Toterhome owners: Do you hit the scales?

If you have a Toterhome (like Clint Thompson's or mine), do you stop at the scales? What are some of your experiences?

I was told about an individual who was driving eastbound from L.A. toward Riverside (California) on the 91 freeway with his toterhome and 5th wheel trailer. He has it licensed as a motorhome. He blew by the scales near Weir Canyon Rd and was chased down by the CHP, made to return to the scales, told to park it for improper registration and could only move it after it was properly registered as commercial. They told him the scales closed in two hours and if it wasn't re-registered and moved in that short period of time the whole thing would be towed to an impound yard...which it was.

In California, they seem to be cracking down on specialty vehicles. I stopped at a CHP office in Santa Fe Springs to check it out by showing them pictures. All they had to say was "What a neat idea for a motorhome! The officers there had no clue as to how it should be registered. I called Sacramento and talked to someone in the CHP's commercial office. They told me about a lawsuit brought on by someone who had a Freightliner/motorhome. Seems the judge decided against the owner and he had to get commercial plates.

I think California needs to add a class for us that's somewhere between commercial and motorhome. Since it's commercial, $1 million in insurance is $6,100 per year. Although my rig might be on the road once a month or less, I have to pay the same rates as the guy who drives a truck every day for a living with the same GVW (45-50,000 pounds).

Any experiences?

 

Randy, I have one of those stories. We had a kodiak with full bath and sleeper and kitchen we use to pull a 48ft trailor registered as a motor home. First trip out of florida stopped at scales and the shit hit the fan. The nice man told us we could unhook our motorhome and go camping anywhere we wanted to but the trailor was going to stay. After that we were inclined to reregister the rig just to avoid the hassle.Mg

 

Great topic. Anyone in the midwest have any experiences? Marty?

 

Randy: I did run for mine for 5 years on RV plates. Two years ago they started pulling over guys (division 3 racers) I switched over and run full DOT and IFTA plates. If you get pulled over and you don't have a log book they will shut you down for at least 8 hours, and thats if you have a DOT licenses, current physical card and all the other proper paper work. My cost went from $53.00 per year to anound $1500. not counting having to file and pay the IFTA fuel taxes. Their stand is it is a comercial vehicle because we run for money LOL Jeff

 

This is a great topic.

I have been running the Motorhome deal for years. Been pulled over three times. Two in New Mexico one in Texas (new Mexico scales are a bitch, DOT hang out at the scales). The run for money issue was used against me in all three cases. My answer was "we just show it we don't race it". They don't have the means to prove me wrong and have let me go all three times.

To try and get around the deal that MG speaks of, I have my truck registered as a motorhome and my trailer is registered as a traveltrailer, both have toilet, running water, micro., heat and ac. I have a class E license instead of a CDL. The class E doesn't have the yearly requirements that a CDL has. Class E allows you to operate a vehicle over 26,000 lbs and have airbrakes.

California is a state that I am afraid of though. They have some badass troopers out there. We try and pass the scales very very late in the night. I seem to remember stories that sound a lot like the story that Randy tells.

 

Makes you wonder how many racers quit just because of BS like this!

 

Makes you wonder how many racers quit just because of BS like this!

 

I would also think that "legally" anything with a license plate that had a weight value is subject to some sort of scrutiny. I have never had an issue with my pickup truck, but my trailer and truck had one of these plates.

So is the consensus that toter homes with trailers pull into the scales? Even if they are plated as an RV? There also seems to be a huge inconsistency on this one too. I know in Indiana those DOT cars are everywhere. If I get a class "E" license, does that help if I consider my toter an rv?
Greg

 

MR. GOODWIN,
MIGHT HAVE SOME INFO YOU YOU AND ALL ON THIS TOPIC. I SELL COMMERCIAL VEHICLES FOR A LIVING AND HAVE DONE IT FOR THE LAST TEN YEARS IN THREE DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE COUNTRY. CALIFORNIA IS THE TOUGHEST WHEN YOU PASS THE SCALES WITH A BIG TRUCK THAT IS LICENCED AS A MOTORHOME. IN CA., ANYTHING OVER 65FT IN OVERALL LENGTH IS REQUIRED TO BE REGISTERED AS COMMERCIAL, MUST STOP AT SCALES, CLASS A COMMERCIAL LICENCE, MEDICAL CARD, AND FOR HIRE INSURANCE. THE CHP GUYS WHO HANG OUT AT MY DEALERSHIP SAY AS TIME GOES ON, THEY WILL ENFORCE THIS MORE WITH THE AMOUNT OF 80 YEAR OLD RETIREES WITH NEW PREVOST COACHES AND BIG TAG STACKERS HOLDING THEIR MOTORCYCLES AND SUV'S.

IN THE PAST TRUCKS WITH NO LETTERING, SIGNS STATING "NOT FOR HIRE", ETC. COULD GET YOU BY. NOT ANY MORE ON THE WEST COAST. THE SOCAL SCALES AND THE LOS BANOS SCALE ON I-5 ARE THE TOUGHEST. HAVE PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH MY LAST RIG THAT WAS 80FT IN LENGTH. I WAS JUST LUCKY NOT TO BE STOPPED.

OTHER AREAS OF THE COUNTRY SEEM TO OVERLOOK THIS LENGHT LIMIT ON RV'S, BUT I SEE IT BEING A PROBLEM FOR ALL THAT ARE NOT REGISTERED AS COMMERCIAL. WHEN IN DOUBT, REGISTER FOR HIRE.

THE SOULUTION TO MY RACE TEAM IS TO BUY A LIGHT WEIGHT TRAILER AND DURAMAX CREW CAB, GET 14 MILES PER GALLON, GO UP THE GRAPEVINE AT 55 MPH LOADED, UNHOOK AT THE RACES AND GO TO THE HOTEL WITH NO RENTAL CAR, AND SAVE ALL THAT MONEY ON COMMERCIAL TRUCK OWNERSHIP. WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THAT BIG TRUCK, BUT HAVING TO RACE IN DIVISION 7 REQUIRES MORE MONEY SPENT ON MAKING THE CAR GO FASTER.

HOPE THIS HELPS.

 

Ed, Your last statement hits the nail on the head. Running Div 7 makes you (TAFC) spend more money. Much like div 6 for TAD's
Dean

 

i don't know, i must just be lucky, i've been using a toterhome with rv plates since 1995 and have never stopped or been stopped. i haven't travelled a lot in california, but have made several trips to sonoma, pomona, sacramento, with no problems. when i was leaving pomona in november (with my new even longer freightliner) i had a motorcycle chp pull along side and point me over (i was in the second lane from the left out of four) i thought i was in for it but apparently he just wanted me to run in the right lane. i usually travel at night but not that day. i agree that there should be some in between class for us, i only use the rig 10 or 12 weekends per year, hard to justify the big fees and insurance. i guess i figure it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission

 

I guess yall teaxans have them there bumps of 5.75 all the time like they did at Pamona huh.

 

I was told "PRIVATE CARRIER-NOT FOR HIRE" signs on our rigs means "Pull me over because I'm improperly registered" to the astute CHP officer.

Mine is currently registered as a motorhome and I have an appointment with Nationwide Carriers to have it changed.

A few years ago Pete Swayne and I were pulled over in Brea for driving before hours on a restricted time truck route. We had an FL70 Freightliner with a 13' NRC conversion. The first thing the officer said was "I bet we're going to have a long discussion about whether or not this is a motorhome." Pete proceeded to hand him commercial title, a commercial driver's license, medical card (which can be renewed every time you renew your NHRA license), commercial insurance and IFTA. The officer appeared dissapointed. Pete still got a ticket, though.

Who are you using for insurance. I hear Gulfway is the way to go?

 

"I guess yall teaxans have them there bumps of 5.75 all the time like they did at Pamona huh."

Yea, and the 'Vegas points race was a pushover in qualifying, too.

Will, seems to me in TA/D the number 1 was stuck somewhere between Santa Maria and the Santo's back porch for a long time. With a little change in luck, the number 1 might have been located in Irwindale just inside JD's shop...like that there...Y'all.

 

Guys, first let me say hello to Lawren and Clint ( fellow Miner/Fontana Clan boys) , also Ed Marx..nice to see you guys participating here...now to Randys' dilema..sorry bud but you can't beat'em on this one...thats why we took the final step and bought Miners Semi-Trailer..combined our Big Rig...and found a sponsor that just happens to be a National Trucking Company..ours is Direct Transport...they assist us by covering all the associated costs of driving a big rig and trailer..Thank God; the writing has been on the wall for along time..."They" (The Government) set the rules and you have to play by them or risk getting hassled at every truck scale, and at the least conveinant times. Randy you might be able to "BS" your way out of a few encounters with the Chippys...but eventually they will get you....

 

Gerry:

I'm not a good BS'er, that's why I said "Mine is currently registered as a motorhome and I have an appointment with Nationwide Carriers to have it changed."

I considered a full size rig considering how much I spent for what I got, but 80,000 GVWR insurance and registration was over the top for me. If someone offered to pick up the tab like they did for you I would have done it.

Check this out. I think this is Clint Thompson's before and after photos of his new rig. I don't think he's ever seen this "before" picture so this is an exclusive!

Before:


After:


Just kidding, Clint!

 

Great thread.

The east coast doesn't nearly have the sam amount of difficultly. At least we didn't in the past. Might have got pulled over in the Carolina's once.

Always registered as a motorhome.

 

Anything good or bad to say about the new Freedomline auto/manual transmissions?