California Clean air regs for diesels?

[bowtie]

Are their restrictions in ca. because of the clean diesel certification? I know there is on big trucks.

[deandec]

To my knowledge there are no restrictions on DP motorhomes unless they are commercially licensed and part of a fleet of at least three diesel vehicles.

Been here 12 years with a registered DP and no hint of a testing requirement.

[Scarab0088]

CARB enacted bi-annual testing for Diesel chassis under 1.25ton (F450, C4500, etc. are exempt) that were built on or after 1997. That made me revert my chipped Dodge 3500/5.9L to OEM.


I don't think that fits ANY Class A Motorhome.


The next change would be DEF equipped engines...but if you have that, you will know it.


I don't gripe about SMOG laws any more, because I lived in Riverside in 1980 and remember the 3000 foot tall wall of SMOG that flowed up the I-10 valley each day from LA...That is gone now. Plus CARB is approving some aftermarket performance mods now, something they didn't do in the 70's-80's.


But like I said before - doesn't impact Diesel Class A's.

[lanerd]

Dean, the OP didn't mention anything about "testing"...he wanted to know about the "regs".

We are currently (since August and still do not have it finalized) trying to get our '13 Phaeton DP registered and am having a hell of a time doing it due to the CARB regs. 2012 CA clean air requirements are (to the best of my knowledge) now part of the national EPA regs....however, DMV "still" has the requirement that they have to visually inspect each DP for the "emission control" tag that is attached to the engine and the tag has to have the statement on it that it meets CA emission control regs.

The engine is exempt from "smog testing", but it does have to have this tag and it does have to be visually inspected by the DMV or other authorized personnel.

Ron

[tankcj]

Originally Posted by lanerd

Dean, the OP didn't mention anything about "testing"...he wanted to know about the "regs".

We are currently (since August and still do not have it finalized) trying to get our '13 Phaeton DP registered and am having a hell of a time doing it due to the CARB regs. 2012 CA clean air requirements are (to the best of my knowledge) now part of the national EPA regs....however, DMV "still" has the requirement that they have to visually inspect each DP for the "emission control" tag that is attached to the engine and the tag has to have the statement on it that it meets CA emission control regs.

The engine is exempt from "smog testing", but it does have to have this tag and it does have to be visually inspected by the DMV or other authorized personnel.

Ron

Is this because it is a 2013 model year? I just registered my (new to us) 2008 Beaver here is CA and I didn't have to get it inspected.

[PyrateSilly]

I think it depends on the age and motor that's in the RV as to which regs to follow or not. With our 1993 diesel we will not have to get it smogged or inspected either.

[TBS-POPS]

Originally Posted by bowtie

Are their restrictions in ca. because of the clean diesel certification? I know there is on big trucks.

There are no restrictions on MH's in Calif like they put on the trucks and other diesel powered stuff . That was one of my concerns when we purchased the current one in Washington state and brought it back into California. The pre-DEF engines are considered exempt from all the BS.

[akeyzoo]

When I imported my rig the gal at the DMV inspected and looked for a sticker, cannot remember if it was CARB or what. She couldn't find it and I reminded her the coach was registered in CA 9 months earlier. The only thing the DMV that has done for me that I consider kind happened, she just checked the box and moved on. Net is, she was looking for something and I didn't ask too many questions.

No emissions inspection or test needed on entry, and none needed with my first re-registration.

Chris

[falconman]

I don't think you are going to get an out of state MH registered in CA without at least a VIN verification. This can be done at a DMV or by a properly trained LEO. Buried within this requirement is a need for the sticker that the vehicle meets CA smog standards. No testing, just a sticker from the engine mfg. None of this makes any sense to me since diesel motorhomes over 14K are exempt from smog testing yet they need to see a sticker on the engine. Some have had a difficult time with DMV, others like myself went thru the process very easily. It seems to depend on the DMV employee doing the inspection as to what will satisfy them. You still have to watch them, they first tried to register ours as a commercial vehicle, then forgot to have us sign the title paperwork before we left.

[EZDZIT]

We bought our new MH in Oregon in 2012. I had been concerned about registering it in our home state, California. As it turned out, the DEF MH diesels are 50 state qualified. Further, our ISL displays a tag on the engine indicating it is CARB (Calif Air Resources Board) qualified. The DMV employee did inspect that tag and the VIN before registering the MH in California for the first time.
By the way, we registered in Alturas where the DMV lady was not rushed and was friendly and knowlegable but thorough.
Hope this helps!

[Rich and Cork]

AAA can also do the VIN verification.

[lanerd]

Originally Posted by tankcj

Is this because it is a 2013 model year? I just registered my (new to us) 2008 Beaver here is CA and I didn't have to get it inspected.

Really? We had an 08 safari that we purchased in AZ and we had a hell of a time getting it registered as they wanted (as they do now) to see an emission tag on the engine to make sure it conformed to CA regs. It had a C7 ACERT Cat engine. This current rig has an ISL Cummins.

Maybe it all depends upon the DMV agent and how much effort he/she wants to put into the inspection. With our Safari, we even had some sort of a Law enforcement officer from the DMV come out to our house and inspect it. We were up in Anchorage Alaska and finally had a AK DMV agent sign off for us. We initially got a set of license plates and registration and a month later received a notice that the coach needed to be inspected once more. After the Alaska inspection we received another set of license plates and a new registration.

Currently, we have been to the local DMV office at least a half dozen times, over to the Bakersfield DMV office twice, and we are in touch (via phone) with an agent in the State DMV office in Sacramento that we have talked to on five different occasions.

We bought the coach in August (in Oregon) and to date we STILL do not have it registered nor have we received any license plates. To add insult to injury, we were charged twice for the registration fees (over $1800) and were told we would receive a refund for one of them....guess what? No refund.!!

CA DMV is a complete joke run by a bunch of idiots.


Ron

[stuhly]

And you are surprised why?

[Smitty77]

Originally Posted by stuhly

And you are surprised why?

LOL! The evil DMV of CaliKornia strikes again! (And I like California, it has such wonders of nature, great climate, and if you don't like the people in one town, you can for sure find another town that you will like. Lived in the State over 59 years, so I can make fun of it!)

I've always thought of most of the larger departments within the State of CaliKornia as small independent 'BORG Empires'. They really make me laugh, as over 50% of the time, you need to see someone else, or contact some sub department, before being able to complete any business. THEY MAKE RULES AND REGULATIONS -> THIS ADDS THE NEED FOR PEOPLE -> THEY ALL LINK THEMSELVES TOGETHER -> THIS EQUALS JOB PROTECTION.

While DMV is the one that we see the most as mere mortal public, you know - the people they serve. It is the CARB that has, and still does, the largest impact on California. (In year 2000, I did a online search for an individual within the CARB (They a site with online individual look up). By accident I left the search 'blank' and hit enter, and it returned 21+k thousand searched, no match. I checked it again in 2003 (During CaliKornia is going bankrupt period. With business after business exiting the state.), and CARB had growing to over 31+K in that period. And yes, it was worded in away that each search represented an individual person. This was the time that they actually regulated the inspection of gas weed eaters, and other small engine equipment. The pushback was so strong on this, that they 'adjusted. the regulation. IMO, CARB served a purpose decades ago. As another poster mentioned we did have severe smog problems in the LA area. But now, with the Federal Regulations being so solid and also watching things - I feel the State (us people) could let go of say 30,250 of these CARB people. Keeping a few to remain active within the Federal Regulation development.

Back to the DMV. They passed a new regulation, that was so poorly written and rolled out. That neither the California Highway Patrol, or even the DMV themselves, fully understood what the rule were. We have a 40' RV, and the reg's say above (GT) 40' but under 45' - a Class B Non Commercial License is required. I went to the local Highway Patrol to ask, is this by 'Model', or actual measurement? (Our coach is a 40' CC Allure. DMV taxes and registration based upon this 40' value. Model stamped into build tag on the RV itself as 40'.) Three officers in the office, with two that said 'Actual Measurement', one that said 'Model'. When asked how to Measure? One officer said from furthest back point, to furthest front point. (Specifically asked, and answered 'Rear Ladder to Front Mirrors', as our coach has a rear ladder, and the side view mirrors extend forward the furthest too the front.). The other gent said bumper to bumper. Our coach measures 40' 8" Bumper to Bumper. Soo to be safe, I decided to get my Class B Non Commercial DL's. Local DMB did not know how to give me a 'Learners Permit'. Finally the supervisor was called, she went and got a book where she had taken notes from a seminar (She mentioned Monterey, said she had a good time.). They took 10 mins to 'trick the software', to get it far enough along to print the Class B Non Commercial Learners Permit. Which she then had to mark of two things, and write in one item, manually - initial each area, and then sign on the bottom. OK, great. Over to take the Written Test. Yep, a problem, as they wanted me to take the Class A Commercial License test. (Not supposed to need to do this, as they don't require Under 45' for you to know about Air Brakes and Air Brake testing. After about 10 mins of talking, where I again had to quote the regulation that I knew better then they did - the Supervisor was called and asked to come over. Yep, same Supervisor. She looked at her notes again, and said it was not clear to her that I did not need to take Class A Commercial Test. So she said she would have to put in a 'Request for Clarification' to Sacramento, and that she would personally call me once she heard back. Probably two or three weeks was her estimate, when I pressed her for time. I had not studied for the Truckers Test, but asked her if I could try it and if I passed great I could schedule the Driving Portion of the testing. If I failed, no harm... I missed one question, about chains (59 years in San Diego, so don't have any chains experience!). Two hours to get a permit and a test that should have taken 30 mins with my appointment. A week later, at the Driving Test part. Two mistakes here too. They made me show them the normal Air Brake Test (was only suppose to have to talk a bit about it, not perform it, for a Non Commercial Class B). On the skills section where you simulate backing into a loading dock (cones set up), the Tester told me I had to Turn Off Your Rear View camera (not supposed to have to do this as nothing in the regulations state this). I explained to the Tester that my side view mirrors were adjusted to work in concert with my rear camera. If I did not have a rear camera, I would have had the mirror arms pivoted out more to the sides to give me a better angle view of hte rear of the coach area. He did not care, and said he could fail me on this test if I wanted, and then I could come back once I had adjusted my mirros differently. (I went ahead and did my best without the camera, as I did not want to come back again.) They took off one point for each foot short of the rear dock (cones) I was when stopping. I made it in one attempt (It's like being in an alley behind a building, and needing to cut sharp to make it to the loading dock.), and stopped. We got out and walked back, and he deducted two points, due to the 'bumper' being 2' away from the cones. I pointed out that I had stopped to take into account the folded up tow bar, that was 14" fro the rear bumper. Said that you told me I would 'fail' if I had 'hit' the cones. That I was within 10" from the cones if you look at the tow bar, so I was within a foot, so not points should come off. NOPE, not how HE DOES IT... The other item he knocked me down for was when I stopped at a red light. He asked me if the car in front of me broke down could I get around it without having to back up? I looked, it was close, but I said 'Yes, I would lift my tags, and cut out and around it.' NOPE, he said I had not left enough room in his opinion - points deducted. (Now at the next red light, I left the room he suggested was appropriate from our earlier conversation. A pickup truck cut in front of me, as I left that much space. I had a hard time not hiding my smirk!).

I passed the test, I had a California Class B Non Commercial DL's issue, after also paying to go see my Doctor and getting him to fill our a form about my ability to see colors and eyes in general.

THE DMV BORG, and many of their SUB BORG DEPARTMENTS - did not know the rules, or the regulations... They were all nice at the office, polite - it's just he Systems and Processes they have in place. The person giving me the test was a jerk, no way around it. The little trailer office was close 30 mins later then my Appointment Time. The staff, including my Tester, pulled up in a van with XXXXX Driving School on the side. I overheard that the owner of the school, had taken this offices staff out to lunch. Yep, I could smell beer on the breath of my Tester. And it was kind of interesting that a gent next to me also waiting to take his Class A Commercial DL skills test, could not speak or read a word of english. The truck he was using had the same name as the Van's school. A person with him, told me he was paying $4K for the driving school to get his license, so he could drive from South of the Border with loads to deliver to the Los Angeles area. The Driving School also owned a Mexican Trucking company. Final thing that ticked me off. His appointment for his Skills Test, was after mine. But they took him our first. I had to wait for the to set up the cones again, after he knocked them down three times while trying to back in to the fake loading dock. (Three times he knocked down cones, and each side cone was to be one point reduction. With a failure if he hit the rear cones. He knocked out many side cones, took three times to get back into the rear, and knocked down two cones in the back.) As I was in the office trailer, getting my paper work signed off. The Driving School owner was telling the drive who took the test in front of me, to plan to start work the next day.... THEY PASSED HIM....

Sorry for so long winded on this, but the California DMV is like a red flag to me...

(And yeah, my jump on rant is off topic too... Sorry OP!)

Best to all,
Smitty