Calif 3500 owners, registration question

[Pavemen]

Those of you with 3500's in California, what is the registration setup you have? This is for non-commerical use, but the truck is listed as a "4C" type (commerical, not a simple pickup) due to weight.

My current registration has an "unladen/G/CVW" weight of 1500lb (typo in the original registration I assume) instead of the listed 10,500lb.

I am trying to get it corrected. Not that I want to pay the additional weight fees, but it will keep me from having to smog in 2010 as CA is implementing it for 8500lb or lower GVWR diesels.

Are you guys with "regular" registrations paying only the regular weight fee, or that plus the CAWR fees for the 10,001-15,000lb class (to meet the mfg GVWR on the door sticker)?

I need to find a scale and weigh the truck for the base weight fee and then they want me to pay the CAWR for the weight class I want the truck tagged at.

 

[burndog]

Here is what my renewal says:



Registration fee... $ 41



License fee... ..... $ 64





Weight fee... ... $ 257





County fee..... $ 9



Total $371 for a 01 3500 in this fine state.

 

[Pavemen]

thanks. i need to figure out how to avoid the CAWR (commerical fees). if you dont mind, what does your actual registration say for type and unladen weight?

 

[jtwcummins]

All pickups in Calif get registered as commercial. The small trucks, Nissan and Toyota, didn't for a long time. State guys figured they were loosing money so they got included. If not registered Commercial don't get caught hauling.



Left Calif in 06 and the last registration was 305. 00 for my 97 2500. In Nevada it was 51. 00 and Comm plates not required. Wonder why I left??

 

[Pavemen]

Well, according to the DMV folks I talked to today, both on the phone and in person, most pickups are registered as commercial but type PK or 4K (still a "pickup"), however the 3500s, or at least my truck, get a 4C type, which puts thoughts of the commercial weight ratings in the minds of the DMV people.

The form they gave me lets me list weights up to 80,000lb. Here is a link to the form they want me to complete after getting a weight slip for the unladen weight.

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/forms/reg/reg4008.pdf

I just want to get it corrected to whatever a regular off the lot 3500 would be. Frustrating

 

[Pavemen]

and as an FYI, is a regular 3500, not a C&C

 

[jtwcummins]

Since the form says 'pickups excluded' maybe you have to get it weighed and prove it's a pickup. Are you or the truck coming into Cal from out of state? Being a Cal native and having lived there for 63 yrs I don't envy you your problem. When I bought my 2500 in 97 the fee was 995. 00, if it would have been a 3500 it would have been 1275. 00

 

[Pavemen]

I asked about the pickups excluded, but they said id probably have to do it anyway. I am in CA and the truck has been registered in CA for a while. I bought it used two years ago and didn't notice the weight until recently when looking up registered weight for the smog issue.

 

[DerekW]

Well, according to the DMV folks I talked to today, both on the phone and in person, most pickups are registered as commercial but type PK or 4K (still a "pickup"), however the 3500s, or at least my truck, get a 4C type, which puts thoughts of the commercial weight ratings in the minds of the DMV people.



The form they gave me lets me list weights up to 80,000lb. Here is a link to the form they want me to complete after getting a weight slip for the unladen weight.



http://www.dmv.ca.gov/forms/reg/reg4008.pdf



I just want to get it corrected to whatever a regular off the lot 3500 would be. Frustrating

if you want to make it into the weight class i would suggest if you have to get wieghed fill truck with full tank (yea that hurts in some areas) and get to be good friends with a farmer and borrow some tractor wieghts. our 3rd gen dually weighs just a few pounds shy of 8,000lbs on CAT certified scales.

 

[jkidd]

fees for my 2500 ctd 2001 are near $350 for renewal in CA.

 

[DonTX]

OK, I could not resist rubbing this in: My ol 97 3500 in Texas registration is only $166. 00, which the good ol Texas government gives me totally FREE due to being a combat disabled veteran!

 

[P Pacatang]

Fees on my 2002, 3500 are $ 370. 00 UNLADEN/G/CGW is 06272

 

[WalterRyan]

OK here is the way California works. They do not really care about the GVW at all. All trucks are commercial, always have been. You need to get a weight certificate from a state certified scale and bring it to the DMV. The weight fees are calculated based on the unladen weight of the vehicle. What makes it a pickup is the bed not the duals or GVW. If you think you can get below 7,001 ponds by doing it then I would pull the tailgate, 2 rear tires and anything ese that is loose before weighing it. It will do no good if you are not below that weight. When I did mine it cost me an extra 56. 00 a year because it was almost 7,600 ponds empty. Back in the late 60s and before you cold get passenger car plates for a truck if you told them you had a camper or shell that never came off. Since then they realized they where losing out on money so they cracked down on it. Last i new it was still legal to operate a pickup on a passenger plate if you did not put anything in the bed. However I do not believe you will find anyone in DMV that will do it non commercial. There are only 2 things allowed to be in the bed without commercial plates, the jack and the spare. One loaf of bread would make you illegal. Just remember almost all of these people are idiots. This conclusion comes from the experience of dealing with many people in at least 10 different offices. When I bought mine 4 years ago I was still living in California but bought the truck in Oregon and financed it so I did not have the title. 5 DMV employees told me I could not register my truck until I brought the old title in. I finally found the only person in the office that new it could be done by pure chance. He produced a notebook that was available to all the employees but none of the others new it existed.

If I where you I would do this right. These A** H**** are not to be messed with. I had 7 vehicles a number of years ago and one of them the registration expired but the vehicle had not been removed from my back yard for at least 4 years. They sent me collection letters and eventually attached my wages for 52. 00 on a vehicle that was not even on the road. Remember you are responsible for the fees even if they are wrong. Just keep in mind what this is really about REVENUE!!!!!!!!!!!!



Walt

 

[JSawtelle]

I purchased a 2wd dually from Iowa and DMV made me go down and have it weighed at a certified station. 6700 pounds is what they recorded. I guess all my fees were based off of that plus ,you'll love this one, SALES TAX!!!!

It was bad enough that I had to go out of state to find the truck I wanted at a reasonable price but then Arnold wanted his share of the fun... ... Still a great truck though.

 

[WalterRyan]

" you'll love this one, SALES TAX!!!! "

Thats what happened to me. I always bought in California so it was rolled into the price. I found the truck I wanted in Oregon and had the pleasure of writing a $2,800 check at the DMV. I think I still walk funny.

 

[MrFixit]

The truck must have come from out of state originally. The CA DMV seems to mislabel vehicles. I bouhgt a 5th wheel in Nevada. Brought it to CA DMV. Everyhitng went fine until we got a notice the "Permantet plates for trailers" program. These are not for RV's but DMV had labeled mine wrong. . trailer instead of coach I guess. When I traded it in, the dealer told me it was not labled as a 5th wheel RV as well. Same thing happened to my neighbor even though he told DMV the RV had restrooms and kitchens. They look real confused when you tell them. I don't know why. They even came out and looked at mine inside and out.



So your truck must have been labled wrong. Get it weighed ASAP and get it fixed.



BTW. . another friend had his 2002 Cummins changed to non commercial a few years ago. he has regular car plates and a shell now.



Also. . I thought the smog thing was 8501 and above? And the form says "Operating at 10,001 and above" are you operating above that?

 

[Pavemen]

Ye4s the truck is originally from out of state and is on a salvage title. Supposedly sold in Texas before coming to CA and being sold here at least twice since (previous owner I bought it from bought used here in CA).

I just dont want to over pay every year from here on out. I just want it to cost me the same as it would for everyone else, not something special becuase it was screwed up well before I bought it.

 

[MrFixit]

I hear ya... .



Local chapter prez here has an 01 dually 3500 QC. I have a note into him for the "type"



What is your weight fee now? I assume it's based on the 1500 pounds unladen?

 

[Allnew2Me]

Read this thread, some of this has been gone over.



https://www.turbodieselregister.com...191158-2500-vs-3500-road-taxes-questions.html

 

[WalterRyan]

It should be a "pickup". It does seem that California is starting to go the way of other states with the weight but pickups are exempt.



This is from DMV's web site.



471. A "pickup truck" is a motor truck with a manufacturer's gross vehicle weight rating of less than 11,500 pounds, an unladen weight of less than 8,001 pounds, and which is equipped with an open box-type bed not exceeding 9 feet in length. "Pickup truck" does not include a motor vehicle otherwise meeting the above definition, that is equipped with a bed-mounted storage compartment unit commonly called a "utility body. "



Can I just use the GVW/CGW listed on my vehicle?



Yes, however, the GVW/CGW listed is the manufacturer's maximum weight at which the vehicle can safely operate. You must still determine whether or not the vehicle will be operated at the maximum.



How do I report a change in the GVW/CGW?



You must complete a new declaration form whenever your declared GVW/CGW changes to a higher (or greater) weight range. If your declared GVW/CGW increased after it was reported to DMV, an additional CVRA fee is due on the higher weight range for the remainder of the registration year or if registered on a partial year registration (PYR) basis, for the period of registration requested. The appropriate CVRA fees must be paid prior to operation of the vehicle at the higher weight.



If your declared GVW/CGW decreased after your vehicle was registered at the weight reported to DMV, a pro-rated refund of the CVRA fee is not applicable.



NOTE: Weight violations in under-reporting can result in a substantial fine, up to $2,000 for operating over the declared gross weight (Vehicle Code §42030. 1).





You can find out anything you want to know here.



Commercial Vehicle Registration Act