Annual "Smog Check" on Diesel Motor homes, where?

[FIRE_UP]

Gang,
I don't seem to recall any previous threads about this subject so, I thought I'd bring it up. Just wondering. When we were considering moving from San Diego to Arizona, I called the AZ Department of Motor Vehicles and inquired about the annual registration cost of our motor home. The nice lady on the phone began to explain how the system works and, how the cost(s) are tabulated. One of the items she spoke of was: "you'll have to get it smog checked too".

Well, I explained to her, "But, our motor home is a Diesel pusher, 36' long and has a GVWR of 27,910 lbs. She said, "So", it's still required do be smog checked on an annual basis. Hmmmmmmm, I'm thinking, wow, this is even stronger smog laws then CA. Never heard of such a thing.

Then she asked; "Oh, by the way, where are you thinking of moving to in AZ?". I said, "Lake Havasu City". She said, "Oh, then you won't have to smog it there". She stated that only in Phoenix and Tucson is it required for the annual smog checks.

Now, I have never taken this any further 'cause there was no need to. But, just wondering, to all of you all around this nice country of ours, how many of you must go through an annual smog inspection of any year/make/model diesel coach?

The last I've been shown in CA is, ANY DIESEL, motor homes included, that has a GVWR of less than 14,000 lbs. is required to have an annual smog inspection. Thanks for responding here.
Scott

[Jarlaxle]

FIRE UP wrote:
Gang,
I don't seem to recall any previous threads about this subject so, I thought I'd bring it up. Just wondering. When we were considering moving from San Diego to Arizona, I called the AZ Department of Motor Vehicles and inquired about the annual registration cost of our motor home. The nice lady on the phone began to explain how the system works and, how the cost(s) are tabulated. One of the items she spoke of was: "you'll have to get it smog checked too".

Well, I explained to her, "But, our motor home is a Diesel pusher, 36' long and has a GVWR of 27,910 lbs. She said, "So", it's still required do be smog checked on an annual basis. Hmmmmmmm, I'm thinking, wow, this is even stronger smog laws then CA. Never heard of such a thing.

Then she asked; "Oh, by the way, where are you thinking of moving to in AZ?". I said, "Lake Havasu City". She said, "Oh, then you won't have to smog it there". She stated that only in Phoenix and Tucson is it required for the annual smog checks.

Now, I have never taken this any further 'cause there was no need to. But, just wondering, to all of you all around this nice country of ours, how many of you must go through an annual smog inspection of any year/make/model diesel coach?

The last I've been shown in CA is, ANY DIESEL, motor homes included, that has a GVWR of less than 14,000 lbs. is required to have an annual smog inspection. Thanks for responding here.
Scott

Other than a Sprinter or an older Ford E350 (E450 is 14,050), I'm hard pressed to think of any diesel motorhome with a GVWR under 14,000lbs.

[Mr_Mark1]

W4RLR wrote:

barmcd wrote:
If a city exceeds ozone levels and ends up on the list, any contiguous county is also added. I see the need in places like Dallas, where Collin county is almost as densely populated as Dallas county, without a large population center in any one city. If San Antonio were to fail (and they have come close several times) four or five very rural counties will be added to the list along with Bexar county.

Not necessarily. I live in Marion County, Tennessee. Adjacent Hamilton County (Chattanooga) has emissions testing, as does Shelby County (Memphis) Davidson County (Nashville) and Blount County (Knoxville). If I move to any of the counties I just listed, I have to get my vehicles emissions tested each year. No emissions testing for those of us in adjacent counties. How long that will last I do not know. Chattanooga is getting more and more industries moving in, and existing industries such as Volkswagen are expanding. Emissions testing was a factor in where we choose to move to in Tennessee, the DW and I moved here from Florida nearly five years ago. Florida became too expensive for a retired Air Force NCO who has health issues and cannot work full time.

We currently don't have annual emission testing in the city of Memphis (Shelby County). They were closed a couple of years ago due to funding. Our cars have always passed, even the older ones. New cars get a 2 or 3 yr. exempt (when they were testing).

On edit: Unless they started it up in the last 3 months...... I've been out West until recently.

MM.

[John___Angela]

Even north of the border it seems to vary by city, or at least in BC. Where we are there is no smog chek.

It will be interesting to see how this type of thing is dealt with going forward. In europe many countries felt it was just too complicated going forward. Countries like Holland have been passing or planning the simple ban of sales of any personal passenger vehicle by 2025 that burns gas or diesel. There are a half dozen others in various stages of the doing the same thing. As the one minister pointed out, it will retire the need for an entire government department that tracks the whole smog thing.

[barmcd]

W4RLR wrote:

barmcd wrote:
If a city exceeds ozone levels and ends up on the list, any contiguous county is also added. I see the need in places like Dallas, where Collin county is almost as densely populated as Dallas county, without a large population center in any one city. If San Antonio were to fail (and they have come close several times) four or five very rural counties will be added to the list along with Bexar county.

Not necessarily. I live in Marion County, Tennessee. Adjacent Hamilton County (Chattanooga) has emissions testing, as does Shelby County (Memphis) Davidson County (Nashville) and Blount County (Knoxville). If I move to any of the counties I just listed, I have to get my vehicles emissions tested each year. No emissions testing for those of us in adjacent counties. How long that will last I do not know. Chattanooga is getting more and more industries moving in, and existing industries such as Volkswagen are expanding. Emissions testing was a factor in where we choose to move to in Tennessee, the DW and I moved here from Florida nearly five years ago. Florida became too expensive for a retired Air Force NCO who has health issues and cannot work full time.

That's strange, I'm just repeating what was reported in the newspaper the last time San Antonio failed the air quality test. They were able to have several noncompliance test removed because of air pollution which was traceable to fires in Mexico. That put them under the limit. I wonder what actually governs when adjacent counties also require smog checks.

on edit: This is actually hard information to find as a search yields a whole lot of hits from states and few from the EPA. It looks like it may be determined by what cities and counties make up a metropolitan statistical area. All the references I find use the words San Antonio/New Braunfels metropolitan statistical area.

[W4RLR]

barmcd wrote:
If a city exceeds ozone levels and ends up on the list, any contiguous county is also added. I see the need in places like Dallas, where Collin county is almost as densely populated as Dallas county, without a large population center in any one city. If San Antonio were to fail (and they have come close several times) four or five very rural counties will be added to the list along with Bexar county.

Not necessarily. I live in Marion County, Tennessee. Adjacent Hamilton County (Chattanooga) has emissions testing, as does Shelby County (Memphis) Davidson County (Nashville) and Blount County (Knoxville). If I move to any of the counties I just listed, I have to get my vehicles emissions tested each year. No emissions testing for those of us in adjacent counties. How long that will last I do not know. Chattanooga is getting more and more industries moving in, and existing industries such as Volkswagen are expanding. Emissions testing was a factor in where we choose to move to in Tennessee, the DW and I moved here from Florida nearly five years ago. Florida became too expensive for a retired Air Force NCO who has health issues and cannot work full time.

[RayChez]

I do not need smog device on my Caterpillar 3126-E in California. Now if I was using it as a commercial business, THEN I would need it, but not for recreational use.

[Kayteg1]

The deal is that diesels in vehicles of GVW of 15,000lb or more don't have smog checks, but they fall under "20 years old rule"
Meaning once the engine turns 20 - it has to be replaced with new model.
As the linked notice says - RV are exempt.

[wolfe10]

Clicky: http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/truckstop/tb/motorhome.htm

[FIRE_UP]

SCVJeff wrote:

djgarcia wrote:
Smog certification in Calif.--
In Calif. I have to smog my 3500 Dodge diesel truck every other year not annually.

Ditto on the C/7
At least they haven't asked for one

Jeff,
I'm assuming that your statement "Ditto on the C/7" means, no smog on it, correct?

Below is a link to a page that displays the exemptions from smog control or, new application devices (soot filters etc.) for motor homes. I was looking for the official government page that has the same writing on it but, this one will do for short explanation.

Scott

http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/truckstop/tb/motorhome.htm

[Kayteg1]

I have never heard about pollution laws going back over 10 years in the past, but I can see there is good reason why CA made it and I can only guess more and more states will follow.
Diesels are amazing engines and with lot of potentials, but without law limiting modification some owners take it to extreme.
Would you really want to follow one of those in your city?

[mtrumpet]

Cbones wrote:

mtrumpet wrote:
No smog check here in New York (Yet!) - Better not say it too loud though or our tyrant of a Governor may discover it to be yet another possible source of revenue for New York State.:R

WRONG! Depends on county. NY Diesel Inspection

Interesting. First I've ever heard of it. Although, the main DEMA area is predominantly around the New York City area.

[SCVJeff]

djgarcia wrote:
Smog certification in Calif.--
In Calif. I have to smog my 3500 Dodge diesel truck every other year not annually.

Ditto on the C/7
At least they haven't asked for one

[FIRE_UP]

ArchHoagland wrote:
And if you own a VW diesel your are apparently exempt everywhere.

No, you just PASS, no matter what the engine is putting out!
Scott

[ArchHoagland]

And if you own a VW diesel your are apparently exempt everywhere.