License plate on Truck? or camper (with overhang)?

[towpro]

In PA we don't have plates on Pickup Truck campers.
I called PennDot and asked the following question:

"my camper hangs 24" over the back of my bumper and makes it hard to read the license plate on the truck".

"Instead of someone moving the license plate between camper and truck every Friday when they load camper, and Sunday when they unload camper, is there a solution like a duplicate license plate?"

After 15 minutes of hold they told me "no, you can't have a duplicate license plate."

I do know in order to get a replacement plate you need a cop to sign a form saying yours was lost or stolen. let alone the BS if you get caught with a duplicate plate on truck and camper.

So I found the law (below). its all about seeing the tag with (money generating) cameras like traffic light and toll booth.

With my overhang, I think a lower mounted toll booth camera or a red light camera that is low enough might see my license plate.
I guess if I am towing my trailer, this don't matter because that would also block the truck tag from cameras, but the trailer has a tag.

Now starting this month, PA no longer has uses little stickers on the plate that show when your registration expires.

Now the police have these cameras that scan all the cars as they drive down the street, and it auto runs every tag number through a database (wireless connection to state) looking for expired tags (as well as outstanding arrest warrants).

I now that a cop car passing me can not see the truck tag unless its some distance behind me.

below in the laws it talks about "at a reasonable distance". Do you think it is reasonable to not be able see the license plate unless you step back about 10 yards so you can see under the camper and fox landing?

last fall when I got eh camper, I moved the tag, but I really don't want to do it. I do unload several times per year.

What would you do?
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laws about obscured tags in PA.

(b) Obscuring plate.--It is unlawful to display on any vehicle a registration plate which:

(1) is so dirty as to prevent the reading of the number or letters thereon at a reasonable distance;

(2) is obscured in any manner which inhibits the proper operation of an automated red light enforcement system in place pursuant to section 3116 (relating to automated red light enforcement systems in first class cities) or 3117 (relating to automated red light enforcement systems in certain municipalities) or any other automated enforcement system authorized by this title or an electronic toll collection system as authorized under 74 Pa.C.S. § 8117 (relating to electronic toll collection);

(3) is otherwise illegible at a reasonable distance or is obscured in any manner; or

(4) is obscured, covered or otherwise obstructed in a manner which inhibits the visibility of the issuing jurisdiction at a reasonable distance.

(c) Penalty for obscured plate.--Any person who violates subsection (b)(2) or (4) commits a summary offense and shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to pay a fine of $100.

[Powelligator]

The first time I ever put my first camper on my truck I tried the leave the regular license plate on the truck, and then take the front license plate and put that on the camper, where it is more visible. In california the registration tags are only put on the rear license plate. Several hundred miles later I was pulled over by the california highway patrol. I was told that the plate with the registration needed to be removed from the truck and put on the back of the camper. The officer didn't really care about the front plate not being on the front. I grabbed a screwdriver and crawled under the truck and took care of it right then. Yeah, I found out later that he was wrong, as described in a post above, but over the years I just figure the hassle of being pulled over isn't worth it so the plate goes on the camper, and I've never been pulled over since.

[burningman]

I can't believe it but now I think I'm actually glad WA puts license plates on campers.
Here, its simple; truck plate goes on truck, camper plate on camper.
I figure it's the same as pulling a trailer. You can't see the truck plate then either but you can see the rear-most plate.
Ive never had that questioned in my 30 or so years of having pickup campers.

[northshore]

On our camper you can see the plate but its "iffy". I did mount a lic plate mounting with a light on the camper, in the case if some officer stops me its a minor thing to move it to the other mount on the camper. Hopefully the officer lets me move on.
I will say I've made a number of trips with the plate up under the camper and have not had a problem, no one has said a word about not being able to see the plate.

[TxGearhead]

ehhh....I could easily say too much.
I obviously live in a different state.....of mind.
Do what makes sense. Cop don't like it, write that ticket, I'm trying to get somewhere. I can't memorize the vehicle code, if we even have one.
Hopefully the law enforcement where y'all live has more to do than harass Paw-Paw in his camper about how far away he can see the plate.
I guess I'll find out.
I never had a plate on the front of my Corvette. I ain't ruining the look of that with a plate. Never had a problem with that either.

[a_flyfisher]

Thanks for posing this question, towpro. I don't get my truck camper until spring, but this is something I'd been thinking about.

In my case, my truck is licensed in PA, but I've been keeping it in MT, where I'm buying the truck camper.

I think I'll see how visible the license will be if I leave it on the truck. It seems to me that if the license is clearly visible from (say) 20' behind by some who is sitting in another vehicle, that would be okay. In my opinion, anyone who says they can't see it from 10' shouldn't be that close in the first place.

[HMS_Beagle]

This has been discussed many times. The state matters: in California, it is illegal to put the license plate on the camper, the vehicle code is quite unambiguous about this. A camper is a load in the bed of a pickup, and the license plate must be attached to the vehicle to which it is issued, period. The 200 foot unobstructed view has clear exceptions: when you are towing a box trailer, the plate is not visible at 200 feet behind. Much more visible underneath a camper.

If a patrolman enforces his own interpretation, he is either having a very slow day or you have angered him in some way. With my previous camper I had a tool box mounted on a hitch extension right up against the plate. The rear plate was not visible, not even a little bit, even crawling underneath. I would have had to take the toolbox and hitch extension off to see it. I drove it that way all over the western states for a decade. Never a single question.

[DWeikert]

towpro wrote:
DWeikert, are you starting to see any of the new TAG SCANNERS they are installing on the local LEO cars out your way yet?

Haven't noticed them, but can't say I've looked for them either. Now that you've planted the seed I'll keep an eye out.

[towpro]

DWeikert, are you starting to see any of the new TAG SCANNERS they are installing on the local LEO cars out your way yet?

[DWeikert]

My camper overhangs about 18" and the bumper on the rear of the camper does hang below the bed of the truck. Still, anyone sitting in a car right behind me could easily see the plates. Sitting in a van, probably not. But from 200' back, no problem. That said, there's a place for the plates on the camper and if I remember before I load the camper, I'll move them. In my mind it's a grey area since the plates are for the truck, not the camper and the camper does have it's own VIN number. Even though PA doesn't title truck campers, isn't this kind of like putting plates on a different vehicle than the one they're registered for?

I've traveled with the plates on the truck, and with the plates on the camper. The only time I've been pulled over I had the plates on the camper, though the pullover was unrelated to the plates. I guess driving 63 mph in a 70 at 11:30 PM in Kansas is suspicious activity. Anyway, as the officer was leaving me he asked if I had any questions. I thought this was my chance for a definitive answer, so I asked him if moving the plate to the camper from the truck was the right thing to do considering the plates were for the truck, not the camper. His response, "Probably." Sigh...

I still move them, but if I forget I don't sweat it.

[towpro]

The tag IS visible from 200 feet, but not from 10 foot back, when your close to the rig is when the overhang covers it. I guess It really comes down a judgement call by the LEO that is looking at it.

I also like the idea of a sealed copy of the truck tags on installed on the RV.
Since PA does not have any stickers on the license plate anymore this may be an answer as well.

Thanks everyone for the answers of how/what you would do.

[ticki2]

My TC has a plate bracket and light on the back . If I left it blank I think it would be noticed . My state law says the plate should be easily visible . We have no registration for TC's . Until something like this actually goes to court it will probably not be determined what is technically legal . I think moving the plate shows the best intend to comply with the law .

[tattoobob]

Go to Staples or similar and copy your plate with updated sticker and then have them laminate it use that on the truck camper leave the original plate on your truck

[Grit_dog]

^This.
Like most, I'm generally a law abiding person. The important ones anyway, lol!
BUT I don't need an excuse to get pulled over, because a nosy cop with a quota can come up with a lot of things to cite or hassle you for if you're not 101% legal beagle on all fronts.

[bka0721]

Here we go again.

Asking mom and dad hoping you will get the answer you want to hear. For Uniform Traffic Control 1959, revisions after that,(Yeah, just like UBC-Uniform Building Code) there are parameters all states create their statutes from, as do other authorities (Home Rule).

Basically the law is; All Registration (Plates) must be visible 200 feet to the rear, unobstructed. No matter how many variables or excuses you come up with the fact is your plate must be visible. Yeah, you might be hauling a boat or trailer being towed and how would an officer see it? Well, the officer would be in his fiduciary rights to stop you and verify. Just like lawyers there are lots of types of LEOs out there, and if you hunt long enough you will find someone that actually knows Traffic Code.

For me I stopped people all the time for obstructed plates and many times upon contacting the person I learned they were wanted for various charges, stolen vehicle, felonies, misdeameanor and even murder. That one was a long story involving a Ball Peen hammer and shutting down the Boulder Turnpike.

My supervisor would ding an officer, during his once a month ride evaluation, if you let a car pass with an obstructed plate or no front plate (when required). So, if you feel lucky do what you want to do, but the law does require the plate/s be visible and unobstructed. No matter what variation of Police Officer you talk to.

Sure, you might find a different type of enforcement in your area, but we all know for a fact that no one ever takes their Truck Camper outside their home base area. :B

Me, I could care less what you do with your plate. Back in the day it was job security, if you didn't either. But I certainly would not want to draw attention to myself while driving down the road. Especially if I had something to hide or didn't want to get cited. Your choice, well, do you feel lucky? Do you?

b

[TCINTN]

I had an officer in Tennessee where I live to tell me that it was the truck which the tag belonged on when I started truck camping about 25 years ago. And that it is where it has been for every state accept Hawaii.