SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. — For many California residents, paying for car registration and smog checks is normal, but one Orangevale couple says it's becoming too difficult to catch up to the state's requirements to make sure their motorhome is legal.
Carol and Alan Scott have made a life for themselves in their motorhome and when they're not in Orangevale, they're traveling the U.S.
The couple lives part time in Arizona, but California is their home base. Their motorhome is registered in California and is subject to all the regulations the state has required of them to own a motorhome.
"This will be the first year that we've had to comply with the Clean Truck," said Alan.
The Clean Truck Check program is an initiative through the California Air Resources Board (CARB) with a goal of keeping the state's air clean while ensuring heavy motor vehicles are regulated. The program applies to nearly all diesel and alternative fuel heavy-duty vehicles weighing more than 14,000 lbs.
"I understand their reasoning for making the air better for everybody," said Carol.
Back in April, the couple paid nearly $700 to register their motorhome. Then, in June, the Scotts got a letter from CARB saying their motorhome is required to comply with the Clean Truck Check program.
"I struggle trying to find information on it to at least tell me what my obligations are," said Alan.
On CARB's website, it says the Clean Truck Check applies to vehicles even if they are not registered in California. Under the section defining what is not subject to the program, it lists motorhomes registered outside of California.
A spokesperson with CARB tells ABC10 because of concerns of impacting the state's tourism, CARB decided to exempt motorhomes not registered in California and used for recreational purposes, citing they are generally low mileage.
"We're in essence being penalized because we choose to register a vehicle in California," said Alan.
The Scotts say they will eventually give up their motorhome because of age, but in the meantime, they're asking CARB to just treat them fairly.
"If you're exempting all the other motorhomes that might travel in California, it seems to me that it's unfair to treat us differently," said Alan.
The Scotts say they're considering registering their motorhome in Arizona to avoid all of the requirements.
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