Hi Grumpy
We had 3 months and No Destination , so just took Our time and poked around Az. Nm. , and Ar. for it's quartz crystal mines .
Camped in BLM lands , National and County parks , Wall Mart"s , Cracker Barrel's and Flying J's / Pilot / Love's truck stops , and a couple of nights in the KOA in Black Canyon City , Az. ( All for under $ 1,000 for gas / food / & camping fees )
So we just set the cruise and sat back .
I must confess that the van has a " New 360 " from Mopar w/26,000 mi.
on it thanks to the previous owner's ( a touring hard rock band from Mass. with a New York Barracuda of Law Firm and a quick lube place in Tx. )
I run Mobil 1 and the tires at Max. psi. The tires are what was on it when we bought it 3 days before our trip , LT 245 / 75 R 16 load range E's , Westlake SL-309's on the front and Michelin LTX A/T's on the back .
GPAA , LOL not yet but soon , Weaver Mining District is next . LOL We did take a side trip to LDMA Stanton / Rich Hill to see it and get info on joining , when coming from Prescott and the National Forest CampGrounds , ( got to love the " Old Farts 1/2 price Camping Card " ).
We are actually members of the Havasu Gold Seekers and used there Base Camp located on Franconia Wash ,9 1/2 mi. from I-40 .
We had No Trouble on the two track making it in to there 3200 acre gold claims to attend a group dig ( as one old member said " You have the height and the tires , go for it " )
http://www.havasugoldseekers.com/
Another Fun trip was The Maggie Mine Road and the Crown King Road , especially when We met a 5 jeeps convoy from an Off Road Jeep Tour Company , and Us in Our 2 wheel drive maxi van . LOLROGPIP

Grumpy ,
Have You ever camped at Packsaddle or Windy Point , I want to go
back , but My wife , Not So Much , Something about the road in ??

http://www.eugenecarsey.com/camp/win...windypoint.htm

http://www.blm.gov/az/st/en/prog/rec.../packwind.html

Bob

Ps
We will do it again , but with a beefed suspension ( Front Timbren's / Rear ? ) plus Training Wheels ( after we leave Mass. , as 5 or more tires requires a Commercial Registration with a $ 129.00 inspection , All the DOT rules such as Fire Ext. Chock Blocks DOT Medical Card and limited driving area as the insurance companies see a Commercial vehicle as one thats used Commercially , unlike the state of Mass. that just sees it as a cash Cow $$$$.

 

Some of your info is incorrect, our 1996 van has dually adapters. We
only use the extra wheels for our trip south every January, when
towing our sailboat from Massachusetts. We did register commercial but you
do not need the DOT stuff, think of all the 5 plus wheeled RV's they don't
carry any those items.

If you rolled into a DOT highway checkpoint or weigh station they would wave you through unless you were a livery service. We have Air Bags installed in the rear and would recommend them to anyone towing a heavy trailer or many passengers, handling difference is night and day.

Tolls are outrageous with DRWs and a trailer in tow.

 

Hi iodj44
I know that You are in Mass. , not sure where ?
When I went for My Required commercial DOT sticker ( Registered to My DBA ) for My 9,000 # Cam Superline Car Hauler , the Inspection Station wouldn't do it because He wanted to see Commercial Plates and the full DOT required Goodies on My Maxi -Van plus My Medical Card since I tow's a commercial vehicle ???
( A single, full or semi-trailer, used in commerce, with a manufacturer's gross vehicle weight rating over 3,000 lbs or a truck/trailer combination that exceeds 10,000 GCVWR (gross combined vehicle weight rating) needs a commercial inspection every year. Trailers for personal use (boat trailers, camper trailers, utility type trailers) do NOT need to be inspected. )
I don't recommend that You drive through the Rt. 1A & Rt. 140 intersection and meet the " Chin the Friendly " Mass. DOT Officer that just about lives on the corner , as He has been known to enforce the laws as he interprets them .
( Ex. 17 yr old landscaper with a pick up and trailer hit with $ 12,000. + worth of fines , He turned out to be a judges Son LOL )
This subject has been All Over Many Forums
The " Local DOT Teams " use it when Policing For Profits )
Some Forum Notes
Don't forget our friends towing Horses , Race Cars , and Boats
Hauling a race car back from Epping that you were just running - there is prize money involved and by definition and law that is a commercial endevour (money involved - racing with no prize money involved is different) and thus you need to have the tow vehicle registered commercially .

http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/91...ons-in-ma.html
The person below got hammered on a Dually and over 3500 # Tailer
http://neow.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=101919

http://www.dieseltruckresource.com/d...y-t236349.html
Regarding a True Dually
In mass any vehicle in excess of 10,000 lbs is now commercial, period.
At 10,001 lbs it becomes, commercial.
Dual rear wheels regardless of weight, commercial.
So if you take off the duals and run single they get you on the weight rule.
Below the 10,000 lbs you can register a pickup as passenger, ( IF You DON't Have Rack's and Boxes or a SnowPlow ), or are a business.
If you are a business and are over 10,000 lbs you need a health card.
They are now nailing guys with big trailers, for total combined weight, like landscapers, etc, because how many are carring the health card, none.

 

Morning, I live in North Dartmouth and have commercial plates registered to me not
a business. A Trooper on the pike around Worcester played games with me, after
spending 3 hours with two supervisors (2nd floor) at the DMV in Chinatown facts were cleared up. The supervisors DMV sent me to the inspection headquarters in Quincy to speak to the gentleman who heads the inspections for passenger and commercial vehicles for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It was confirmed I am legal.

You do not need anything other than commercial plates as the GVWR is under 25 or 26k, you are correct the cops will mess with you but the rules and facts stand. You need commercial plates and fenders over the extra wheels also recommend adding spacers
on the front wheels as with the duallies installed the van understeers like a bastard in low speed tight turns

 

Hi iodj

Thanks for all the research , but sorry You were the Guinea Pig .

I have to agree on the troopers , especially way out west , as at the Big E camping show , a couple of us were talking about a member of the MBBA being ticketed and towed and fined for an illegal registration and avoiding fees , ( camper plate ) on his Dually Dune's traveling truck camper . " As He COULD REMOVE " the Slide in Camper and use it as a pick up ?? "
When the lady manning the next both , piped up that her husband had just been stopped traveling to the show , and given a ticket for avoiding taxes and illegal registration on his 3/4 ton pick up .
Because he had a cross bed tool box and a ladder rack , and those are indications of a Commercial Vehicle in Taxachusettes
( Not sure trooper used that last word )

Thanks for the tip on the spacers , are You running them now ?
I thought about doing it that way, but for the ease of only carrying one spare but not unless I had to because of cost of the adaptors .

My other problem with the plates on the trailer will be solved by registering in Maine .
http://staabagency.com/
http://staabagency.com/price-list

 

We leave the dually adapters on just remove the fender extensions and
outer wheels now we run 3" spacers on the front to give a wider track
and reduce the pushing effect when the duallies are on.

I take them off upon returning from Florida in January to save the tire wear. The van handles much better with the extra wheels and rear airbags. You will be very happy with the results don't worry to much about the cops as there is nothing you can do.

Friend pulled a J35 sailboat with not for hire on the side of his tractor(Semi),
and did not carry a log book or health card. Weigh stations would wave him
through maybe that has changed, my reason for driving 11 months with SRW is tolls.

 

My biggest question is why didn't You wait till St. Patty's day to come back to Mass. ?
Thats what We did , We sat at the KOA in Black Canyon City AZ. , parked next to a U-Shipper who shared his over 3 yrs. of experiences with us about how it works and some tips and pitfalls of U-Ship ( we had never heard of it ) as we waited for the Corned Beef and Cabbage Dinner at the VFW , and then booked in the morning for home , via New Mexico and Arkansas .
I registered there, but have only transported Dog's to Nc. to help with the gas on a family trip , as it seems seems just too cut throat , and I won't work for nothing .
Bob

 

Well we stay for 2 weeks to participate in a regatta and hangout a few days after. Would be great to stay until May but that is not a option for us.

 

We hadn't planed on taking the winter off either , but I had just retired , and wife had just been downsized .
We bought the van on Wed. as it was a good deal and would come in handy auction hunting and flea-marketing , when on Thurs. , She hit a scratch ticket for $ 10,000. On Fri. , I did an , oil and filter change , new pinion seal . Sat. nite a stop at Bj's for a some basic food supplies , a couple of precooked roasters , some PB & J and we were off , just ahead of the big snow storm due in on Sun. LOL
Bob

 

Your wife is good luck wish I could say the same about my wife. All my cross country trips involve towing a sailboat to regattas in San Diego ,LA or San Fran usually.
We are always under the gun for time and miss seeing a lot since we drive through the night.
Please allow me to share a story I am not proud of but in the early eighties a buddy and I drove from Boston to Long Beach in 54 hours towing a small boat with two cases of beer in the car. Through the desert at night we drove over 90 mph, thinking back, hard to believe I am still alive.