Emission Testing for rarely used vehicles (Maricopa: car insurance, motorhomes, camping)

[MountainGuy74]

I have a 1978 motor home that I use maybe three times a year to go camping at either Lake Pleasant or Lost Dutchman State Park. I don't even drive 500 miles total per year. 99% of the time she sits in my backyard.

I've heard that if I get the Historic Vehicle plates that it becomes emissions exempt. Is this fact or just a fabricated story for people driving older vehicles? Personally I don't think it's fair that I have to have emissions testing every year for a vehicle that rarely drives. It's not even the cost of the testing but all the prep work that I need to do to get the motor home ready for testing so that it passes.

Can anyone provide any facts on how one can get an exemption for emissions if you have an older vehicle?

[wit-nit]

Q: What vehicles must be tested?
A: Vehicles that are model year 1967 and newer and more than 5 years old require emissions—this includes gasoline and diesel-fueled vehicles.
AZ General Emissions Testing Information...
https://www.myazcar.com/faqs#testingWhat

[mzbk2l]

I didn't see mentioned in the link above that vehicles insured with classic car insurance are also not required to go through emissions. I have a '67 and a '79 that both run normal plates but carry classic car insurance and neither requires emissions; I'm able to get 5 year registrations on them just like my motorcycles.

[motormaker]

Originally Posted by MountainGuy74

I have a 1978 motor home that I use maybe three times a year to go camping at either Lake Pleasant or Lost Dutchman State Park. I don't even drive 500 miles total per year. 99% of the time she sits in my backyard.

I've heard that if I get the Historic Vehicle plates that it becomes emissions exempt. Is this fact or just a fabricated story for people driving older vehicles? Personally I don't think it's fair that I have to have emissions testing every year for a vehicle that rarely drives. It's not even the cost of the testing but all the prep work that I need to do to get the motor home ready for testing so that it passes.

Can anyone provide any facts on how one can get an exemption for emissions if you have an older vehicle?

Looks like the magic year id 1974, the problem is meeting the requirements of a Historical vehicle.

https://www.historicvehicle.org/ariz...sions-testing/

[Elna Rae]

There is no magic here.

As mzbk21 mentioned; as long as you can find an insurance co that will insure it as a “collector vehicle” it’s qualified to be exempt from smog testing and the absolutely ridiculous hoops one has to jump through to get a carbureted engine to pass. Just show the policy when registering and the gates of paradise will swing open.

Try Heacock, Hagerty, or some of the other boutique insurance companies that specialize in this product.

Fair warning though: They will expect you to be an “enthusiast” enamored with the year, make, model and its unusual attributes and character rather than you simply using it for camping.

BTW: What brand and model is it? My guess is there’s a club or registry for it.

Congratulations. You now own a collector RV.

[MountainGuy74]

It's a 1978 Holiday Rambler 24ft Class C. There is a bit of a cult following for this particular make. You don't see many still on the road. If you do it's mostly the trailers and the super rare class C motor homes.

[kell490]

As long as all the OEM smog devices are installed and working properly you won't have a problem passing smog testing. I have tinkered with high performance cars for years never had a problem with AZ emissions. I always know what they will be looking for make sure it's good. The items which fail on older vehicles are PCV valves not sealing properly crank case vent missing hose or falling off. Gas cap seal, or charcoal filter for gas tank not sealing. They want to make sure gas fumes are being sucked into the engine burned off though the charcoal filter when the engine is shut off fumes get trapped inside the filter. I would make sure you put stabilizer in that gas tank if your only driving that motorhome twice a year. Run a tank of fuel though it before you try the emissions that might not be easy motorhomes have a big tank. 78 models fuel systems were not designed for ethanol which is added to the fuel now that will attract water carburetor will corrode. Also rubber fuel lines can be eaten away generally seems to happen in older 80's fuel injection where high pressure EFI systems. If it were me I would install a fuel shut off valve if it doesn't already have one run the tank down low as you can and put stabilizer in drive it around a bit then shut off the fuel line let the engine die run the fuel bowls dry.

Another alternative is to register the vehicle outside of Maricopa county such as up north some people get a mailbox and register everything up there. The only problem with that I'm sure breaking some law, but kind of a gray area because I have a few hot rods I keep at my in-laws place up north so they really are kept up there. I bring them down here and tinker with them once in awhile.

Probably just easiest to take it have it smog tested every 2 years for a stock motorhome not really worth the hassle of trying to avoid it.

[MountainGuy74]

Originally Posted by kell490

As long as all the OEM smog devices are installed and working properly you won't have a problem passing smog testing. I have tinkered with high performance cars for years never had a problem with AZ emissions. I always know what they will be looking for make sure it's good. The items which fail on older vehicles are PCV valves not sealing properly crank case vent missing hose or falling off. Gas cap seal, or charcoal filter for gas tank not sealing. They want to make sure gas fumes are being sucked into the engine burned off though the charcoal filter when the engine is shut off fumes get trapped inside the filter. I would make sure you put stabilizer in that gas tank if your only driving that motorhome twice a year. Run a tank of fuel though it before you try the emissions that might not be easy motorhomes have a big tank. 78 models fuel systems were not designed for ethanol which is added to the fuel now that will attract water carburetor will corrode. Also rubber fuel lines can be eaten away generally seems to happen in older 80's fuel injection where high pressure EFI systems. If it were me I would install a fuel shut off valve if it doesn't already have one run the tank down low as you can and put stabilizer in drive it around a bit then shut off the fuel line let the engine die run the fuel bowls dry.

Another alternative is to register the vehicle outside of Maricopa county such as up north some people get a mailbox and register everything up there. The only problem with that I'm sure breaking some law, but kind of a gray area because I have a few hot rods I keep at my in-laws place up north so they really are kept up there. I bring them down here and tinker with them once in awhile.

Probably just easiest to take it have it smog tested every 2 years for a stock motorhome not really worth the hassle of trying to avoid it.

The problem is that it's required EVERY year. If it were every two years I wouldn't worry about it but having to go through all these preparations just to get registration for a vehicle that hardly ever drives is just stupid to me. I have to jump through the same hoops as someone who drives their 78 El Camino daily to work yet the impact that my motorhome has on the air quality is non existent.

[kell490]

Only thing you can do is register it out of the smog control area.