LMTV California Registration

[Aernan]

I have paid the fees at the DMV to start the process of importation as a commercial vehicle. I need a CHP VIN verification and a Smog Inspection. My engine has stickers on it declaring it to be California Smog compliant at time of manufacture and I have the air board ruling for it as well. The engine is not modified and not blowing any smoke. I expect the smog shop will verify the engine is in it's original condition and pass the truck. We will see.

 

[Aernan]

I have complete the VIN verification through a VIN verifier. The DMV requires a Smog Certificate. After speaking with a manager I finally found the current information. Most of the pages on the California DMV site would suggest that you don't need to smog 1997 diesel or older or vehicles over 14,000 lbs. See:
https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/?1dmy&urile=wcm:path:/dmv_content_en/dmv/vr/smogfaq#BM2536

But the California Air Board ARB has special rules for "commercial" trucks:
https://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/onrdiesel/documents/multirule.pdf

If I'm reading this right all diesel vehicles over 14,000 lbs need a particulate filter and likely a DEF tank unless they already meet the tailpipe requirements.

I'm going to call ARB or a smog ref tomorrow and verify this. If this is the case then I will be forced to make a hasty conversion to a camper so I can register as an RV which is the long term plans anyway.

 

[coachgeo]

I have complete the VIN verification through a VIN verifier. The DMV requires a Smog Certificate. After speaking with a manager I finally found the current information. Most of the pages on the California DMV site would suggest that you don't need to smog 1997 diesel or older or vehicles over 14,000 lbs. See:
https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/?1dmy&urile=wcm:path:/dmv_content_en/dmv/vr/smogfaq#BM2536

But the California Air Board ARB has special rules for "commercial" trucks:
https://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/onrdiesel/documents/multirule.pdf

If I'm reading this right all diesel vehicles over 14,000 lbs need a particulate filter and likely a DEF tank unless they already meet the tailpipe requirements.

I'm going to call ARB or a smog ref tomorrow and verify this. If this is the case then I will be forced to make a hasty conversion to a camper so I can register as an RV which is the long term plans anyway.

Are all those requirements still in affect for "show" or "exhibition" vehicles in CA.?

Update...... a quick search seems to show there is no such animal in CA. Closest is Historical Plates but FMTV line of trucks don't qualify yet.

 

[Duckworthe]

[ If this is the case then I will be forced to make a hasty conversion to a camper so I can register as an RV which is the long term plans anyway.[/QUOTE]

Why do you have to do a hasty RV conversion? Was the truck already registered by someone? If its never been registered prior, there is no rush, unless you want to drive it on the streets prior to your RV build. Why not just do what I did and start your build and its ready to register as RV do it then. it cant have any fees fines or penalties against it as per DMV because "It doesn't exist" in the system. Just my

 

[coachgeo]

If this is the case then I will be forced to make a hasty conversion to a camper so I can register as an RV which is the long term plans anyway.

Why do you have to do a hasty RV conversion? Was the truck already registered by someone? If its never been registered prior, there is no rush, unless you want to drive it on the streets prior to your RV build. Why not just do what I did and start your build and its ready to register as RV do it then. it cant have any fees fines or penalties against it as per DMV because "It doesn't exist" in the system. Just my

Did you use temporary moving permits when you needed to drive it the rare times you had to drive her? Can be done and not horribly expensive if one needed too. These days some of the states have some sort of limit of how many times you can get a Temp move permit.

 

[Aernan]

Right now the truck is parked on a public street. I need to find a spot to rent to park it during the camper conversion. I was really hoping to be able to go the commercial truck route while I save up for and design the RV portion. I also have some mechanical faults and I planned on spending the first year finding and fixing all of the troubles.

At this point if I tell the DMV I want to do it as an RV build I'm not clear on if I need to cancel registration or do a planned non operation or what.

 

[Recce01]

Let me know what happens at the DMV. I plan to be on the same path soon, I just planned to drive it when I needed to without reg. I guess it is a risk, but any driving will happen when it is still camo, I have yet to see a camo military vehicle on the side of the road with a tax collector behind it with red and blues flashing (knocks heavily on wood).

 

[98G]

Let me know what happens at the DMV. I plan to be on the same path soon, I just planned to drive it when I needed to without reg. I guess it is a risk, but any driving will happen when it is still camo, I have yet to see a camo military vehicle on the side of the road with a tax collector behind it with red and blues flashing (knocks heavily on wood).

I strongly recommend against that.

If they catch you, it won't be just a fine. They'll impound it and likely damage it in the process. Then you'll have to meet full commercial reg standards to get it back, including having someone with a CDL drive it out of the impound lot (presuming they don't tear the transmission out of it towing it , making it nondriveable)

 

[Recce01]

I strongly recommend against that.

If they catch you, it won't be just a fine. They'll impound it and likely damage it in the process. Then you'll have to meet full commercial reg standards to get it back, including having someone with a CDL drive it out of the impound lot (presuming they don't tear the transmission out of it towing it , making it nondriveable)

I suppose you are right...... these California regulations are terrible. I can't actually think of a reason to drive it other than to have the cab painted. I guess I can get the RV box done and registration prior to cab paint.

 

[snowtrac nome]

You also have to remember, once something is impounded, the burden of proof of ownership falls on you. If you don't have a title, have fun getting it back. This happened to me one time with an piece of off road equipment, the tow company would give me back the trailer but what was on it was going to auction, I did eventually get it back, but it was about 2 days of hard work, getting bills of sale notarized, and finally a threat of getting legal counsel before I got it back.

 

[quickfarms]

Let me know what happens at the DMV. I plan to be on the same path soon, I just planned to drive it when I needed to without reg. I guess it is a risk, but any driving will happen when it is still camo, I have yet to see a camo military vehicle on the side of the road with a tax collector behind it with red and blues flashing (knocks heavily on wood).

It's the commercial enforcement cops you need to worry about. The small town ones are worse than the CHP or DOT

They pulled my fully marked navy truck over and performed a complete inspection including log books.

 

[Duckworthe]

At this point if I tell the DMV I want to do it as an RV build I'm not clear on if I need to cancel registration or do a planned non operation or what.[/QUOTE]

Until it is registered it isn't in the system. You don't need to do anything. Except get it off the city street. If it is on private property and has never been registered you can take as long as you want to do what you need to do. But no, you cant legally drive it on the street either. You may or may not be able to get a temp moving permit. It depends on who you talk to. I know that doesn't make sense, but when has the DMV system made sense. If it isn't a registered vehicle they wont give you a moving permit because it doesn't exist in the system. But another person there may just give you one and not really care that it isn't in the system but may say, "its a vehicle and he needs to move it, so I'm going to give him one. Inconsistency's. I did get one the third time I asked and at that point was well on my way to having all the paperwork completed. I got it because I was going to the CHP to get the vin verification done and the RZV inspection done by them. CHP had to sign off on the truck as an actual conversion from a basic military truck to RV. Feel free to give me a call and I will tell you exactly what I had to do and how I did it. And I didn't do any shady work around or jump through hoops to do it.
Eric 619-952-4337 cell, I will answer if I can, if not just text me. I might be in a meeting.

 

[Duckworthe]

Down where I live in east county San Diego, the CHP has there pickup cops that haul all the needed truck inspection stuff. That includes scales and all. They do random stops on large trucks and do inspections right there. If you don't pass the truck doesn't move! I see the good in that. We have so many big trucks coming through the boarder hauling goods and the trucks are total disasters! Very unsafe equipment. But it makes the risk of a quick move or drive in the truck not worth the chance.

 

[Aernan]

Update: There are apparently two types of Smog Inspection stations in California. The newer ones are "star" rated and have dynos to measure emissions.

Neither one of the types can do a Commercial truck that is 1993 and over 14,000 lbs. I've now called/visited 4 of them and they all say yes on the phone then turn me away when I arrive.

Next step is to call and schedule a visit with a Referee. The number is [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif](800) 622-7733.

[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]I called and got in the que to get some questions answered. It's still unclear if DEF + DPF will be required. The local smog guy I just went to said it should only be to 1993 standards but I have found information that contradicts it. So even the smog inspection shops don't really know what they are talking about.

I expect a call in the next 2-3 business days.[/FONT]

 

[Aernan]

I have good news. My last trip to the DMV they listened to my long story then asked the supervisor who magically noticed that there was a "G" on the form which meant Gas instead of a "D" which means diesel. Correcting that fixed the required smog state and they gave me plates.

My truck is now a legal California Commercial truck.

So it is possible to import and register them.

 

[Frayo]

Do not add 000 to the vin DMV will not register it if the vin is at all different from the Title. Good luck with commercial registration in CA www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/decsinstall/eobuyerbeware.htm it will need a DPF or a small fleet waiver but they stopped giving those out. It would need smog for commercial plates RV are smog exempt. Also remember that messing around with DMV could raise some alarm bells and make it harder if not impossible to register these trucks if it is not done correctly. Not trying to be a downer but I have registered two of these trucks that are converted to full Expo RV. We looked at all the ways to register them as trucks and its just not that simple with CA smog rules these days.

Can someone message me about this I would like to go through the steps for the RV registration for California