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ArnoldS

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Posted on Tuesday, January 11, 2005 - 6:08 pm:   

I've called DMV, checked their website and am unable to get an answer of what a Motorhome is according to CA DMV.

DMV told me to call Dept of Housing...which I did numerous times and got busy signal. I feel like I'm being misled.

Wondering if anyone knows what the requirements are or knows where the link is that specifically states the requirements.

Thanks.
Justin Dortignac

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Posted on Tuesday, January 11, 2005 - 6:51 pm:   

We got our bus licensed as a "Van Camper" in CA. They didn't really want to see the inside. We still had 23 of the 33 seats installed, all we did is add a bathroom, a bunkbed, a sink and a table.
Marc Bourget

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Posted on Tuesday, January 11, 2005 - 7:23 pm:   

Look up "housecar" in the vehicle code.

If you search google for "california codes" you'll get to a website that allows you to search for Housecar and will pull up all codes sections that reference that subject.

I went to it long ago when Geoff and a few others visited this point on the other BB

Marc
Henry R. Bergman, Jr. (Henryofcj)

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Posted on Tuesday, January 11, 2005 - 7:25 pm:   

Did mine easy in Oregon and the nice DMV lady said the requirements are federal in nature, but who knows.

Got a $20.00 full size mattress set and frame at the goodwill store and bolted it to the floor using turnbuckles...

...and the existing former bus seat floor holes. Then got a $50.00 propane apartment sized range and did the same.

Got a small propane bottles, fittings and plumbed the range sooss the top burners worked. Stuck the bottle in the oven.

Da da. Permanent cooking and sleeping facitlies which were not permanent at all got me a non commercial...

...motorhome tags and title for my Crown ex-schoolie. The DMV lady never looked in the back. All she wanted...

...to sees was the VIN tag on the front dash panel. Standard license with no endorsements at all. Wierd but true. Good luck.
James Maxwell (Jmaxwell)

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Posted on Tuesday, January 11, 2005 - 7:47 pm:   

Henry: That's Oregon, this is CA!!!! and I believe that is the State he is inquiring abt.

ArnoldS: If it is a former commercial use bus you can register it as a private automobile, bus body (there are various classes depending on the number of axles). I believe the same is true of a former school bus. This classification requires no stripping or conversion whatsoever, is legal for you to operate in non-revenue service, and is probably the cheapest and easiest route to take. You must have a valid Title and a VIN verification is necessary. Smog inspection is not required if the title cleary indicates Diesel power. If gas, you will need a smog inspection if it is not pre 1973.

I have gone this route w/both of my conversions and I know many others who have done likewise. I don't know of anyone personally that ever went the "Housecar" route with a bus conversion unit. Clearly, the info u got from the person at DMV is erroneous, but then, what do u expect from CA DMV. Dept. of Housing is responsible for "Mobile Homes", otherwise known as House Trailers (whatever size they may be), that are registered as State non-real property. However, a new registration of a trailer would not go thru Dept. of Housing, but your local tax assessor. DMV's primary purpose is cashing checks and taking money, and they quite often screw that up.
Robert Wood (Bobwoodsocal)

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Posted on Tuesday, January 11, 2005 - 8:53 pm:   

Hi Arnold, I live in CA, I have mine titled as a non commercial bus. It is cheaper than a motorhome, no inspection at all. HTH, Bob
Brian (Bigbusguy)

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Posted on Wednesday, January 12, 2005 - 1:00 am:   

Is it cheeper for insurance titled non commercial bus cheeper or titled motor home ?

Mine is titled as a motor home in Oregon
The nice thing is it says GMC motor home and most insurance Co. just think of the little GMC motor homes they made in the 70's.

Brian 4905 Klamath Falls Oregon
james dean boggs (Jd_boggs)

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Posted on Wednesday, January 12, 2005 - 1:16 am:   

The CA DMV is too confused about most things.

I went to the DMV to get my commercial 40 foot bus classified as a "motor home". One guy gave me a form to fill out. They wanted to know what you paid for it. How much money you spent to convert it and most important. They want to know how many seats are in the bus. The right answer is "9". More than nine, it makes commercial still. The same guy wanted to see the bus, I mean motorhome. Of course it was NOT yet converted! I had just bought the darn thing! Anyway, I didn't like his approach so I waited until he went to lunch and got in line again. This time I found a better CDMV employee. She gave me the new plates and told me to bring the old commercial plated when I had time. My advice is to "shop" for a "good" DMV person.

Good luck.
Robert Wood (Bobwoodsocal)

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Posted on Wednesday, January 12, 2005 - 1:54 am:   

Brian, I have 2 buses, one is titled as a motorhome, one is a non commercial bus. Same $ for insurance on either (liability only, Progressive thru RV Alliance). The non commercial bus is cheaper to register. Bob
RJ Long (Rjlong)

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Posted on Wednesday, January 12, 2005 - 2:29 am:   

Arnold - The CA DMV doesn't know what a motorhome is, it's not defined in the CA Vehicle Code (CVC). They do know what a recreational vehicle is, as well as a housecar, tho. . .

A Housecar is defined in CVC Section 362:

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=veh&group=00001-01000&file=100-680

The definiton of a Recreational Vehicle is not listed, per se, in the CVC, except in reference. Scroll down in the above link to Section 387, near the end it refers to the Health & Safety codes for the definition of an RV, which is shown below. You'll have to scroll down to 18010:

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=hsc&group=17001-18000&file=18000-180 14.5

As for my own coach, a GMC 4106, it's registered the same as Bob & James - a private, non-commercial bus. . . I think. Or maybe it's an automobile with a bus body. . .

A previous year's registration reads like this, as the current one is in the coach (if I can get the table formatting to work correctly):

Make: GMCYr Model: 1964Yr 1st Sold: 1964VLF Class: AW*YR: 2000Type Veh: 12BType Lic: 11License Number: 2TFF818
Body Type Model: Bus MP: D MO: FM Vehicle ID Number: PD41062784
Type Vehicle Use: AUTOMOBILE Date Issued: 01/14/00 CC/ALCO: 10 Dt Fee Recvd: 01/14/00 PIC: 3 Use Tax: 276


Only a DMV clerk can decipher those codes, guess I'll call them tomorrow and see what's what!

Stay tuned. . . :-)

RJ
PD4106-2784
Fresno CA
ArnoldS

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Posted on Wednesday, January 12, 2005 - 6:35 pm:   

Here is what I found out today via phone.

Called Dept of Housing. Was told that the vehicle would be inspected by the Dept of Housing's code people, and if it passed their code requirments, they would issue me a insignia, that the conversion meets Dept of Housing's code, and I would show that to DMV and that would meet DMV's requirements and then DMV would issue me motorhome status. Sort of confusing but straight forward.

Keep in mind, I have not called DMV to confirm. I will do that shortly.

The insignia, (the size of a credit card) (which I assume is on all motorhomes sold in CA), could also be issued by HUD.

Does this sound correct to you folks?
James Maxwell (Jmaxwell)

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Posted on Wednesday, January 12, 2005 - 8:50 pm:   

ArnoldS: No, it does not sound correct. It sounds to me like you are going thru 2 beauracracies to get something done by one of them. I can't say definately not the process, but I have never heard of this process for registering a motor vehicle. 1st ?: How is DOH going to inspect a bus conversion for compliance when it is not converted as yet.

I have a friend w/a recent model Nat'l RV motorhome, built down in SCal. No CA DOH sticker on it, just RVIA tag. Just for the sake of the discussion, If I buy a MH manufactured in OR. in Idaho, I don't have to take it to DOH for their approval to get DMV to give me a CA motor vehicle registration for it. 2nd ? When u spoke with this clerk at DOH, did u speak in terms of mobile home or motor home?
Robert Wood (Bobwoodsocal)

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Posted on Wednesday, January 12, 2005 - 9:46 pm:   

Thats is crazy! Dept of housing? Like James said, did you call it a MOBILE home? If it were me, I would go down to DMV (or better yet- AAA) and tell them it is a NON commercial bus. no inspection, and cheap. Your insurance will still say MOTORhome. Bob
Robert Wood (Bobwoodsocal)

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Posted on Wednesday, January 12, 2005 - 9:48 pm:   

Meant to say, you will still insure it as a motorhome. No problems here, you are making it much too difficult. HTH, Bob
Marc Bourget

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Posted on Thursday, January 13, 2005 - 1:49 am:   

James and Arnold

What he might be describing is the California process to get the equivalent of a RVIA certification. An effort separate and apart from simple vehicle registration.

I think thats what its about, but I also think, back in the rear memory cells that Geoff Smith has more knowledge on this.

Onward and Upward

Marc
Jon W.

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Posted on Thursday, January 13, 2005 - 8:24 pm:   

Sounds like step one in the process should be to move out of Kalifornia.
James Maxwell (Jmaxwell)

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Posted on Thursday, January 13, 2005 - 8:27 pm:   

Marc: That may be, but I read the initial post as just seeking info on how to get it registered and licensed. As I recall from that post, he ran into a clerk at DMV that knew nothing about registering his bus and referred him to DOH for the info. Appeared to me that DMV instigated the DOH involvement, not Arnold. However, if he does involve DOH in inspecting his bus, I want to be around when he tries to explain the electrical grounding system for his Trace inverter, generator, and shore power. I've known a few of their inspectors over the years, and I just have to see the look on the face of this one!
Marc Bourget

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Posted on Friday, January 14, 2005 - 12:49 pm:   

JMaxwell,

I wasn't passing judgment on the registration issue, just speculating on why he ended up over at DOH.

I will agree with your assessment of some inspectors. I'm still shaking my head over an incident, which I anticipated and had the Cal version of the NEC with examples, carefully tagged with numbered sticky tabs. I'd ask a direct question, get a reply from the inspector, turn to "tab #1" which stated differently, This went on all the way thru Tab #8, and he still overruled me. I set an appointment for his supervisor and got a call cancelling the appointment. The deal worked out (behind my back),with the electrician at the site took a different approach that really "streeeettttcccchhhhheeeeddddd" the code, but was more or less responsive to it.

Nothing like ego in Govt!

Onward and Upward
James Maxwell (Jmaxwell)

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Posted on Friday, January 14, 2005 - 6:51 pm:   

Marc: Like you, I'm pondering how DOH got involved in this process and it just appeared to me that it was DMV that involved them.

I could write a book on inspectors and it generally would not cast them in a favorable light. Way back in my working days they were generally considered by most in the tech and trade fields to be generally unqualified to hold down a real job, or having lost their qualifications to drink. I think that has changed somewhat since my days as most of them are required to have some certification of their qualifications now.
Henry R. Bergman, Jr. (Henryofcj)

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Posted on Friday, January 21, 2005 - 6:10 pm:   

I moved out of Commiefornia ways back in 1987 and I have not looked back since. Had a small business that they did not like one bit. Sosss, I moved to the Oregon Republic.

Every state has its good and bad points. Getting my Crown Super Coach licensed as a RV happened to be quite easy (but $expensive$) in Oregon. CROWNS FOREVER!!!

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