Truck registration in California

I guess I don't understand the camper issue. When I registered my 05 Dodge Cummins in California I was charged over $500 because it weighed 160 Lbs over the 7000 lbs. limit for non-commercial registration. I didn't realize until after the fact that had I removed the shell I could have non-commercial plates.

lanerd wrote:
If you have a permanently mounted camper on the back, you can register it non-commercial (like a car) and save big bucks. However, as mentioned previously, if you remove the camper and get pulled over, you will be up for a heavy fine...even if you don't have anything in the bed.

This is what was explained to me by a CHP last year.

Ron

Yep!Been there,done that! Had to re-register the P/U as commercial.
A tree had fallen on the camper shell,destroyed it,without damage to the P/U

I live or should I say I just make it by in California. Parents move here when I was 7 and when I retire in 8 years I am getting the H**L out of here. To pay 355.00 a year for my 02 Ford and 248.00 for my 05 fiver each year and only put 4000 miles a year on it is outragous. Can't wait to get out of here.

TOOBOLD wrote:

Powerdude wrote:
I have no idea why people live in California.

The beaches aren't that good, the traffic sucks, and the taxes on everything are through the roof.

Now they will fine you $500 if you wash your car or water your lawn.

Ridiculous.

The California beaches are much better than the ones in Missouri.... that's right there are none in Missouri.

Yes, we have a drought but overall our weather cannot be beat. No tornados, no hurricanes, no yearly flood of the Missouri or Mississippi River. Just occasional earthquakes. We were in Houston last week and is was 90+ degrees with 80% humidity at 11pm. Air was so thick it was tough for me to breath. Guess I'm just used to smog.

Traffic is bad in the big cities, but tolerable in other parts of the state.

I have no intentions of leaving. I'll keep the beaches, Yosemite, the Redwoods, Sequoia National Park, Eastern Sierra's and San Francisco.

What day were you in Houston? A couple days last week we had highs in the low 80's, and low 70's at night. And this is August!!

Dallas/Fort Worth was beautiful last week as well, overall we've had a very mild summer, with plenty of rain.

To OP's post, I can't believe it's 500 bucks annually. That would raise my temp more than Houston weather ever could.

Powerdude wrote:
I have no idea why people live in California.

The beaches aren't that good, the traffic sucks, and the taxes on everything are through the roof.

Now they will fine you $500 if you wash your car or water your lawn.

Ridiculous.

The California beaches are much better than the ones in Missouri.... that's right there are none in Missouri.

Yes, we have a drought but overall our weather cannot be beat. No tornados, no hurricanes, no yearly flood of the Missouri or Mississippi River. Just occasional earthquakes. We were in Houston last week and is was 90+ degrees with 80% humidity at 11pm. Air was so thick it was tough for me to breath. Guess I'm just used to smog.

Traffic is bad in the big cities, but tolerable in other parts of the state.

I have no intentions of leaving. I'll keep the beaches, Yosemite, the Redwoods, Sequoia National Park, Eastern Sierra's and San Francisco.

Powerdude wrote:
I have no idea why people live in California.

The beaches aren't that good, the traffic sucks, and the taxes on everything are through the roof.

Now they will fine you $500 if you wash your car or water your lawn.

Ridiculous.

Yep 32 million plus people must be crazy. As an ex Southern Californian I can tell you. Mountain, beaches, and desert all in a short drive. The Southern Orange County beaches (Dana Point, Laguna Beach, etc.,) are beautiful...you must have missed them.

Oh and the weather. Did I mention the weather?

The reason I retired to Utah? Your right on one point...the cost of living in the state.

Powerdude wrote:
I have no idea why people live in California.

The beaches aren't that good, the traffic sucks, and the taxes on everything are through the roof.

Now they will fine you $500 if you wash your car or water your lawn.

Ridiculous.

The Army sent me to CA almost 10 years ago (National Training Center) and I bought a truck while there...very quickly registered it in Texas (my legal residence) and sent the tags in to CA along with a notice saying I had registered it in Texas. For 2+ years they tried to fine me and make me pay CA fees on that truck. At one time even threatening to "have my vehicle impounded" if I didn't comply. At one point they even tried to tax DW on 1/2 of my income because I was living in the state of CA and it is a Community Property State -- luckily we had a TX address, TX licenses, TX voters registration, and she didn't work...she was a resident of TX not CA.

Needless to say, I went to the local JAG office and had them draft up a letter explaining how they had no jurisdiction b/c I was not a resident of CA. And that they could attempt to impound the vehicle, but they would have to come to TX to get it (it is nice having a friend as an Army Lawyer). Eventually they stopped trying and moved on to someone else.

CA is one of those states that I MAY visit, but will NEVER live in again (and never be a resident).

cpaulsen wrote:
One of the reasons I just moved to Oregon when I retired.

X2
Think I paid $89 last year in Idaho

Missouri? My FIL came to CA from there in the 30's :C

Powerdude wrote:
I have no idea why people live in California.

The beaches aren't that good, the traffic sucks, and the taxes on everything are through the roof.

Now they will fine you $500 if you wash your car or water your lawn.

Ridiculous.

"I have no idea why people live in California."

Sounds like you answered your own question.