[Peter]

Jon that’s all well and good but that does not stop them from stopping you on the side of the road which is not safe period , until they find out it’s a Non commercial vehicle!!!!!

[Archived]

….which they do because it’s pretty easy to find drugs on lots of entertainer coaches.

[Tim]

Just a suggestion. Some Prevost’s have space for a second license plate on the rear. Why not have a plate made that says “Private Coach” for the second plate space?

[Archived]

But that’s where I have the Prevost Community plate!

[Archived]

Per said……..”But that’s where I have the Prevost Community plate!”

Me too!

Mark

[Billy]

Lets get some plates made that say both….? Geo.

[jack]

I did not discuss with the trooper where the stop takes place. I think that is another discussion, and more than likely there is no law or regulation covering this.

The only time we were pulled over was in GA when the trooper stopped me to discuss the law regarding moving over a lane when the cops have someone pulled over. He acknowledged I did move over, but felt I should have done so sooner. He never asked for my license, registration insurance or anything. He first wanted to stand next to my driver’s side window to talk to me and I told him I thought it was dangerous and asked him to come to the entry door, which he did. He had me stopped on the shoulder and there was a vertical rock wall which limited how far i could move over, so it appears Peter’s concerns are not isolated to his stop, but may be common.

This was not overt, but in asking if the troopers consider the MT registration in the name of an LLC was viewed as a commercial operation, he assured me it did not, unless there was some other factor that pointed to the coach operation as commercial, such as a trailer with signage. But I sensed he felt a MT registration to beat paying sales tax was wrong and that being pulled over because of that was OK. He did not say it, but it was clear those plates are to cops what a red cape is to a bull. Towing a car makes a traffic stop less likely was the sense I got because as he said a MT registration on a motor home alone is not going to be viewed as a commercial operation.

Like Peter, I just want to avoid a traffic stop because they are not safe, and I don’t need the hassle.

[Jim/Chris]

Between the entrance door and front slide, just to the left of the entrance LED light, we have a plaque that says ‘Private Coach’ (on both sides). …….. and if the cop gives me any lip, I’ll flip on my blue under carriage lights and turn on my siren! I’ll show’m!…… as I’m escorted to the back seat of their ‘company’ car. LOL!

Mark

[Tim]

Got the “Private Coach” banner beside my drivers door but also have my coach registed and tagged here in Texas with one of my personal plates “GLEN” front and back. No missing me. LOL.

[Davy]

A few years ago having a late start found us in the panhandle of Oklahoma on Hwy 287 heading south about 11 pm. It’s a two lane road, just south of Okla/CO border, on a left bending curve our headlights spied a “trooper” off to the right in the weeds.

Minutes later, we had “flashing lights” in the mirrors .

Pulling over as best we could, (two lane road, single each direction) we stop. Seeing a ” form” moving toward bus door in the dark, I open the entry door window

.

The OK patrolman proceeded to inform us in Okla, it is “illegal” to have 4 headlights on, unless it’s snowing, rainy, or blowing dust. Our coach at the time was a “2000 era H” with two pairs of headlights. Yes, in the dark, with no traffic for miles we had the high beams on, with fog/driving lights.

The cop requested I accompany him back to the patrol car in the dark. Retrospect, not wise but I did as I was told

Reafirming the headlight rule, later I corroborated with OKC HP HQ, sitting cop car I asked if my untarnished driving record was to be dinged?

The officer said, this STOP, was between him , me, and his supervisor . Chris believed that the HP cop wanted in the bus , but since I opened just the entry door window, with barking dogs behind me tempered the cop

Who knows the reason, but we don’t travel Okla with four headlights on

[Walter]

I mentioned a “Private Coach” plate in the second
license plate location because there’s no way a police officer could miss that
before initiating a stop. The goal being
not to get stopped. The “Private Coach”
placard near the door won’t be seen until you’re already on the side of the
road with disco lights behind you. Additionally,
the “Private Coach” plate could be useful in the unlikely event that
the traffic stop involved further litigation.

FYI: A commercial
motor vehicle can be stopped at any time, no reasonable suspicion or probable
cause needed. Reasonable suspicion or
probable cause is required to initiate a “legal” traffic stop of a private
vehicle.

[Archived]

While some cops might be influenced by the private coach sign or placard, the license plates already make it clear the coach was registered as a private vehicle. I think Peter’s description in the other thread made it clear the officer that stopped him saw the private license plates, but wanted to be sure it really wasn’t a commercial use of the coach and someone trying to avoid the commercial requirements.

We are aware of one person with a Prevost that had a facebook account in which he advertised his coach was for lease and he had it registered as a private motor home. It was reported he had issues which would have taken the coach from service if he had a commercial inspection, so he was beating the system by treating it as a private coach. I suspect there is enough of that going on to cause traffic stops as experienced by Peter.

[Archived]

When I was stopped he pulled in behind trailer read the plate then came up beside bus read plate a back of bus the kept coming to drivers window read the private coach sign and to see if it had DOT stickers then in behind and turned lights on , so I don’t think some plate on back of coach is going to do it guys !!!!!!!

[Michael]

I know that the law is that you have to move left for ‘flashing lights’ for emergency vehicles on the side of the freeway. Well, as most of you know, there is not always room to move left to free up the right lane.

So, what I do, is that I slow down and put on my flashers so that the cop knows that I recognize the situation but have no choice but to stay in the right lane. It has never been a problem so far.

M.

[gary]

I do the same thing I put four way flashers on also