Semi tagging ?

gearhart73

gearhart73

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Jul 26, 2011
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I'm wondering what the people do for tags when they put their competition vehicles behind a semi either on an open or enclosed trailer. I've been thinking about getting a drop van trailer for my truck and a truck with a sleeper to go on the front of it and I'm debating on what to tag it as. I hear people say tag it as an RV but I'm a farmer and will use the truck on the farm some. Some people say tag it commercial but then I have the higher cost of tags and insurance plus medical cards and log books. Then if I tag it as a farm truck I'm technically not suppose to be out of a certain radius from home and I do a good bit of traveling that would far exceed that. So what do I do? Tag it farm and play dumb if I get stopped or tag if RV and hope I don't run into problems using it on the farm? What all is involved if getting a semi tagged as an RV?
 
Contact your local State Police post and talk with the DOT people to see what the best route for you to go, farm or RV. Just remember that the word HOBBY is your friend. And never tell them you sell anything like T-Shirts or that you have any monetary sponsors.
 
I know I'm outside the farm range 10+ times a year. I went clear it Missouri last year so that wouldn't even be close. And I know not to say that I make any money off of it if I tag it RV. I'm just trying to figure out the best route to go about it. I've been told that the popo are becoming more picky on this
 
Farm in OK is 150 mile radius. But don't go that route either, you still have to comply with DOT regs like triangle, DOT #s, extinguishers, etc (I know, I got inspected :bang).

Go towards the Recreational Vehicle with a "Not for Hire" placard. It's probably your best bet, but as mentioned, it varies by state.
 
I've got farm tags on my old pete and I have yet to have any problems on the road, but I have heard that the DOT is cracking down people using them. When I went in to renew the plates a couple weeks ago (here in MO you have to renew farm tags every year) the lady gave me a really hard time and even told me to "watch out" if I was going out of range because the DOT were really trying to nail those using them for commercial use. Not saying you would be using it for commercial use just letting ya know my experience.
 
Yeah I don't want to have to mess with that stuff. The people at the local BMV said that they would sell me whatever tag I wanted but to get an RV tag the truck would have to be titled as an RV. Does anyone know what it would take to get a truck that had be commercial switched to RV? I guess I'll swing by the title department later and talk to those people.
 
Big Boy Toys said:
I've got farm tags on my old pete and I have yet to have any problems on the road, but I have heard that the DOT is cracking down people using them. When I went in to renew the plates a couple weeks ago (here in MO you have to renew farm tags every year) the lady gave me a really hard time and even told me to "watch out" if I was going out of range because the DOT were really trying to nail those using them for commercial use. Not saying you would be using it for commercial use just letting ya know my experience.
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It wouldn't matter if it was for commercial or not. Outside the radius means you no longer have tags from what I gather. You could still get dinged a couple times before you get to the cost of commercial tags and insurance.
 
If you did tag it commercial and were only hauling one truck you could always drop the GVW as close as you felt comfortable and that would save some $$ as well.
 
I looked at a truck tagged as an rv and 53' moving trailer last season and the guy told me tags and liability insurance was less than $200 a year? I'd be interested to know what you have to do to get a truck tagged as an rv also?
 
I plated mine as a RV. I had to have it inspected by the police and they signed off on it and I went to the BMV and had to have it retitled as a RV. If I would have left it commercial, the insurance was going to be around 1500.00 a month. As a RV it is only 300.00 a year. As far as the farm plates in Indiana, you can only travel 150 miles away from home 90% of the time. Which means 10% of the time you can travel outside of the 150 mile range. So who's to say when your 10% of the time is.
 
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amongold said:
I looked at a truck tagged as an rv and 53' moving trailer last season and the guy told me tags and liability insurance was less than $200 a year? I'd be interested to know what you have to do to get a truck tagged as an rv also?
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I called the title department and they told me I would ne to come get two paper from them. The first is an inspection paper and the truck will have to be inspected by a licensed inspector (some car dealerships can do it, doesn't have to be a police thing). The only thing tricky about that is its suppose to have a water source. Maybe water in the fridge will count. the second paper is asking what you are going to be using the truck for. You get both of those and then you can tag the truck as a rv.
 
Sub'd. We got a truck to and looking how to get around this as well. We have heard a lot of people having issues too.

Right now its registered at 18k just the truck and we don't have a trailer yet but its about 1000$ a year for insurance.

Another thing I am curious about is that in the state of NJ is says if you are using the truck for recreational purposes you do not require a CDL. Now is that a Federal level or just state level.

So i'm not hauling commercially at all, just going to a pull technically I dont need a CDL in NJ.

Am I completely wrong in saying this?
 
If you are going to a pull to participate and there is a purse then you are commercial, FYI.
 
I say farm tags and then "not for hire". If the truck is self is what is making the income, it's not for hire. Then you just play dumb on the mileage. That there will be basically your only hang up. Doing it the other way seems like way more of a hassle.
 
hummin cummins said:
Which means 10% of the time you can travel outside of the 150 mile range. So who's to say when your 10% of the time is.
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And that is a helluva lot smarter than just 150 mile period. Say I want to buy some cattle at a sale in Idabel. I can't "legally" go get them even if it is in our own state. Total hogwash laws made be agriculturally ignorant tie wearing buttholes in our state capitol.
 
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