all pick up trucks in california must be registered as commerical vehicles even tho many of them are used for travel trailers/5th wheels and rv reasons. anyone know why or how to get around this?

my tags cost me $467.00 per year and all i due is pull a travel trailer.

david
in the golden state

 

Thats about stupid.
Sounds like just another way for them to rip you off.

 

Put a camper shell on it!! I just registered mine a couple months ago & was told that since I had a shell on it I could register it as non commercial. So, buy yourself a cheap shell & you can register it as a private vehicle. CA laws are SOOOO stupid!!!! God, I can't wait to get outta this stupid place!!!!

 

I don't know if they still do this but a few years ago I had to register a different truck and was able to get around registering it commercial by putting a camper shell on it. By putting a camper shell on it is considered as a passenger vehicle. At least that's how they used to do it.

 

lol looks like gumby and I posted at the same time. The camper shell will cost you as much or more than the fees but it will be useful sometimes.

 

"You can't fix stupid."

 

you can register it as Non-commercial even without a camper shell.. But if you put anything in the back of the truck then it will need a commercial registration.

 

Boy, sure glad I don't live in communist republic of california. I don't see how they get away with calling a pick up truck commercial if privatley owned. Commercial always ment (FOR HIRE). But then I forget who makes the laws down their.

 

Once you put a camper on it and register it as non-commerical, don't get caught with your top off (the campers that is). CHP will know because once you register it as non-comm you will get plates like regular autos 1AAA111 vice 1A11111. They will pull you over. Had a friend of a friend who had an uncle who had a nephew (once removed) that had that happen to (actually it was a guy I was talking to once while fueling the truck).

Also, look at the weight that is listed on your registration. If it is over 7000 and you can get a certified weight of under 7K you can save something like 50-60 dollars on your registration (loose the tailgate, empty tank, no spare, no you, etc...). I can't complain because being in the Military I can claim the exemption. But with retirement coming up next year I'll lose that.