We got CARB'd today

[Tom]

Does anyone here remember what the sky looked like in LA in the sixties? We went there in 1966 when I was 9 and even at that age I never forgot how dirty the air was when the wind didn't blow, at times the sun looked like it was covered with a giant dark sunglass lens or a cloud of heavy dust.

When I was at a college summer school in the UK in the 70's, one of our tutors had previously worked in the LA area (don't recall his job, but not educational). He showed us a time lapsed slideshow taken on the mountains above the LA basin over a 24 hour period. It showed extensive smog rolling in and rolling out again. I initially thought it was thick clouds until he explained the smog.

 

[8Muddypaws]

Remember when cars were checked to verify that they did not create more emissions than was allowed when they were first sold? That was reasonable.

Those days are gone in California. Reason has left the building.

 

[Tom]

Update to our CARB status ...
Today I received an email from CARB letting me know I should modify the vehicle in our CTC- VIS account and check the Motorhome box (don't recall seeing that previously). Doing so would result in "Testing frequency will be updated to annual testing, instead of semi-annual testing...".
Whoopee.

 

[8Muddypaws]

Update to our CARB status ...
Today I received an email from CARB letting me know I should modify the vehicle in our CTC- VIS account and check the Motorhome box (don't recall seeing that previously). Doing so would result in "Testing frequency will be updated to annual testing, instead of semi-annual testing

That happened to us about 6 months ago. I should have told you. Sorry.

 

[Tom]

That happened to us about 6 months ago. I should have told you. Sorry.

That email was quickly followed by a long email saying "The California Air Resources Board (CAR Enforcement Division is transitioning to email delivery for selected citation notices."

 

[Mikeylikesit-WO]

Regulations such as these are pretty high up on my list of "why I left California in the mirror". Ugh. Don't see how you folks do it.

 

[DonTom]

Don't see how you folks do it.

By having another house in NV, with my ICE vehicles registered there, and all my CA vehicles are EV.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[Adventurous Traveler]

Regulations such as these are pretty high up on my list of "why I left California in the mirror". Ugh. Don't see how you folks do it.

I believe CA is losing over 500K residents a year, and how many Fortune 500 companies are leaving due to actions like CARB, taxes, and overregulations.

 

[Tom]

Regulations such as these are pretty high up on my list of "why I left California in the mirror". Ugh. Don't see how you folks do it.

Understood. We hear/read multiple comments like that. We also receive similar comments from folks who have never visited California

Every year when we've visited our modest place in Ohio and our RV lot in WY, Chris used to be shopping for houses. Then, when we got home and sat in the family room looking out over the water, I'd ask Chris "where would you prefer to live?" The answer was always the same, and she eventually quit the remote house hunting.

 

[DonTom]

I believe CA is losing over 500K residents a year

Not anymore for the most populated state:

"California’s estimated population as of January 1, 2025 is 39,529,000, based on provisional state reporting that counts an increase of 108,000 people during calendar year 2024. This figure comes from the California Department of Finance and was reiterated in communications from the governor’s office and the department’s Demographics team in May 2025, and represents the best available official state estimate for 2025"

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[garyb1st]

Move from California.

More reasons to leave California.

The weather. The high today is only going to be 58. It might even get into the upper 40's tonight. That's unbelievably cold. And this unbelievably cold weather will likely occur from time to time over the next 2 or 3 months. We may even get some snow. Last time it snowed was maybe 10 year ago. Probably a 1/2" on the ground before it melted. Sure hope my snow blower still works.

Earthquakes. I was told by the preeminent seismologist, Lucy Jones, that there had been a dearth of earthquakes in California and we were going to get the big one. It was just a matter of time. That was a year after the 1994 Northridge Quake.

Real Estate. I'd have to sell my home. Since the value has increased much more than the $500,000 exemption, I'd owe some hefty taxes on the capital gain.

Agree that California has a few problems. Which state doesn't. But there's a reason California is always close to or the most visited state in the country.

 

[DonTom]

The answer was always the same, and she eventually quit the remote house hunting.

A place I think I could enjoy living in is Payson, AZ. A small town with reasonable weather all year, that has everything one can want.

But I am happy here & Reno, so no need to move. But I find Payson to be a nice place to visit, and I also think it would be a nice place to live.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[garyb1st]

A place I think I could enjoy living in is Payson, AZ. A small town with reasonable weather all year, that has everything one can want.
-Don- Auburn, CA

Agree.

 

[Tom]

A place I think I could enjoy living in is Payson, AZ. A small town with reasonable weather all year, that has everything one can want.

Thanks for the suggestion, but we have no plans or desire to move to AZ.

 

[DonTom]

Thanks for the suggestion, but we have no plans or desire to move to AZ.

I wasn't suggesting for anybody. It's just where I think I would like.

Neither do I have a real desire to move to AZ.

The biggest problem is if I lived in AZ, where would I then RV to? AZ is my favorite state for my RV trips.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[Adventurous Traveler]

But I am happy here & Reno, so no need to move. But I find Payson to be a nice place to visit, and I also think it would be a nice place to live.

Don, when we visited Reno three years ago, we absolutely loved it. So much so that after touring through Napa, Sonoma, and Yosemite, we routed back through Reno to spend a couple more days there. A fun night was when we went to an Italian restaurant, the name slips my memory, and we had wine with dinner. After a delicious meal, we headed to the bar for a nightcap. We were only 2 miles from the campground. The young lady behind the bar says, "Hey, you guys were the ones that had XXX wine for dinner, right?" We said yes, and the next thing she did was put a whole bottle of the same wine down on the bar in front of us, saying she had opened it by mistake and we could have the bottle for free! We enjoyed the conversation with the bartender and other patrons and stayed till closing. Did I mention the campground was only two miles away!

 

[DonTom]

when we visited Reno three years ago, we absolutely loved it.

I am glad you enjoyed your stay here.

Just don't come when we have one of our gigantic winter snowstorms, which cause even the W4Ds to get stuck all over Reno.

I have driven my Y2K Class C through New York State, the northern part, far away from all the cities. IOW, Upstate New York. Very nice up there, but that was more than ten years ago.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[Tom]

Just don't come when we have one of our gigantic winter snowstorms, which cause even the W4Ds to get stuck all over Reno.

You're not kidding. In the early 80's when my parents were visiting (from the UK), we took a charter bus from work (Santa Clara) to Reno. Left Santa Clara at 5.00pm, scheduled for 5-5.5 hours, we sat for 5 hours on Donner Pass. Finally pulled into Reno at 2.30am.

 

[DonTom]

we sat for 5 hours on Donner Pass. Finally pulled into Reno at 2.30am.

You were lucky if only for five hours at Donner Pass. There, it is usually a lot worse than the snow in Reno. Not that uncommon for I-80 to be shut down for a lot longer than five hours because of snow causing too many accidents.

Now that I am retired, it is easy for me to deal with. I would have gone back to Reno yesterday, but lots of snow at the summit, but sunny and clear there today. I simply wait it out in Auburn.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[Tom]

You were lucky if only for five hours at Donner Pass. There, it is usually a lot worse than the snow in Reno. Not that uncommon for I-80 to be shut down for a lot longer than five hours because of snow causing too many accidents.

I guess 'lucky' is the word; That's the worst we've encountered on Donner Pass over the 45 years we've lived in California. We're not skiers, so never had the urge to battle snow. OTOH we've taken some visitors in the other direction to Yosemite in snow.

When we were stuck for 5 hours that day my Dad, a singer from his early days and always looking for an opportunity to sing, suggested he and I stand in the aisle of the bus and entertain folks to help pass the time. Nobody booed or threw rotten fruit.