Registration and Title ( F550 Commercial/motorhome/residential? )

[amccunn]

Hello,

I've searched the forums and I'm sorry if I missed a thread but I can't find anything about registration. I'll lay out my plans here and I'd like someone to chime in if they have experience on the subject.

I am hoping to start building a hard sided expedition camper based on an F550 chassis. I would like to be able to build on a flatbed, giving the option to remove the camper and retain the utility of the flatbed. This seems, however, to require a commercial title in most states. A commercial title also seems to require a lot more cash and pain each year - and Im not sure if thats worth it.

I have the option to register in CO, WY, or WI and would like any info people have on all three states.

Do you have to register as a commercial vehicle? What pains does that come with?
What real world experiences have people had with converting title to motorhome? Will the camper have to be permanently fixed?
What insurance companies do you recommend? Mine does not have the option for a factory commercially titled vehicle.

 

[BigJimCruising]

 

[BigJimCruising]

This goes to the picture above, somehow I screwed up how this posting stuff works. lol

Since no has chimed in yet I'll give you my experience from commie California. In 2007 I bought a Ford F450 4x4 and also put on a flatbed for the same utility as you're looking for. In CA it didn't seem to matter what bed was on it just the fact that anything above a 350 is considered a commercial vehicle and thus resulted in higher registration fees and higher insurance fees. Didn't seem to matter that I made it clear to them that I did not have a business and did not use the work at work. CA also required weight stickers on the vehicle (which I never put on) and technically stop at weigh scales (which I never did and never had a problem). Most of the time the camper was on it so you really didn't know it wasn't a 350 with a flat bed.

As for difficulty in registering it, that was not a problem. They just sent you regular registration tags each year after you paid your fees. If you're buying used you just take your paperwork to the registration office and they handle the paperwork just you would in a car. I can't speak for the states you mentioned but that was easy in CA.

Yes CA did have a provision to re-title to a motorhome but the camper would need to permanently attached and to statisfy the inspector of that I heard was extremely difficult. I never did so I could use the truck without the camper.

Insurance: I checked around and finally chose Progressive Insurance. Never had an issue with them. Not much more expensive then my previous standard truck insurance. I'd still be with them but they don't write the coverage I need in my new home state of Washington. Also when I had them I did not need a "rider" for the truck camper even though it was the most expensive one on the market at the time, I asked what would happen if I was in an accident and they just said "if it's on the truck its covered"! So I did save a few bucks that way. Don't know if that's still the case, wouldn't hurt to ask.

For what its worth: I'd do it again if I ever needed a heavy duty truck. The little extra money was worth the piece of mind that I had with the upgraded parts on the heavy duty truck chassis.

Hope this gives you some insight. Best of luck with your build!

 

[Mike W.]

Commercial registration is both costly and a pain. Being it's a flatbed your probably stuck with it. If you can register it as an RV it's much cheaper and less hassle..but you would probably have to mount your camper permanent..or at least to appear permanent..