In CA with a 1T where do you display your weight sticker?

You put the stickers right under the CA#`s for over 11.5k gvw your supposed to have if you have anything in the bed other than a camper , and right next to the dot#`s for over 10k if you travel across state lines , otherwise play ignorant and keep them with your reg and hand them to the trooper with a good aditude and a smile on your face :B

But wait, the fun doesn't end here.
When you pull your dually to AZ scales, they will charge you some kind of AZ commercial fee.
Drove I-15 with my F450 one time and going east it is cutting corner of AZ.
That few miles cost me about $25 in AZ fee.

Well I have been all the way through the CVC now, it is a bit of a twisted mess. My conclusion is that a late model dually pickup (GVWR of 14,000) is a commercial vehicle for purposes of registration, must pay weight fees and display tags on GVWR (not unladen weight like a pickup), is not a "pickup" under California law, but, when not operated commercially (which is never defined) is not a commercial vehicle under either the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Program provisions, or the Motor Carriers Permit Act (so no special permit, markings, or insurance is required).

Stopping at scales is administrative procedure, rather than law. Any commercial vehicle is required to stop at scales "when signs are displayed requiring the stop". Usually the signs say "No Pickups" but without specifying whether the popular definition or the CVC definition is meant (less than 11,500 GVWR). On the DOT web page, they clearly state that a 14,000 GVWR pickup must stop:

DO THESE VEHICLES HAVE TO STOP AT THE SCALES?

PICKUP -- It depends on the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR), unladen weight, and bed of the truck.

GVWR under 11,500 pounds, unladen weight of less than 8,001 pounds, and open box-type bed not exceeding 9 feet in length -- NO.
GVWR 11,500 pounds or more, unladen weight 8,001 pounds or more, or not equipped with an open box-type bed not exceeding 9 feet in length -- YES.

I'm going to try it one day soon and see what happens.

Notice that DOT notes are saying about camper with its own axle, or one that is towed.
Do you own one that fits the description? :h

You can order a reduced GVWR from Ford, just for regulatory compliance, but not for a dually 1T as far as I know. I think you can order an F350 SRW this way.

Now there is another potential loophole or exemption that I discovered went into effect Jan 1 of this year:

34601. (2) As used in this division, "commercial motor vehicle" does not
include any of the following:

(G) Vehicles never operated in commercial use, including
motortrucks or two-axle truck tractors, with a gross vehicle weight
rating of less than 26,001 pounds, when operated singly, or, when
used to tow a camp trailer, trailer coach, fifth-wheel travel
trailer, trailer designed to transport watercraft, or a utility
trailer, never operated in commercial use. Vehicle combinations
described in this subparagraph are not subject to Section 27900,
34501.12, or 34507.5.

In the DOT summary I linked way above, this was interpreted to mean "Motor trucks with a GVWR less than 26,001 pounds when used solely to tow a camp trailer, trailer coach, fiftth-wheel travel trailer, or utility trailer." But the statute does not say that, it says "when operated singly, or...etc." . I assume with a camper on it, it is being operated singly and not commercially.

This exclusion is specific to the Motor Carrier Permit section only. So probably still have to pay weight fees and stop at scales. "commercial use" is never defined in the CVC that I can find, so you can probably argue that in front of a judge.

I see a new marketing opportunity here:

GVWR 14,000 lbs
CA GVWR 11,499 lbs

GVWR is just a sticker after all... :)

Now try to make sens out of that

DMV wrote:
a camper having an axle that is designed to support a portion
of the weight of the camper unit shall be considered a three-axle
house car regardless of the method of attachment or manner of
registration. A house car shall not be deemed to be a motortruck.

If we, who "know everything about camper" can't figure it out, what do you expect from Highway Patrol ?

I did find an interesting potential loophole. CVC section 471 defines anything we might think of as a pickup, if greater than 11,500 GVWR, as not a pickup but rather a commercial motor truck. Section 362 defines a "house car" and specifically excludes a camper temporarily attached. A camper on a pickup, or a commercial motor truck is not a house car or RV, unless permanently attached. However, if there is a special provision for a camper than has a third axle (remember the Born Free?). Such a camper, no matter how it is attached, makes the combination a house car, no matter what was before:

A motor vehicle to which a
camper has been temporarily attached is not a house car except that,
for the purposes of Division 11 (commencing with Section 21000) and
Division 12 (commencing with Section 24000), a motor vehicle equipped
with a camper having an axle that is designed to support a portion
of the weight of the camper unit shall be considered a three-axle
house car regardless of the method of attachment or manner of
registration. A house car shall not be deemed to be a motortruck.

That makes you pretty much exempt from everything, at least while it is attached. I'm not sure that is practical, but if you could come up with a single wheel that supported 1 lb of the camper's weight......

From the California Department of Transportation website "Who must stop at scales?" page.

According to CVC Section 471, pickups are a motor truck by definition, which is required to stop at the scales per CVC Section 2813. However, all California weigh stations have signs stating: "No Pickups." So, if a vehicle meet the definition of pickup in CVC Section 471, it is not required to stop at the scales because of the signs stating: "No Pickups." If the pickup has a GVWR of 11,500 pounds or more, an unladen weight 8,001 pounds, not equipped with an open-box type bed not exceeding 9 feet in length, or the pickup bed has been removed and a utility body or flat bed has been mounted, then it no longer meets the definition of pickup in CVC Section 471; it is then a "motor truck" under CVC Section 410 and required to stop at the weigh stations.

So, the California DOT position is if you are driving a late model 1T dually, you must stop at scales. It also appears that you fall under the provisions of a Motor Carrier and require a Motor Carrier Permit which involves other obligations. Operating without that permit is a misdemeanor punishable by a $2500 fine and/or 3 months in jail.

I'm not making this stuff up. It is straight from the California Vehicle code. If you have sections of the CVC that dispute this, please quote them or post a link.

Pickups ARE registered by unladen weight, and this is shown on the registration. The "body type model" will show as "PK" for pickup, and the unladen weight listed. I am looking at my '99 F350 dually at this moment. On my '15 F350 dually (identical but for year and GVWR), body type model is listed as "VA" and gross weight at 15,000. It is not a pickup under California regulations. "VA" is "all other autos" on chart 30.010, CVC. "PK" is pickup.

A truck with a flat bed or utility bed is CLEARLY singled out in the CVC as not a pickup.

Your chances of getting caught are a different subject, and probably small. The consequences of getting caught could be expensive.