What's required? - Registering a PD4106 in California as a motorhome

[RJ]

Last weekend I got a letter from the DMV that they want me to go to the CHP to do an "Age Verification" of the vehicle. Has someone gone through that before?

Matt -

I've never heard of that, after living in Californication 60+ years and often dealing with the DMV. 

More importantly, at the moment, is did they give you a time frame when this verification has to be completed? 

Reason I ask is that, for a $25 donation, the Ohio Museum of Transportation will send you a copy of the "Final Vehicle Record" for your coach, which, besides the VIN, also includes the month of delivery, who the original purchaser was and a whole list of all the "goodies" that were installed in/on your coach as it went down the production line - even the paint codes!  (I don't know if it would help, but if you increased your donation a bit, maybe they'll expedite the process, as it usually takes 6-8 weeks.  Also - tell them in your request letter that you need an excellent copy to keep the CA DMV happy!)  If the DMV won't accept this document as proof of your coach's origin, it's time to start escalating up the chain of command again!

Send your letter, along with a check or money order, to:

FVR Request
Mike Ondecker / Dave Decsman
Ohio Museum of Transportation
2347 Karendale Drive.
Toledo, Ohio 43614-2106

Is there an official registry of the GMC PD4106 VIN numbers and the year they were built?

There is no "official registry", but three or four busnuts have copies of the production rosters, compiled from GMC's own records.  Not sure where Jason got a copy of the list, but he's posted it to the GM PD-4106 Bus group on Facebook.  It's a "pinned post", so it's always on top when you go to the page.

My suggestion is that you stall the DMV until you get a copy of your FVR, then make an appointment with your local office and march in with your title, their letter and a copy of your copy of the FVR and start the escalation process all over again.

FWIW & HTH. . .

[Cary and Don]

If I recall, when we had our vin inspection, we showed them the plate inside the door. It had the manufacture year on it along with the vin number and manufacturer. He included this in the paper work. It was also on the title. It does have to do with the requirement for smog check on newer vehicles.

Cary

[B_K]

Just curious as I never really thought to look at any of my buses for it.
But back when I was trucking one of the things the mechanics and DOT used to always want to verify was the "in service date" stamped in the frame rail near the vin #  the mechanics were hoping to find it out of warranty by date and I never understood why the DOT was so interested in it!
  BK 

[matzeinusa]

Thanks for all the advice!
So, I pulled out the paper work and try to answer all the questions asked.
I have the title from Wa. It's green not pink. On there it says 1961 for year, GMC for make, 35/SC for series/body and MH for use class. It says scale weight is 24000 and gross weight is 0000000. Prior title state was FL.
It has a valid WA registration through 8/2017.
I don't have a CA title /pink slip yet. I thought that was what i would get in the letter I got...

The CA DMV letter shows my new CA license plate number, they gave me the last time I was there. The letter says "*incomplete application* **see above**
*above* it says " Referred to CA HWY Patrol for inspection. If this is a revived total loss vehicle, a CA HWY Patrol inspection certificate (CHP97C) is required before the application can be completed.  *Year cannot be determined through our means of info. please go to CHP to get a Veri for the model year.*"
They included in the letter a temporary operating permit valid until feb 2017.
I am not aware that the coach was revived.

My vin is pd4106399. You can see here it was built in 1961:
http://www.reocities.com/buslist/Delivery/PD4106/pd4106_1.html

I also have the original (I believe) First Aid kit from GMC in the bus!!! It shows expiration dates of 1963 (if I remember correctly) for 2 packs of 16x 1" adhesive bandages. :-)  Also in that box was a form of temp registration of the State of Wisconsin DOT to S&J Smith Corp in WI. That shows it as "61 GMC Bus PD4106399"
Google maps shows that there is a school bus company at the address of the temp registration these days. Have to do some more research from here to the last owner.

Does anyone have any additional info?

I saw the FVR thing at the Ohio museum, as well.
http://www.omot.org/buses.htm
I was thinking about getting that,too.

Anyway, I just think it's strange that the title transfer is such a hassle. I get the Vin verification for out of state registrations but the rest is a little much. I agree with the others here that the title from WA should be sufficient.

I let you know how it goes....
Thanks!
Matt

[B_K]

Thanks for all the advice!

Anyway, I just think it's strange that the title transfer is such a hassle. I get the Vin verification for out of state registrations but the rest is a little much. I agree with the others here that the title from WA should be sufficient.

I let you know how it goes....
Thanks!
Matt

Welcome to Califorincation!
  BK 

[Dave5Cs]

You said above which you did not mention before.
I am not aware that the coach was revived.

I would almost bet some insurance company either reported an accident with it in Washington even if not totaled and it may have showed up in the California DMV computer. Or because of its age they may think it could have been in one and if they believe it is a"Salvaged Title" they have to have CHP look at it and determine that it is not a salvaged vehical. Lots of them on Craigs List these days.

They can sell them all day but the DMV will not give them titles if they are from other states without an inspection from CHP. That is what it is all about.
You will need to go by a CHP office and have them check it out and unless they have proof from anywhere that it was in an accident and totled by an insurance company you will get a Title and hopefully not a Salvaged title because most insurance companies will not insure a salvaded title vehicle.

[matzeinusa]

Dave ,
The letter says "see above" and then I put in the post what it says above in the letter.

I wasn't referring to any previous posts. Sorry for the confusion.
I said there is no evidence that the vehicle was revived. So I am thinking they make this up for some reason. Just don't know why.

It doesn't have a salvage title as far as I can see.
I went through a whole lot of reviews with insurances and they found anything but a record of the coach's past. Got it insured through Progressive. Interestingly, that was pretty cheap and didn't take 10 tries.
:-)
Matt

[Dave5Cs]

Matt not saying it is but they have it in their explaination


"The CA DMV letter shows my new CA license plate number, they gave me the last time I was there. The letter says "*incomplete application* **see above**
*above* it says " Referred to CA HWY Patrol for inspection. If this is a revived total loss vehicle, a CA HWY Patrol inspection certificate (CHP97C) is required before the application can be completed.  *Year cannot be determined through our means of info. please go to CHP to get a Veri for the model year.*"
They included in the letter a temporary operating permit valid until feb 2017."

"If this is a revived total loss vehicle, a CA HWY Patrol inspection certificate (CHP97C) is required before the application can be completed"

So if they are saying this they may suspect it is and they want you to have it proved that it is not because if you re read this from above it is their explanation of it and why they want it. Just saying.
You might bring in all the paperwork from the insurance company if they found nothing like you said then shouldn't be a problem.
Again good Luck and Welcome to Kalifornia.
Dave5Cs

[B_K]

Dave there is also another angle.
If I remember right CA is notorious for making companies and schools that operate under gov programs to destroy or part out existing equipment when getting grants to acquire new equipment.

It could be they are wanting to verify this wasn't a vehicle that was sold instead of destroyed from such a program somewhere else. Maybe not, but with CA you never know!
  BK 

[Dave5Cs]

Maybe, who knows, I am sure it will all change in January and then we won't care........

[luvrbus]

We had to do out of state vehicle inspection a few years ago in AZ,the officer would check all the serials numbers and run it through a data base,Az has since done away with it maybe that is what is going on in CA 

[matzeinusa]

I finally got an update worth talking about! 

Since last post here I had an appointment with the CHP and got the age of the *coach* determined by "non-disclosed means". Took about an hour and since the CHP office has a nice view of the Sierra Nevada mountains and it was sunny...
Anyway, I brought some printouts from some websites that show all the VINs and their birth months and also gave them some examples from the Fremont Bus Museum's  PD4106 to show the websites are correct. The officer was super friendly and I even had some other officer tour the coach.
Back to the DMV we went and handed over the docs and they told us we got everything done. A few weeks later we got a letter...
It was supposed to be the title but here we go...
... Got another letter stating the CHP didn't provide sufficient info. They missed to write down the length and width of the bus in the form.
So, we had to go back to CHP and got that form filled in and now I had to wait for over an hour at the DMV.
I think it was the 5th visit to that office. (!) We brought the bus to Cali in October 2016.
Anyway,...
DRUMROLL
We got a California title for the coach this week!!!
Yay!

Matt

[eagle19952]

I truly am happy for you. they do weird stuff in South America I guess

Cali
1) One of the most important cities of Colombia, SA AKA The capital of Salsa.
Unfortunately one of the most violent cities in the country.

[Iceni John]

Matt,
Did the CHP mention to you what they expect to see inside to justify it being considered a MH?   I hear different things from different people, but it seems that sleeping, cooking and crapping areas are needed.   I already have the latter in place, and I could easily make a temporary 'bed' and 'kitchen'.   One thing that may help me:  where I work we have our own police department who are State of California police, and they are affiliated with the CHP (if we need backup we are supposed to call the nearest CHP for assistance  -  yeah, right), so maybe I can ask our sergeant if he can do the verifications for me instead of a CHP officer?   My bus, sorry, my 'diesel pusher', is presently an Auto (BU), but I need to get it registered as a MH or Housecar or whatever California calls RVs now;  technically I shouldn't be driving a 26,000-plus GVWR vehicle that's not a MH on just a Class C license.

Thanks, John.

[Boomer]

RJ, and others:

Mike Ondecker who volunteered at the Ohio Museum of Transportation and compiled a treasure trove of GM final records has passed away.  It is not known at this time who has control of the records or where they are.  Sure glad I got my Silverside record a few years ago.