I finally got around to registering my 2000 Excursion today. I bought it 3 weeks ago but I have it at a friends shop getting all sorts of fixes and upgrades.

Anyway, I filled out all the paperwork for transferring my plates from my old '97 F250HD and brought all the documents to the counter only to have this old lady tell me that it was not a truck. According to her it is a pleasure car and she would not let me get truck plates. This is in Vermont by the way. I was, and still am, concerned that without truck plates I won't be able to get inspected a the state maximum bumper heights of 28" front and 30" back. I want to put the biggest damn lift kit I can find on it... So after spending about a half an hour trying to convince her, and her supervisor, that it was a truck I gave up and got the car plates.

I guess there isn't much point to this thread, except that I am annoyed and who else would understand but you guys?

P.S. FYI the title is code humor, I am computer programmer and "!=" means "not equal to" in most programming languages.

 

PA was the same way when I was a kid...maximum bumper height rules. I remember guys would have to have custom mounts made to lower the bumper to meet the requirements.

I've heard of other states that are similar, so VT isn't the only one. Something about having to have a 'bed' to make it exempt (some states consider trucks with beds 'farm vehicles' and they get to go around some of the requirements.

Just the way it is I guess.

 

I guess the question is what they consider a "bumper". The Excursion has a pusher bar set below the bumper to keep us from running over Yugos and such if we rear end them. In the rear, for the 2001 and up (not sure for the 2000), the hitch is an integrated safety feature like the front pusher bar to keep Yugo's from wedging under the rear if they hit us.

So I'd look at the states definition of a bumper and see if it interprets to the pusher bar and rear hitch. That could buy you a few more inches in lift.

 

Yeah, here in Michigan we used to have specific truck and commercial plates. They did away with them maybe around 2004 and started issuing car plates for pickups. You couldn't even transfer a car plate to pickup in the past, but after that point you could. Then in 2006 when Michigan changed to the new style plates and forced everyone to change, most of the pickup owners with the old pickup plates were issued new passenger plates. The only people who could retain them were those titled under a business name.

Excursions, like Expeditions, Suburbans, etc have always been titled as station wagons and don't qualify for truck status.

 

That isn't clear, I've reviewed the VT inspection manual and the blocker beam may or may not count. I plan to get a ranch hand bumper anyway.

If you have a non stock bumper they measure to the bottom of the frame instead.

 

IIRC here in WV bumper is defined as being the forward most and rear most structure on the vehicle and must extend the full width of the vehicle... so i doubt that would fly. I know nothing about other states, but if you have a trailer I think you can tag your truck with C tags as a combination and that should get you the truck thing... since the GVWR of the ex is so high.

 

yep here too, though most people "have a guy" that will inspect it, if you know what I mean. Plus there are a few sets of "inspection tires" that get passed around... I swear someone around my hometown has a set of 15" 8 lug truck wheels that have like 195/50/15's on them... lol.

I don't know what your budget is, but I think its kelderman that makes a pretty trick air suspension for the super duty that will work on our trucks, too.

 

Yip...got a car plate on mine too. My buddy with a ridgeline gives me a hard time because he has a truck plate

 

Here in California, trucks get commercial plates, cars and SUV's get passenger plates.

The difference is in the registration fees.

Commercial plates (eg 1A23456) are formatted with a numeral, then an alpha character, followed by five numerals.

Passenger plates (eg 1ABC234) are formatted with a numeral, then three alpha characters, followed by three numerals.

There are rare occasions where you can petition the DMV to register a truck outfitted with a camper shell as a passenger vehicle. Just don't ever remove the camper shell.

None of the above takes into account motorcycle plates or specialized plates.

Stewart

 

In NC trucks have to have Weighted plates and must buy a plate in the weight that covers the truck and the trailer being towed, if you don't have the correct tags the DMV fines you heavily. Excursions are SUVs and are not subject to the weight restrictions. I am glad to have a car plate.

 

Excursion is a "station wagon" in PA, unless you have an 8" lift, then it must be registered as truck. I'm fine iwth my plates, saves me $50 at registration and who knows how much on insurance as the "station wagon" is the least threatening vehicle on the planet, other than the smart car, which I'm not sure is actually a vehicle.

 

I am not nearly as worried about getting it inspected as I am about getting pulled over and ticketed. I can get damn near anything inspected.

Yea I would love a kelderman lift, but that is crazy money. I am going to get a BDS lift because it looks like the best price/quality ratio. I really want to do the 10", but it looks like I should probably tone it down to the 8" to stay legalish.

I don't care how much registration costs, I don't care what characters are in my plates. I just want my bad *** truck to sit on stilts with big shoes and not have this crap be so complicated, why is it so hard to try to do all this legit?

 

In Illinois SUV's under 8000 lbs. can be registered a passenger vehicle or B-Truck. Make sure Ex isn't full of gas!

 

Now I don't care who you are, that stuffs funny right there!

 

I keep trying to find an open spot next to a smart car so i can take a picture next to it!

Here in WV, all cars get "passenger" tags, I guess you guys would call them, but if your truck is lifted you have to get a "modified" inspection sticker that is like triple the cost (like $50 compared to $12, I can't remember exactly). There are still limits on how you can lift it but realistically there isn't much enforcement. Besides, our roads are too curvy for anyone to try and drive one of those ridiculous 12" + trucks around. If you want to carry more weight than the passenger tag allows (and again, I can't remember, I think its 10k on the trailer) then you have to register your trailer and truck as a combination, like my brother did. You can register it for whatever weight you want. His cummins is registered for 17k I think is what he said if he is towing his C trailer. Or you can register the truck as a commercial vehicle and tow any trailer with T tag with more weight. His work trucks are tagged at 10,001 lbs I think and they can't be driven without CDL even though they are just F350's.

Its all pretty confusing for the average person, really.