RE: Reg MH in another state
Lets clarify something here: California is talking about raising the registration fees, but not tripling them. In fact, what I have read is that they are discussing raising the portion of the fees that you can deduct on your income tax. If so, it is a larger deduction.
As far as trashing Calif. because they close the loophole in out of state registrations, just remember that Calif. is only ONE OF MANY states that have closed that loophole.
Another poster pointed out that Calif. may have somewhat higher fees that some states, but does not collect other taxes on the vehicle. In fact, overall, registering a MH or other RV in California is lower than some other states, particularly when you take into account the property tax the other states collect!
One poster suggested bringing the veh. to Montana and co-registering with his name on it. Yeah---right! Gotta bridge I'll sell you too!
Do your homework before doing something that might just cost you a lot more in the long run.
Oh yes. Most states will cite/impound/take plates from someone who has a DL in one state and the vehicle registered someplace else. All it takes is being stopped for something very minor for an officer to discover that you are trying to circumvent your state's law.
Also, if you think Calif. is tough on people working here without registering/getting a Calif. license, try ND, CO, WY and other states who will position troopers outside of a job site and grab the out of state plate vehicles as they come off the site at the end of the work day.
Again, if you reside in Calif OR ANY OTHER STATE that requires it, generally, you must obtain a DL and veh. reg in that state. CAREFULLY DO RESEARCH BEFORE TRYING TO CIRCUMVENT YOUR STATE'S LAWS.
RE: Opinions please
Moxy, take a look at the towing capacity listed on either a cabinet door or in the paperwork that came with the coach. If you are not overweight, good.
However, you need to weigh the rig ready to roll with fuel, water, people and everything you are taking with you to make sure. Also, you need to be sure that the hitch of the tow dolly doesn't put too much weight on the back of that rig (overloading the rear while raising the front too much).
I kinda think 3100 lbs + about 600 for the tow dolly is a little high, but check out what your MH mfgr says and go by it. Also, is that 3100 the weight of the car or the empty weight? You should weigh it with fuel, etc. inside.
Good Luck.
RE: Legal question: Is a search warrant required for RV entry?
Dustytuu:Why would you not visit California or the other places you blacklisted?
My experience as a LEO in CA is that if you are obeying the law, you won't have a problem. Why do you suppose TX, AZ, UT, NV and a couple other states pay close attention to MH, TT, 5ers and rigs like that that are NB? Could it possibly be smuggling? However, even if they are suspicious, that isn't enough to search without a warrant or without your permission.
Someone else mentioned Probible Cause (PC). Without something besides a mere suspicion, a LEO can not search your rig. What the smugglers (of both dope and humans) do is to make sure their rig is perfectly legal, licensed, and they are driving within the law.
Also, Calif. is no harder on CCW than any other state that prohibits CCW (I think it is the majority of them) and if you are not foolishly brandishing a concealable weapon, I doubt you will have problems here.
I don't want to be stopped in CO with my weapon concealed because I know I would go to jail (except I have a Dept. of Homeland Security CCW)but that is foolish anyway.
Sorry about the abbreviations. NB is North Bound, CCW is Carrying a Concealed Weapon and CO is Colorado
RE: Need help installing an external propane supply
First off, is the propane tank one of the newer variety? If so, you can go to your local hardware store and buy an extension hose that will allow you to hook the existing hose from the RV tank to the extension and then to an external tank, bypassing the RV tank. I wouldn't recommend trying to fill the on-board tank from another tank. Too much danger of explosion.
The external tank will be expensive and you will have to either lease/rent it or buy it from a propane supplier.
It really isn't that difficult to get an external tank hooked up.
Now, if the tank is not of the new variety, you will have to get an adapter in order to hook up another tank because the hose to the RV will not fit the extension hose without that adapter.
RE: using furnace exhaust to warm patty-o-room
Ditto. You are taking a possibly fatal chance by doing that. A furnace exhaust expells much more carbon monoxide than a buddy heater or other approved heater. Also, Carbon Monoxide displaces oxygen and you could be unconscious before you are even aware of a problem.
Don't do it!
RE: Load rated "B" tires
Take a look on the sidewall of the tire for the weight rating. I would be very surprised to find a tire rated to tow that vehicle only having 36 lbs. of air. I know that TT isn't real heavy, but still....Also, look at the spec. label in one of the cupboards. It should tell you what size/rating tire to use with that vehicle.
If not in the cupboard, look on the front area of the trailer and you will find a weight/tire/tire pressure label that you should follow.
RE: Firewood into California from Oregon?
Because of the pine beetles in Oregon, it could be an issue. Go on line to the state of California website, then to the agricultural location and ask the question.
The reason Calif. has inspection stations is to try and keep out unwanted pests/diseases that devistate our crops-not to be nosey.
To the guy who lost cherrys. If you had a receipt showing you bought them at a retailer, you wouldn't have had a problem. Untreated produce is what they try to stop. We have brought apples back from Washington, but was careful to keep and show a retailer receipt for them.
Oregon has a large section of infected woods. We don't want to infect anyone else by transporing beetles or disease to a location that doesn't have them or is not able to fight them off.
RE: Hauling instead of towing a smart car
Another consideration is what happens to the weight distribution of the 5th wheel. Adding 1800 lbs. to the back of a 5er will drastically change the pin weight. Remember that your 5er is designed to distribute weight evenly between the king pin and wheels of the 5er. Adding that much weight would change what the mfgr. intended and could well cause problems on the rear axle, not to say what might happen to the TV because of the excess weight hanging off the rear of the 5er. I would very carefully check it out. In fact, I would contact the mfgr of the 5th wheel, and ask about the ramifications of adding that much weight to the back of the trailer before doing anything like this.
RE: weight
All of the above advice is pretty good, but.....do yourself a favor and look up the weights for your truck. Pay particular attention to the pin weight and the Gross Combined Vehicle Weight. While a lot of people will say something like: "been towing way overwieght for years just fine..." remember that the truck is built to operate within the weight specifications. The closer you get to the top of the specs, the more likely you are to have repair problems. Also, if you are going down a long grade and suddenly have to brake severely, will you have brakes to stop? I mean, having to apply brakes to keep your speed in a proper range and then panic braking. Take all of those into consideration rather than listening to someone who SAYS they been doing it for years.
Sounds like a good rig!
RE: Guns and RVs
Don't be foolish. Just because others haven't been stopped doesn't mean that it won't happen to you. Find out what the laws are and obey them and you can't go wrong. Some states totally ban concealable firearms and others permit them with a concealed weapon permit. THAT VERY WELL MAY PERTAIN TO YOUR RV! All national parks prohibit them, including off/duty/retired LE officers.
I guess that you have to takes your chances if you plan on carrying a weapon. Just remember that usually they don't come to someone's attention unless you brandish/use it. It is always too late when that happens, if you are violating a law.
RE: California coast
Yes, there is. When you come down 101 out of Oregon, you will find some of the most spectacular forest/ocean views available. South of Crescent City, the highway runs along the ocean and is in one of the prettiest redwood groves there is. It runs all the way to Eureka mostly non-freeway. Now, you can pick up highway 1 at Leggett and go over to Ft. Bragg and down the coast, right along the ocean, just like Oregon, except the curves are tighter. If you don't worry about curves, you should be ok. If you don't like curvy roads, stick to 101, it isn't as curvy and even on the freeway, it is beautiful.
You can follow 1 below Monterey to Morrow Bay, but again, pretty windey. 101 is still a good alternative and you can visit Morrow Bay, or stop at Pismo Beach, just off 101.
You will love it either way.
RE: SPECIAL DRIVER'S LICENSE FOR CALIFORNIA
Frank_EP: Irregardless of your research, you can not tow two trailers in Calif. even if one is a 5er PERIOD. By DMV definition, the TV counts as one vehicle. Take it at face value: No two trailer towing in this state. Now, if you are licensed Class A commercial, that might make a difference, but I won't test it to see if it flies. You also made a couple of errors. How could you have a TV and two RV trailers and stay under 26,000 lbs. and not exceed the GCVW of the TV? If I were still active LE and saw a 1/2 ton TV with something like you described, I think I would cite for unsafe vehicle and possibly reckless driving.
Out of staters need to be aware that you may be licensed to tow two trailers in your home state, but that does not necessarily mean that you can tow into a state that prohibits it, just because your home state permits it. As someone said earlier, you have to obey the equipment laws of the state you are going to visit.
By the way, everyone with a 102" wide MH: Do you know which states prohibit you from driving on their roadways? You need to know.
I got my class C endorsement for towing a 5er under 15,000 lbs. several, several years ago and knew about the need for a class A non-commercial for over 15,000 lbs. at that time. I have to agree that DMV usually doesn't have a clue!
RE: Do certain states require the title to be in the vehicle?
I think there is a misunderstanding about what a Title is. It is the OWNERSHIP CERTIFICATE, usually with places on the rear to sign off when selling the vehicle. DO NOT CARRY THIS IN THE RV. Keeping the title in the mv is inviting someone who may illegally enter your vehicle to claim ownership by signing off and getting a new title. That easy! To my knowledge, no state requires title to be in the vehicle.
Registration: It is proof that fees have been paid that allow your vehicle to be on the public way. Many states have about the same information on both certificates except that the registration form does not authorize sale of the vehicle.
Proof of ownership: Most registrations list the registered owner and a lienholder (if any) and is generally proof of ownership. I have never tried to take my rig into Mexico so I don't know what is required. I would, under no circumstances, take my title with me into Mexico. You might as well hang a large sign on the side saying "Free to the first comer". Before getting to the border of Mexico, I would know what is required as to proof of ownership,.
Again, Do not take your ownership (Title) certificate with you in your RV. Store it with your other important papers at home, in a safe, or in a bank (second thought: perhaps a bank isn't so secure these days!)
RE: New law in California - text messaging while driving
Kajtec1: What is your vehicle registered as? You may well have converted it to private use, but the registration may well reflect what the body style of the vehicle is. What on earth does that have to do with the subject we are talking about?
Oh, yes. LE will write a cite based on the registration, irregardless of what wording is on the front of the vehicle.
RE: New law in California - text messaging while driving
Any one want to bet about how long it will take before car mfgrs come out with an "ergomatic" keyboard on the steering wheel so texting can be done with both hands on the wheel and LE can't tell if they are texting or not because of the dark tint on the side/rear windows....how about the windshield projection so that they don't have to take their eyes off the road?
Anyone want to bet they don't try?
RE: Tennesse Gas availability? Stations Closed or open?
Go to Gasbuddy.com or Flying J website and view the state(s) you are ging through. Flying J because if they are having shortages in a particular location, so will others. They do show some places allocating diesel. I didn't look at gasoline, but it is there as well.
RE: How slow is unsafe?
A number of states require that you take advantage of "pullouts" and pull over to let faster traffic by you. If you are travelling slower than traffic, then you should do that. I generally travel 55 and I do take advantage of pullouts-it's the courteous thing to do.
For example, Calif. requires that if you have 5 vehicles backed up behind you unable to pass, you must take a pullout and let them by.
RE: On license and DOT cert.
I suggest that you research your state vehicle code and find out if you can license the vehicle other than commercial. In California, contrary to popular belief, you can. The restriction is that you can't haul anything in the bed (not even one stick of wood). It may require a camper being permanently attached. At any rate, the state vehicle code will tell you what you can/can't do and how to get it done. Granted, many are extreemly difficult to read or understand.
Good luck!
RE: Who shows title to CG operator?
Sounds like there is confusion between the title and registration of the vehicle.
Do not carry the title with you in the RV unless you are planning on selling it. It is a very foolish thing to do. If someone gets the title, they have the ability to re-register it as theirs and you will have difficulty recovering your property.
All that is required is that you carry the registration certificate in the vehicle and show it to LE when requested. As to showing it to a CG operator: Why?
