Truck camper alternatives
I went to the local RV show yesterday and was very impressed by the quality of a 30ft rv in the 70k ish price range. If I cant find a new Host camper in my price range, I will venture toward that dir...
Forum Discussion
brholt wrote:
Depending on where you live the difference in registration fees can be enormous.
I live in Seattle. By far the largest component in registration costs is the Regional Transit Authority Tax (RTA). The tax for a car or motorhome is 1.1% of the value of the vehicle per year. But note, the value of the vehicle is not what you paid for it but is MSRP x (depreciation), And they define depreciation:
WA Depreciation schedule
This means the motorhome with the MSRP of $100,000 that you negotiated the sales price down to $75,000 will cost you $1,100 in just RTA fees in the first year (plus other state and city charges). When it rolls around to get your tabs in the second year the state says it will have only depreciated 5% and you will have to pay $1,045 just for RTA.
And don't think buying used helps you either. The state still charges you MSRP * (their depreciation schedule) independent of what you payed.
Now, compare that to my truck camper. The camper itself (A1150) has a Total registration fee of $15.25. The truck (2013 F350 DRW), being over 6,000 pounds is considered commercial and is exempt from RTA fees. Total charge is $139 a year.
(To show you how crazy it is my 11 year old scooter costs my $157 to register.)
Honestly, I don't see how y'all tolerate that. I just renewed license tags for our 5th wheel and the Jeep GC. Total was $205. I think the 5th was about $130, Jeep the rest. I think my Ram tags will be about $75. No tax or registration for my Bigfoot. Insurance is covered by truck policy.
Now property taxes...we have plenty of that, but no state income tax.
