Is a 712 a commercial vehicle?

[audiocontr]

According to Fairfax and Arlington County it is. This means I cannot park it on any residential street. I find that as bullshit! I'm wondering if antique plates could battle the argument.

On December 7, 2009 the Board of Supervisors approved changes to Section 82-5-7 of the Fairfax County Code, which prohibits parking of commercial vehicles in residential districts. The code changes are intended to better define commercial vehicles in the County code, in order to improve parking enforcement and respond to complaints about large/commercial vehicles parking on residential streets. The effective date of these changes is February 1, 2010 followed by a 30 day warning period. Vehicles parked in violation are subject to a $100 fine for each violation and may be towed at the owner’s expense.

* Changes code requirement for taxicabs and limousines: One resident of each single family dwelling unit may park one vehicle licensed and registered in the Commonwealth of Virginia as a taxicab or limousine
* Expands definition of commercial vehicle restricted from parking in a residential area to include:
o Any vehicle licensed as a common or contract carrier or limousine (except as above)
o Vehicles that exceed size and weight limits: more than 21 feet long, more than 8 feet high including appurtenances, width of 102 inches or more, or gross vehicle weight of 12,000 or more pounds.
+ Vehicles exempted from these size and weight limits are: commercial vehicles used by public service company, watercraft or motor home, school buses, vehicles driven by or used for transporting persons with disabilities, vehicles for cable television service, moving vehicles for 48 hours, vehicles for propane gas service. These "exempted" vehicles can park in a residential area unless restricted elsewhere in the Code, e.g., boats and motor homes are not allowed to park in areas that are Community Parking Districts
o Vehicle carrying commercial freight in plain view
o Trailer or semitrailer except camper, boat or single axle utility
o Any vehicle with 3 or more axles

[undysworld]

I've never heard of a 712 being considered necessarily "commercial". But, local laws and ordinances seem to be increasingly a PIA for exmil vehicles. It's perhaps a good argument for getting involved in your political processes.

Have you contacted the board to convey your concern/s? Given that I'm far from familiar with your specific issue, apart from reading your post, don't take it for gospel. But if you don't use the pinz for commercial purposes, then it would seem that the intent of the law was not to keep you from parking. Perhaps this is an unintended consequence which they would be willing to help you resolve. Maybe amend Any vehicle with 3 or more axles with which is in excess of 8000 lbs.

Otherwise, based on what you wrote, could you somehow register as a motor home? They may require a sink and bathroom, but I'm reminded of the bikers who mounted dental mirrors on their bikes to comply with mirror requirements. How about doll-house sized? Or else "go into the CATV business"? So you carry a crimper.

One last thought to look into. Many communities have "truck" restrictions, sometimes with weight limits of like 6k or 8k in residential areas. If you look up "truck" in federal definitions, any 4wd vehicle is a "truck", IIRC. So Hummers, Expeditions, Subarus, Audi Quattros, etc. may be sort of out-of-compliance, in a way. Perhaps you can raise an argument that this needs to be addressed, and in doing so, get your Pinz included in some redefinition of terms?

In the meantime, maybe you better hang onto that 710 a little longer...

[McCall Pinz]

What's involved in registering it as a limo? You get an exemption for that.

[stiffler4444]

Not sure how it works where you are, but whatever the vehicles ownership here says dictates whether it's commercial or not. A 712 in Ontario would be classified as "passenger".

[Jimm391730]

When I first moved to California 7 years ago, the DMV in their infinite wisdom decided my 712W should be classified as a "station wagon". Go figure. It had to be the only 3 axle station wagon around! CA has speed limit signs that say "55mph trucks and towing trailers" so I figured if they wanted to stop me for being a truck, I'd just show them that I didn't have a truck... "See? It's a STATION WAGON!"

But truely, can they argue it is commercial if it not licensed to a business nor licensed as a truck? Get it licensed as an SUV or limo. I guess it depends on how things work in VA.

Best of luck,

Jim M.

[NC_Mog]

Looks like you're stuck. It says "any vehicle with 3 axles or more". It doesn't make a difference whether its registered as a truck, SUV, car, etc. That 3rd axle seals the deal.

I've got commercial insurance for my 712M because the insurance company got all wrapped up about the 3 axles.

[Twin Pinzies]

Isn't a commercial vehicle one that is used commercially? What does the number of axles have to do with it?

[David Dunn]

the basic concept is that you don't use a 80000 lb Kenworth and trailer for a commuter car... and typically , a 3rd axle is employed for extra weigh carrying capacity. In some states, 1/2 and 3/4 ton pickups are registered as passenger cars, BUT all 1 ton and above are registered and insured as commercial vehicles.

The things is, and it has been written about many times before... if you want to play the game, you need to know the rules. And the rules are governed LOCALLY. The feds may let them in, the state doesn't have to licence them, a city can keep you fom driving on some roads, and HOA can keep you from parking it in plain sight.

So as much as some one in one state cannot tell the laws for the next.... it works down to the smallest (local) governing authorities.

If it was so easy, I'd have tank!

[Dreadnought]

I,m still wondering how you Americans can call it 'the land of the free'?? when it somes to registering vehicles you have so many barriers and obstacles?. But I suppoose you would be equally amazed at how difficult it is to find a place to drive off-road legally in UK (for more than a few hundred yards anyway!) I have or had a similar problem recently with my move to Poland, but it looks like I am in the clear....I had hoped to register my Pinzgauer 710K as a 'classic van' in Poland, but it all revolved around what the interpreter wrote when they interpreted my documents....luckily they have descibed it as a 'fourgonetka' which seems to loosely mean van. In the UK documents it is registered as a classic vehicle but in the 'private Light Goods' class which can cover anything from a 2 seat sports car through a large passenger car to a 'sprinter' type van up to 3.5Tons if not used commercially. In UK you have to actually use a commercial vehicle as a commercial to make it become one, perhaps we have more eccentrics driving big trucks/Ex Mil vehicles as everday transport.? If you are mad enough to drive a Big mack truck as everyday transport, they are happy to let you, because there are plenty of other laws they can hit you with if you annoy your neighbours with your big toy.