Motorcoach not for hire?
 

Considering that I haven't even got my new Haulmark yet, do I need to put the "Motorcoach Not for Hire" on the door or somewhere obvious? There was a discussion on IRV2 about this but I wasn't clear. Since I don't have a CDL is that the safe thing to do so there is no confusion about potential commercial application?

No sign required, as long as you do not look like a tractor trailer you will not have a problem. The only guys who need to have those signs are the racing circuit guys who have racing stuff all over there trailers and rigs, they can look commercial even though they are not.....we have never had a problem and have been cruising right past the weight stations for 3 years now.....

Legally the sign means nothing. It does make a statement to a DOT official that you are a private coach. I have had DOT officials follow me and after getting to my door sign, turn around and go back.

Back in the day of driving tour bus coaches, I was told in certain states that the police could not board the bus if you had that on the bus, but I think that has been changed most everywhere.

That wording means absolutely nothing legally, "not for hire" is a term for a commercial vehicle that is a private carrier, meaning you only transport your own goods and are not paid by someone else to transport goods. But still commercial.

If you are truly and legally not commercial you need nothing on the coach for the dot, and seeing something like you describe on the door is basically a red flag for a dot officer that you are trying to skate and really do have something commercial in the trailer like a race team. If you are a non-commercial rv, that is the whole story and the end of the story. You don't need anything special and just ignore the scales.

If you really are commercial, like a race team or vendor, then you need to go the whole way and get your cdl and usdot number to be legal. According to the dot officer that helped with my usdot setup, if you have one thing in the rv that is used for commercial purpose the whole rig is considered commercial and you need your usdot number, logs, scales, etc. That means if you sell sunglasses at the flea market out of bins in your basement, you are commercial. If you have a race team, you are commercial. Period. There is a lot of bad information out there, and a lot of guys skating, and a lot of guys with their heads in the sand saying "but my buddy has a bigger trailer than me, and he doesn't do any of that...".

As Doc says, if you are truly not commercial, but may look like it due to the configuration of your rig, putting "motorhome" or "private coach" or some such may keep them from pulling you over, but if you aren't commercial, all they will do is let you go anyway.

As a late friend often said ... "One drop of gasoline spoils the whole bucket of lemonade."

There has been Saturday night dirt track racing at the Shawano (WI) Fairgrounds Speedway since the 60's (maybe the 50's). Racers come from all over Wisconsin and the UP of Michigan to race there. 15 or 20 years ago the racers all arrived to find the Wisconsin State Patrol set up on Wisconsin STHs 29-22-47-55 near the entrance to the fair grounds with squad cars and a portable scale. They had all the race night payout sheets from the previous weeks; so they knew who was getting paid and who weren't. One by one the teams and their haulers were weighed. Almost everyone of them were directed to be pulled over on the highway and parked until someone with a CDL could come and move it. Pulled over on the highway ... NOT allowed into the Fairgrounds across the street mind you ... but ON THE HIGHWAY. The haulers were parked on the highway for blocks and blocks. A small handful of the racers had current CDLs. The CDL guys were permitted to move the haulers from the highway onto the Fairgrounds property and into the pits. Almost all the haulers were left in the pits after the race until the teams could get a CDL driver to drive the stuff home. They all got fines.

Same thing happened to a well known Milwaukee based race team headed to Florida for Speedweeks at Volusia county. Got pulled over in Georgia. Driver didn't have a CDL. GA trooper ordered the truck right where it stopped until someone with a CDL came to move it.

We haven't even started talking about insurance problems if you have an accident.

a buddy of mine got pulled over with his monster truck in the trailer behind his truck conversion. state trooper went over his units. wouldn't let him drive with out cdl. also wrote up for no intrastate #. said if he was going out of state he wouldn't let truck be driven away from where he was stopped. wanted to know who inspected truck? didn't have any backup lights on back of truck. i had to go out and drive it for him. reason he got pulled over was trailer tires were full of frozen mud between duals and trailer was hopping bad. he got a lawyer and went to court. states attorney didn't have a clue what the law was. all charges were dropped. state cop knew what was in trailer just by running plates, drivers license and checking on internet search.

Ive got it on our doors, knowing it doesnt mean squat.
I think its got more to do w/ a pre-emptive strike and snob factor than anything.

almost everyone that sees our coach asks what we haul inside....even on the CB we get questions (this most recent trip a trucker asked why we didnt just put our jeep in the back) ;)

ive been stopped ONCE in the coach (in 3 years)...in my home state...for no front tag, the rangers questioning was subtitle...they asked if i had guns inside (they already knew i was a concealed carry permit holder & that i was carrying)...i said of course...and shared that my oldest son was also a permit holder & carrying.

where was i going (beach), what was inside (family & 100lb old english sheep dog)....did they want to go in for some air conditioning and a soda ?

i was surprised they never asked about a cdl or class b (air brakes) or anything else of substance.

they wrote me a warning for the tag (i claimed it must have fallen off w/out my knowledge) and they sent me on my way.

More recently in PA they setup at the turnpike exit for Maple Grove Raceway and ran all the racers through the ringer, that was a couple of seasons ago. Just this year and last year they have been lying in wait on swap meet weekends in Carlisle, PA catching vendors on the way into the fairgrounds. There they know pretty much every truck or trailer is hauling something for sale, so they just have to pick all the ones big enough to have jurisdiction on. The trooper told my buddy they had a goal of 100 citations, then they were going home for the weekend. He was clean and legal (17' wildside toter and matching 38' stacker) but got a warning for not having the passenger (also a company employee) on the list of approved passengers that can be in the vehicle. That was a new one on me, but apparently there is supposed to be a list carried in the truck, on company letterhead, listing all persons approved to ride in the commercial vehicle as a passenger.

It's getting stupid out there.

no surprise there - easier to go after the citizens that can pay then chase down REAL CRIMINALS who cant (ala crack heads & gun toting murderers and thieves).

You're right. I don't think you can pay a fine with Quest or EBT card!

or ones that dont care how long they sit in jail....for some jail is better than what they have now.

Nobody gets enough food stamps to pay the $1000 starting point for cmv fines, so they have to pick on those with jobs and businesses. It's all about the money.

I will NOT put it on mine. I think it just draws unwanted attention to my RV. And
I have a class B CDL. My RV is titled and insured as a RV. My CDL is for school buses and has Nothing to do with my "RV".

in a bit over 3 years of ownership (having the lettering on our doors) its never been an issue.

Ive been stopped once in our coach, last year, for no front license plate - and not one word was ever said about the letter on our door or the registration/insurance or my drivers license endorsement !

Plenty may wonder (and even ask) "what is that thing" when they see our coach, but not one person has mistaken it for a commercial vehicle of any kind....the only legit question we really ever get is "what kinda toys do you haul in there"

Even with painted signs on the tractor and the trailer, I get stopped every now and then. It's a pain - never been ticketed or fined

Signage helps you get the wave at weigh stations..They are not comcerned with you as the rv guy.. As for the dot number race teams and folks who trailer cars truck etc etc across state lines need one..It helps the feds know who is taking what where..Ive been running with a dot number(btw there are quite a few of them available that you just need the number, no log books etc etc rules on berth time)

My sign says private rv coach not for comercial use then my dot number below that..My truck looks like a fisher price class 8 truck..Only time ive been stopped at a weigh station was on a high alert day and they cop saw the NYHUT sticker that was out of date and no front tag..After getting harassed for about an hour i was on my way..

Only state that harasses you are SD and IA. They'll put up a roadblock and make everyone go across portables.

ive seen virginia doing this to guys pulling the GIANT 5er's w/ f350s

That would be me, for now.

How about over length? Almost any TC with a stacker is over 65'. It seems like more than 1/2 of the states have a 65' max combo, unless you are a tractor trailer.

as i recall im about 65 ft, nose to tail w/ the jeep - ive been stopped once (no front tag), and neither of the two troopers (2 sergeants in the same car) ever mentioned length.

the previous owner of our coach pulled a 36 ft stacker & was over 75ft long and he never mentioned getting stopped, in fact he was upgrading to a bigger (twin screw, 45ft) coach.