he was pulled over for not stopping.  He
> has gone back to the trailer.
> BTW, where were you stopped?
>
> Good luck
> Gary
>
>
> --- Dyane Smith <sunibey@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> > It turns out that in California, if you take the
> > pickup bed off your truck (because they are making
> > the 4x4's skyscrapers, now) and replace it with a
> > flatbed to get the bed under the gooseneck of a
> > trailer built before 2000, you have to register as a
> > Commercial vehicle, get a Class A license, keep a
> > log and stop at all weigh stations.
> >
> > Anyone else having these problems?  Are you
> > stopping?  Did you get a new license?  How did all
> > this work out for you?
> >
> > Makes me insane.  The GVWR of the truck is 11,400;
> > the trailer 12,000.  But, the CHP assures me that
> > even a little Ranger would no longer be classified
> > as a pickup if you removed the bed.
> >
> > Anyway, I'd appreciate ideas.
> >
> > TIA
> >
> > Dyane
>
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