We got CARB'd today

[Tom]

A prior thread discussed the subject of new California CARB (California Air Resources Board) requirements for OTR diesel vehicles.

We received a letter informing us that our DP coach, being over 14,000lbs GVW, needed to be registered with CARB and a fee paid. I went ahead and did this and, because of timing, our coach was considered in compliance until Feb, 2025. Meanwhile, my searches, including on the CARB web site, couldn't find a CARB testing station within several hundred miles.

A month or so ago a friend in the same predicament gave me a heads-up to a local CARB testing station, just a couple of miles from here, and a mile or so from where we store the coach.

I started getting CARB notices that the coach needed to be tested, and meanwhile was considered non-compliant. I tried calling CARB to get some relief on the deadline due to my protracted lack of mobility after knee replacement; I received an automated mesage saying "Your call is really important to us; There are 44 callers in line ahead of you".

We finally got the coach tested today, albeit after the deadline, and it passed with flying colors. The first hurdle was the need to find the Cummins emissions tag. The test guy needed access to the top of the engine, which I provided via the floor hatches in the bedroom and closet. No luck, so he crawled under the coach, and again no luck, then accessed the engine via the rear engine bay doors. After some poking and prodding he found the tag on the front/topside of the engine, hidden beneath a wire harness. A snip of some wire ties and the harness could be moved far enough to view, clean and photograph the tag. Without this, it was an automatic fail.

The guy suggested we leave the coach for him to run the tests. He called me a couple of hours later to let me know he was done.

Next was filing the test results; Unlike the CA smog testing for gas vehicles that sends test results real-time to the DMV, CARB test results have to be printed, scanned, and emailed by the testing facility. So, until a human receives and reads the results, our coach is still "non-compliant" in their database (I just checked).

Test and filing costs $309, paid up front, more than 3X what I pay for smog testing on our gas vehicles.

 

[SpencerPJ]

Gotta love Cali. Glad testing site didn't (cough) find anything that needed repaired.

 

[Tom]

Gotta love Cali. Glad testing site didn't (cough) find anything that needed repaired.

You and me both

 

[Laura & Charles]

Does CA emissions regs apply to non-residents? I know Rosie is out of compliance with the 2010 EPA standards, so she wouldn’t stand a chance in Cali. (Navistar had to pay an $1,800+ penalty for every Maxxforce engine sold after they used up all their carbon credits. By 2012 that had happened they paid that fine on Rosie.)

And what kind of teeth does CARB have? You obviously drove your non-compliant coach to and from the testing facility. What if your Cummins didn’t pass? What could they do if you just continued using it?

 

[montenido]

Ironically, I just had my coach CARBed yesterday. I paid $150 for a guy to come to my house and do the testing. Now I am feeling better about what I paid. The coach passed, but I was told that I would have to do it again in six months. What? He said that CA wants to get these vehicles off the road.

Does anybody have any information about registering your coach out of state, like South Dakota, or somewhere else? When I was in Mexico lots of expats down there registered their cars in another state to avoid such hassles.

Thanks for any info, Bill

 

[old RV guy]

Next was filing the test results; Unlike the CA smog testing for gas vehicles that sends test results real-time to the DMV, CARB test results have to be printed, scanned, and emailed by the testing facility. So, until a human receives and reads the results, our coach is still "non-compliant" in their database (I just checked).

Fortunately good sense prevailed and the requirement for the results to be delivered on horseback was rescinded.

 

[Larry N.]

Does anybody have any information about registering your coach out of state, like South Dakota, or somewhere else?

I can't speak for your situation, but I do know that years ago Colorado started catching up with people who bought and registered their coaches in Montana to avoid Colorado Sales and Registration taxes, with court action/big fines the result. I heard that some other states did the same.

So the states aren't generally ignorant of people pulling such dodges- YMMV...

 

[Alan_Hepburn]

And what kind of teeth does CARB have? You obviously drove your non-compliant coach to and from the testing facility. What if your Cummins didn’t pass? What could they do if you just continued using it?

The DMV will put a hold on your registration when it comes due, until CARB lets them know you're good.

 

[Tom]

The DMV will put a hold on your registration when it comes due, until CARB lets them know you're good.

... and more. Here's the last email from CARB (see the last paragraph):

Dear Vehicle Owner:

One or more of your vehicles were required to perform emissions testing by (redacted), as required by the Heavy-Duty Vehicle Inspection and Maintenance Regulation (HD I/M), California Code of Regulations, Title 13, 2195 through 2199.1. Your vehicle(s) are registered in the Clean Truck Check Vehicle Inspection System (CTC-VIS) as operating in California. In order to remain compliant for operating in California, you must submit an emissions test. Vehicle(s) that remain non-compliant are listed in your CTC-VIS account.

Please review your vehicles in your account and test those vehicles that are past their deadline. If you have already completed testing and your account shows no vehicles past due there is nothing more you need to do in response to this letter. Please ensure you test your vehicle(s) before the required deadline for any future required testing.

Clean Truck Check applies to nearly all diesel and alternative fuel heavy-duty vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) over 14,000 pounds that operate on California public roads. This includes both in-state and out-of-state vehicles, as well as public vehicles (federal, state, and local government); motorcoaches; transit, shuttle and school buses; hybrid vehicles; commercial vehicles; personal vehicles; California registered motorhomes; single vehicle fleets; and vehicles registered outside of California (not including motorhomes).

Owners of vehicles subject to Clean Truck Check are required to:

· Report vehicles in CTC-VIS

· Pay the annual compliance fee

· Submit passing emission tests by the applicable deadline(s)

To avoid registration holds, CARB enforcement actions and possible penalties, submit your emissions test(s) as soon as possible. Additionally, broker requirements are in effect, and fleet compliance certificates may be requested by freight facilities. Failure to complete your required testing will result in being blocked from entry to freight facilities and you will be unable to be hired by brokers. Visit the web address below for more information.

https://cleantruckcheck.arb.ca.gov

 

[old RV guy]

Same applies here in as far as compliance, no smog test, no registration. Though in Texas diesels are exempted, and gas burners are only required to test in certain urban counties.

 

[Tom]

Does anybody have any information about registering your coach out of state, like South Dakota, or somewhere else? When I was in Mexico lots of expats down there registered their cars in another state to avoid such hassles.

Adding to Larry's comment, it might depend on where you live. I've known a number of CA residents who did the out-of-state registration with no reported issues. However, when we bought this house in 2000, a neighbor told me the prior owner had registered his motorhome in NV, and a CHP officer noticed the difference in registration state between his motorhome and car.

 

[Isaac-1]

These sorts of threads make me glad I live in western Louisiana where we don't have any type of emission testing, though I suspect we will get them eventually, as they now have such testing around Baton Rouge, and New Orleans.

 

[Tom]

... I was told that I would have to do it again in six months.

I read within the last few days that the testing frequency for motorhomes is annual. I can't find it right now, but it was either on a CARB document/email or on their web site.

 

[Laura & Charles]

“This includes both in-state and out-of-state vehicles…
Owners of vehicles subject to Clean Truck Check are required to:

· Report vehicles in CTC-VIS

· Pay the annual compliance fee

· Submit passing emission tests by the applicable deadline(s)“

So I guess we won’t take Rosie to CA???
Edit:
NVM. I didn’t read far enough or close enough to see where they specifically exempt out-of-state motorhomes:
“California registered motorhomes; single vehicle fleets; and vehicles registered outside of California (not including motorhomes). [emphasis mine]

 

[DonTom]

Does CA emissions regs apply to non-residents?

If the ICE vehicle has a CA plate, you're then stuck with CA smog tests.

I own several ICE vehicles, none of them are registered here in CA. Both of my RVs and my pickup truck have NV plates. The rest are motorcycles, but even those have NV plates. I assume smog checks on motorcycles will someday come to CA--but not yet.

All my CA vehicles are EV. The rest are registered in NV. But two counties in NV have smog checks, Clark (Las Vegas Area) and Washoe County (Reno area). Unfortunately, my Reno house is in Washoe County. Six miles east of my Reno house would be in Storey County where no smog checks are required.

But the NV smog checks are nothing like here in CA, simple to pass and a lot less hassle and not as expensive. But they are every year in NV. But if you are out of state, NV allows smog checks done from other states, so you don't have to rush back to NV for a smog test.

CA smog checks could be one of the many reasons why CA has many EVs--more than any other state by far.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[Tom]

CA smog checks could be one of the many reasons why CA has many EVs--more than any other state by far.

Interesting thought/speculation Don. You might be at least partially correct After 45 years of smog testing in CA, I've never considered it a reason to buy an EV. We do own an electric golf cart, but that's at our Wyoming place, although we don't play golf.

 

[DonTom]

Interesting thought/speculation Don. You might be at least partially correct After 45 years of smog testing in CA, I've never considered it a reason to buy an EV. We do own an electric golf cart, but that's at our Wyoming place, although we don't play golf.

If I were to buy another house, I would probably even want it to be outside a smog test area. I would at least take it into consideration.

No way would I ever again have an ICE vehicle registered in CA!

Do you remember my CA Y2K RV hassles when I did? If not, see here. Flunks as a "gross polluter" in CA. But it passes the smog check every year in Reno with no problem at all.

BTW, did I recently hear the entire state of CA now requires smog checks, even if you're hundreds of miles away from any smog check station?

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[Tom]

BTW, did I recently hear the entire state of CA now requires smog checks, even if you're hundreds of miles away from any smog check station?

AFAIK location of the nearest smog test station has no bearing on the requirement for a smog test or a CARB test.

 

[Kirk]

Does anybody have any information about registering your coach out of state, like South Dakota, or somewhere else?

It isn't that difficult in SD, TX, or FL but you do need to have a mailing address in the chosen state and you need to realize that in order to be legal the vehicle must be stored in the state of registration when it is not in use. There have been numerous articles about CA revenue people prosecuting people for registering a vehicle in another state illegally to avoid taxes so the CARB might do the same. The CA revenue people might catch you and then share the information with CARB as well, if you keep the RV stored in the state.

 

[DonTom]

AFAIK location of the nearest smog test station has no bearing on the requirement for a smog test or a CARB test.

But does every county in CA now require a smog test? IOW, every ICE car in the entire state with a CA plate?

-Don- Auburn, CA