Letter from Ford

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DonTom

DonTom

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 21, 2005
Posts
13,418
Location
Auburn, CA or Reno, NV
Received yesterday.

Says my "2021 Motorhome Chassis" won't be able to "communicate with the vehicle's on-board modules" for many smog check areas, where such is required. This could be an issue in places such as CA where they check everything possible and then some.

But here in NV, as long as they can read the RPMs from the OBD2 connector all should be okay. I like the way they test RVs here as I can even come in with my check-engine light on (or not working) and they will just ignore it.

Unlike cars, here in NV they check heavy vehicles such as RVs only from the tailpipe. But with cars, only form the OBD2 connector and a car will flunk with the check engine light on or if not working. Cars are often a bigger hassle here as they need to be "ready" for the smog check. Many people do not realize it takes MUCH more than just miles to get a car "ready" for a smog check. It is possible to drive for 10,000 miles and still not be "ready" as many of the sensors are waiting for a certain condition to exist to be set for "ready" after the codes are all reset from a simple battery replacement or from clearing a single code (which resets them all to "not ready"). Can be a real hassle in a car. More hassle than an RV here in NV.

The Ford RV fix is a software update and unlike Tesla, this has to be done in a shop. And it takes up to four hours after they start working on it. But I will not have to bother with this since it is registered in NV.

-Don- Reno, NV
 
DonTom said:
Received yesterday.

Says my "2021 Motorhome Chassis" won't be able to "communicate with the vehicle's on-board modules" for many smog check areas, where such is required. This could be an issue in places such as CA where they check everything possible and then some.

But here in NV, as long as they can read the RPMs from the OBD2 connector all should be okay. I like the way they test RVs here as I can even come in with my check-engine light on (or not working) and they will just ignore it.

Unlike cars, here in NV they check heavy vehicles such as RVs only from the tailpipe. But with cars, only form the OBD2 connector and a car will flunk with the check engine light on or if not working. Cars are often a bigger hassle here as they need to be "ready" for the smog check. Many people do not realize it takes MUCH more than just miles to get a car "ready" for a smog check. It is possible to drive for 10,000 miles and still not be "ready" as many of the sensors are waiting for a certain condition to exist to be set for "ready" after the codes are all reset from a simple battery replacement or from clearing a single code (which resets them all to "not ready"). Can be a real hassle in a car. More hassle than an RV here in NV.

The Ford RV fix is a software update and unlike Tesla, this has to be done in a shop. And it takes up to four hours after they start working on it. But I will not have to bother with this since it is registered in NV.

-Don- Reno, NV
Click to expand...
You can drive an Abrahms Tank in Texas and as long as it's registered as an RV there's no emissions test. You have to be 18 to buy sabot rds at 7-11 for it though.
 
Thinking ahead I wonder if it wouldn't be a good idea to get the update done at some point, might make it more marketable in the future as the next owner may not register it in NV.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
 
Stay clear of vehicles with plates from states like mine. My RV may never go back to Alaska, and there's no inspection to worry about. I can drive it all over your states in a hazardous condition.
 
Onyrlef said:
I’m pretty sure I live in a major city and RV’s here don’t require emissions testing. Cars and light trucks only will in the 7 largest urban areas here beginning in 2025. Link that.
Click to expand...
Many states go by county. But like NV, it's the two counties with the largest cities.

-Don- Reno, NV
 
Onyrlef said:
No, it's not like NV. RV's here don't require emissions testing, regardless.
Click to expand...
How do you explain this from the Texas DMV website?

"Texas requires all gasoline-powered vehicles 2 to 24 model years old to undergo annual emissions testing (new vehicles don't require emissions testing until they are at least 2 model years old.).

Testing is required only in the following areas/counties:

  • Austin-Round Rock:
    • Travis
    • Williamson
  • Houston-Galveston-Brazoria:
    • Brazoria
    • Fort Bend
    • Galveston
    • Harris
    • Montgomery
  • Dallas-Fort Worth:
    • Collin
    • Dallas
    • Denton
    • Ellis
    • Johnson
    • Kaufman
    • Parker
    • Rockwall
    • Tarrant
  • El Paso:
    • El Paso
 
DonTom said:
How do you explain this from the Texas DMV website?

"Texas requires all gasoline-powered vehicles 2 to 24 model years old to undergo annual emissions testing (new vehicles don't require emissions testing until they are at least 2 model years old.).

Testing is required only in the following areas/counties:

  • Austin-Round Rock:
    • Travis
    • Williamson
  • Houston-Galveston-Brazoria:
    • Brazoria
    • Fort Bend
    • Galveston
    • Harris
    • Montgomery
  • Dallas-Fort Worth:
    • Collin
    • Dallas
    • Denton
    • Ellis
    • Johnson
    • Kaufman
    • Parker
    • Rockwall
    • Tarrant
  • El Paso:
    • El Paso
Click to expand...
Do you live in Texas? Have you ever had an RV inspected in Texas?
The answer to both is "No, but I have something up in there which won't stop unless everyone thinks I'm right about everything".
 
In AZ, emissions are by county. I am in Cochise county, no emissions, but in Pima county, just a few miles west they are required. When I bought my truck in Pima, they sent it for the emissions check before the sale, but now free of them.
 
PancakeBill said:
Pima county, just a few miles west they are required
Click to expand...
Here it is the same. Two counties, Washoe (where I am) and Clark (Las Vegas area).

But for me to get out of the smog check area, I would need to live in Lockwood, Storey County, 11 miles to the east. Or Virginia City, also Storey County, 12 miles to my south.

I had to junk my 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo Limited last year because of the smog checks. Ran perfectly but needed a few thousand bucks worth of catalytic converters. It has three of them. Two going into another. I would still have it if no smog checks required.

-Don- Reno, NV
 
I'm in Pahrump, NV. 60 miles west of Las Vegas on the other side of the mountains and in a different county. No smog tests here.
 
Onyrlef said:
Do you live in Texas? Have you ever had an RV inspected in Texas?
Click to expand...
I do live in Dallas County, TX. This is from DPS-Texas on 3/16/2024.

Motor Home & RV​

  • Motor homes and RVs with a gross weight over 4,500 pounds are required to have annual safety inspections. Motor homes in EMISSIONS counties are also required to have the appropriate emissions test performed.
  • If the motor home is 1996 or newer and OBDII capable, then your motor home will receive an OBDII test. Not all motor homes in this age category come equipped with OBDII compliant plug-in; therefore, if your motor home or RV is not OBDII ready, it will require the appropriate tailpipe emissions test.
  • If the motor home is 1995 or older, it requires the ASM emissions test. The ASM equipment in the Dallas and Houston areas have an 8,500 pound limitation. Therefore, if your motor home exceeds this weight limitation, it will be switched to the TSI testing mode.
  • It is recommended that you make contact with the station prior to arrival to ensure their equipment can accommodate your vehicle. Vehicles too large for standard inspection bays need not be inspected within the inspection building if the analyzer is housed close enough to the bay opening. The analyzers come with a 20 foot lead; and this will determine whether or not a station can roll their machinery outside the bay to conduct this type of inspection.
 
Lou Schneider said:
I'm in Pahrump, NV. 60 miles west of Las Vegas on the other side of the mountains and in a different county. No smog tests here.
Click to expand...
By any chance do you know many of the other hams there, such as Steve, KE7KHE?

I met him and a few others several times there in Pahrump.

I like it there in Pahrump. Just far enough away from Las Vegas.

I been there many times, I aways stay at the Wine Ridge RV Resort there.

-Don- Reno, NV
 
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