Side entry - pros and cons?
I am thinking of a side entry for my next camper, right near the front. Mainly this is driven by floor plan, the only other major advantage I can think of is it will not get as dirty. I am worried...
Forum Discussion
Kayteg1 wrote:
I think you need to recheck CA laws. From what I check a pick-up is vehicle below 13,xxx GWV, so no matter the bed, when you are heavier - you should pull to the scales and you will find scales who don't have "no pickups" signs, so legally even F150 should drive there. Obviously the law is ignored.
The only way to avoid is to get RV registration and I think "not for hire" marking might apply.
Commercially-registered vehicles have different number combination on licence plate, so cops know right away.
What I quoted is directly from the DMV licensing procedures manual. The actual regulation is CVC 471, quoted here in it's entirety:
471. A "pickup truck" is a motor truck with a manufacturer's gross
vehicle weight rating of less than 11,500 pounds, an unladen weight
of less than 8,001 pounds, and which is equipped with an open
box-type bed not exceeding 9 feet in length. "Pickup truck" does not
include a motor vehicle otherwise meeting the above definition, that
is equipped with a bed-mounted storage compartment unit commonly
called a "utility body."
Most modern dually pickups and most non-dually crew cabs do not meet the definition because the GVWR and/or unladed weight is too high - however this is a grey area as the legislative intent was clearly to exclude these, and the law predates the latest generation of pickups. My extended cab 2WD just barely squeaks under the 8001 lbs, but has a GVWR of 14,000. After spending about 7 hours at the DMV, they re-licensed it as a pickup. If you license it as an RV, you can never carry anything in the bed, including a camper, unless the camper is "permanently attached".
