California Body Type ( BTM) Codes

[anutami]

After over a year my truck was totalled the DMV finally ran my paperwork and I officially have a salvage title. One of the final steps was having to take my truck down to th DMV and have them do a VIN Verification. I was dumb enough to take my truck down to the DMV with my camper mounted. The DMV employee right off the bat started saying she was going to categorize my truck as a PM (pick w/ camper mounted) instead of the PK (pickup) it was always coded as. I got into a pretty good argument with her saying my truck is separate from the camper and the camper can be removed at anytime. After a heated argument another employee came out and agreed it was a pickup, but said it should be labeled as a VA (all other commericial vehicles). It looks like I should have let her label it as a PM because this is in the Automobile category and is exempt from the high weight fees I have to pay. Registration for my truck every year is $338 and $257 of that is the Weight fee. By coding my truck as a PM I would only have to pay $81 a year! I guess The only catch is I would have to leave the camper on the truck all the time, or risk getting pulled over if an officer sees there is no camper in the back. So for those of you that leave your campers on all the time you are able to re-categorize your truck as a PM and not have to pay the high weight fees California charges.

[anutami]

1mtnman wrote:

Reddog1 wrote:
Like every state, California has its laws. Many of these make no sense, with the same being true in every state. I think too many people jump into something not researching it in depth. When folks brag about where the live being so inexpensive, I do not think they consider other circumstances.

Personally, I have never been in a Hurricane, tornado, snow storm, or weather below 30 degrees (for more than two or three weeks per year). I only need to run the A/C for about four weeks a year, it does not rain here weeks on end. I might get 2" to 4" of snow every year, that last no more than a week or two. Never needed a snow plow. I can use my TC year round, and never winterize it. I can store my TC outside all year. Within two hours, I can be at the ocean, desert, Pine trees at 8000 feet, snow, or a major city. I only have fog maybe five or six days a year, then it is more of a low cloud. It is expected to be 71 degrees Sunday, with a low of 47 Sunday night.

I pay about $250 a year license. I could save about $225 a year and not have the conditions I described above. I have no interest in trading places.

Wayne

Wayne we here in Wonderful Colorado are so glad you feel that way as we have too damn many Californians here already!!

Yes this is truly the state of fruits and nuts, and I know many of whom have moved out your way. When the bad weather rolls in and it is partly sunny it can shut freeways down 🙂

[1mtnman]

Reddog1 wrote:
Like every state, California has its laws. Many of these make no sense, with the same being true in every state. I think too many people jump into something not researching it in depth. When folks brag about where the live being so inexpensive, I do not think they consider other circumstances.

Personally, I have never been in a Hurricane, tornado, snow storm, or weather below 30 degrees (for more than two or three weeks per year). I only need to run the A/C for about four weeks a year, it does not rain here weeks on end. I might get 2" to 4" of snow every year, that last no more than a week or two. Never needed a snow plow. I can use my TC year round, and never winterize it. I can store my TC outside all year. Within two hours, I can be at the ocean, desert, Pine trees at 8000 feet, snow, or a major city. I only have fog maybe five or six days a year, then it is more of a low cloud. It is expected to be 71 degrees Sunday, with a low of 47 Sunday night.

I pay about $250 a year license. I could save about $225 a year and not have the conditions I described above. I have no interest in trading places.

Wayne

Wayne we here in Wonderful Colorado are so glad you feel that way as we have too damn many Californians here already!!

[Reddog1]

It is tough here. Right now, it is 69 degrees, with a high expected of 74 degrees. Gonna cool off Tuesday to 71 degrees. Its tough cause we pretty much have good camping weather year round. Maybe I should get the truck and TC licensed as a motor home and save a few dollars. The money we save on heating can be applied to camping fuel. I bet we save a lot more than $225 a year.

Years ago (late 60's), my dad had his truck and camper shell licensed as a passenger car. He loaned it to a friend who removed the camper shell. The friend got a ticket for having a wheel barrow in the back of the truck. I don't remember what it cost, but dad did re-license the truck to commercial truck license.

In about 2004, I gave my daughter a 1-ton flatbed truck and a TC. The truck was licensed with commercial plates at about $250 per year. She had it licensed as an RV, and the license went down to about $60. She did not have to bolt the TC to the truck, but was told she could not put anything on the bed but a TC.

I was paying about $250 to $275 for my 1996 2500 Dodge truck with the typical commercial plates. I discovered I could get Handicap plates for it and retain all of the privileges of a commercial license, and those for handicap. :C The license dropped to About $80. I could have had the handicap plates over four years earlier, but did not know you could still have the commercial privileges. :S The $80 license sure bets moving to the east coast. :B

[Clarryhill]

Reddog1 wrote:
Like every state, California has its laws. Many of these make no sense, with the same being true in every state. I think too many people jump into something not researching it in depth. When folks brag about where the live being so inexpensive, I do not think they consider other circumstances.

Personally, I have never been in a Hurricane, tornado, snow storm, or weather below 30 degrees (for more than two or three weeks per year). I only need to run the A/C for about four weeks a year, it does not rain here weeks on end. I might get 2" to 4" of snow every year, that last no more than a week or two. Never needed a snow plow. I can use my TC year round, and never winterize it. I can store my TC outside all year. Within two hours, I can be at the ocean, desert, Pine trees at 8000 feet, snow, or a major city. I only have fog maybe five or six days a year, then it is more of a low cloud. It is expected to be 71 degrees Sunday, with a low of 47 Sunday night.

I pay about $250 a year license. I could save about $225 a year and not have the conditions I described above. I have no interest in trading places.

Wayne

Ya know, Wayne, after six plus feet of snow in the last 3 or 4 weeks, ya got me thinkin hard...

[Travelon]

Buzzcut1 wrote:

Reddog1 wrote:
Like every state, California has its laws. Many of these make no sense, with the same being true in every state. I think too many people jump into something not researching it in depth. When folks brag about where the live being so inexpensive, I do not think they consider other circumstances.

Personally, I have never been in a Hurricane, tornado, snow storm, or weather below 30 degrees (for more than two or three weeks per year). I only need to run the A/C for about four weeks a year, it does not rain here weeks on end. I might get 2" to 4" of snow every year, that last no more than a week or two. Never needed a snow plow. I can use my TC year round, and never winterize it. I can store my TC outside all year. Within two hours, I can be at the ocean, desert, Pine trees at 8000 feet, snow, or a major city. I only have fog maybe five or six days a year, then it is more of a low cloud. It is expected to be 71 degrees Sunday, with a low of 47 Sunday night.

I pay about $250 a year license. I could save about $225 a year and not have the conditions I described above. I have no interest in trading places.

Wayne

Yup

What he said.

[billyg]

Hi one thing we don't have here are massive wild fires and mud slides. Having seasons of hot cold wet and dry is not so bad.I do wonder when the west coast shore line will change after the big one. We live in an ever changing world. Exciting times to be alive. Bill:)

[Reddog1]

Dirtpig wrote:
My pickup is $1400 a yr. my camper is $270. what you have is cheap.

And you do not have California weather. :B

[Dirtpig]

My pickup is $1400 a yr. my camper is $270. what you have is cheap.

[Buzzcut1]

Reddog1 wrote:
Like every state, California has its laws. Many of these make no sense, with the same being true in every state. I think too many people jump into something not researching it in depth. When folks brag about where the live being so inexpensive, I do not think they consider other circumstances.

Personally, I have never been in a Hurricane, tornado, snow storm, or weather below 30 degrees (for more than two or three weeks per year). I only need to run the A/C for about four weeks a year, it does not rain here weeks on end. I might get 2" to 4" of snow every year, that last no more than a week or two. Never needed a snow plow. I can use my TC year round, and never winterize it. I can store my TC outside all year. Within two hours, I can be at the ocean, desert, Pine trees at 8000 feet, snow, or a major city. I only have fog maybe five or six days a year, then it is more of a low cloud. It is expected to be 71 degrees Sunday, with a low of 47 Sunday night.

I pay about $250 a year license. I could save about $225 a year and not have the conditions I described above. I have no interest in trading places.

Wayne

Yup

[Reddog1]

Like every state, California has its laws. Many of these make no sense, with the same being true in every state. I think too many people jump into something not researching it in depth. When folks brag about where the live being so inexpensive, I do not think they consider other circumstances.

Personally, I have never been in a Hurricane, tornado, snow storm, or weather below 30 degrees (for more than two or three weeks per year). I only need to run the A/C for about four weeks a year, it does not rain here weeks on end. I might get 2" to 4" of snow every year, that last no more than a week or two. Never needed a snow plow. I can use my TC year round, and never winterize it. I can store my TC outside all year. Within two hours, I can be at the ocean, desert, Pine trees at 8000 feet, snow, or a major city. I only have fog maybe five or six days a year, then it is more of a low cloud. It is expected to be 71 degrees Sunday, with a low of 47 Sunday night.

I pay about $250 a year license. I could save about $225 a year and not have the conditions I described above. I have no interest in trading places.

Wayne

[sleepy]

My 1 ton GMC dully diesal crew cab is $24/year total.

the camper is cargo... even for insurance purposes

[W4RLR]

I am so glad I left California in the late eighties. I was stationed in Southern California with the Air Force, and a Florida resident in California on military orders exempt from having California plates by federal law. California insisted I have California insurance, Florida insisted I have Florida insurance. Two years the urination contest between the two states went on. It only ended when I was reassigned to Germany. Money grubbing bastages, the whole state government is looney toons.

[wintersun]

Sometimes it pays to think before you speak. The DMV person was giving you a break as in California ALL pickups have to pay for commercial plates regardless of their GVWR or use, EXCEPT if you have a permanently mounted camper. When I spoke to several DMV employees I was told that the camper had to be welded in place and having turnbuckles would disqualify the truck as the camper could be removed.

Even a mini-truck owner has to pay the premium imposed by our legislature as a way to increase revenues. It is the old trick of cutting taxes on the rich while hitting the working stiffs with new fees.

[Buzzcut1]

I have a FireFighter Plate. Just adds an extra $50 to the commercial truck registration fees which for my 2003 F350 = $359.00 per year

"It’s been over twelve years since the California Firefighter license plate made its debut on the highways and byways that intertwine across the Golden State. Only active and retired firefighters may buy these plates to display on their automobiles, trucks, trailers and motorcycles – and since our license plates have hit the street, sales have shot through the roof! To date, over 33,000 license plates have been sold!

The California Firefighter license plate program was designed and created by the California Professional Firefighters. Using an image from the box office hit, “Backdraft,” the California Firefighter license plate has become a novelty within the fire service. The California Firefighter license plate program is administered by the California Fire Foundation - CPF’s non-profit, charitable organization. A portion of the proceeds from the sales of these specialized license plates go toward the maintenance and upkeep of the California Firefighters Memorial, located in Sacramento’s historical Capitol Park."