Street legal buggies?

Coco

Well-Known Member
Location
Lehi, UT
Going off on a bit of a tangent here, but I'm curious to see what others are doing for buggy insurance.

My father has is on insurance the same way I plan on doing mine. Have it in "storage" so you are not paying for it when you are not using it. Call up and let them know when you are using it, and when you end, then you are covered for that time.

Jeff, I am in full support of this! Let me know when and where I can help!

This to me would be no different than being an old rat rod, or hot rod. There is also a vintage option (if it is a titled vehicle older than 19XX) Which wont apply to most custom buggies. So this would be an awesome alternative for them.
 

iamsparticus

Take your Rig to the Edge
Location
Ogden,Ut
vintage vehicles are 40 years or older, they require no saftey. Custom vehicles that are made after 1948 and are 20 years or older can be registered as a kit type car. That said alot of our rigs would not fit that so this will really open things up for alot of people
 

Kevin B.

Not often wrong. Never quite right.
Moderator
Location
Stinkwater
Last time I checked, a vintage plate just exempts you from yearly emissions and safety inspections. I'm pretty sure you're still required to be street legal.
 
R

rockdog

Guest
Not sure why the guys apposed to this feel the way they do? My guess is they can drive to the trails in their rigs already. They should try to put a 30 foot goose neck plus truck in an already undersized and crowded parking lot!
This is one of the reasons we quit going to Moab. Go to montrose and the damn BLM guy is there welcoming you and giving you free area travel maps!
 

mbryson

.......a few dollars more
Supporting Member
vintage vehicles are 40 years or older, they require no saftey. Custom vehicles that are made after 1948 and are 20 years or older can be registered as a kit type car. That said alot of our rigs would not fit that so this will really open things up for alot of people


They are 30 years or older. I have a 1980 and have vintage plates. From my research, I'm remembering the logic with the no safety inpections are that someone that is using these plates and has a vehicle that is "vintage" will maintain/upkeep their vehicle so a safety inspection (brakes, suspension, etc.) is not necessary. Some of the vehicles I've seen running a vintage plate are "interesting" and pretty much a jalopy that doesn't look maintained at all. Not sure how long this exemption will last if people use it as a way to get around a safety inspection.
http://dmv.utah.gov/vehicles-services-menu/license-plates/special-group-plates#vintagevehicle
Vintage Vehicle



Click image to enlarge
Unique Vehicle Special Group
About This Plate

This plate identifies a vehicle at least 30 years old, is primarily a collector's item, and used for participation in club activities, exhibitions, tours, parades, occasional transportation and similar uses, but is not used for general daily transportation. This plate may be personalized with up to 5 alphanumeric characters by submitting Form TC-817 with the required personalization fee. A vintage vehicle, as defined in Utah Code 41-21-1, qualifies for an exemption from safety and emission inspections.

Requirements:

  • $10 Special Plate Fee
  • No Annual Contribution
  • Identifiable into one of two categories: 30 year vintage vehicles: 30-39 years old
    40 year vintage vehicles: 40 years and older

http://le.utah.gov/~code/TITLE41/htm/41_21_000100.htm

41-21-1. Street rod, vintage vehicle, and vintage travel trailer defined.
(1) (a) "Street rod" means a motor vehicle that:
(i) (A) was manufactured in 1948 or before; or
(B) (I) was manufactured after 1948 to resemble a vehicle that was manufactured in 1948 or before; and
(II) (Aa) has been altered from the manufacturer's original design; or
(Bb) has a body constructed from non-original materials; and
(ii) is primarily a collector's item that is used for:
(A) club activities;
(B) exhibitions;
(C) tours;
(D) parades;
(E) occasional transportation; and
(F) other similar uses.
(b) "Street rod" does not include a motor vehicle that is used for general, daily transportation.
(2) (a) "Vintage travel trailer" means a travel trailer, camping trailer, or fifth wheel trailer that is:
(i) 30 years old or older, from the current year; and
(ii) primarily a collector's item that is used for:
(A) participation in club activities;
(B) exhibitions;
(C) tours;
(D) parades;
(E) occasional recreational or vacation use; and
(F) other similar uses.
(b) "Vintage travel trailer" does not include a travel trailer, camping trailer, or fifth wheel trailer that is used for the general, daily transportation of persons or property.
(3) (a) "Vintage vehicle" means a motor vehicle that:
(i) is 30 years old or older from the current year;
(ii) displays a unique vehicle type special group license plate issued in accordance with Section 41-1a-418; and
(iii) is primarily a collector's item that is used for:
(A) participation in club activities;
(B) exhibitions;
(C) tours;
(D) parades;
(E) occasional transportation; and
(F) other similar uses.
(b) "Vintage vehicle" does not include a motor vehicle that is used for general, daily transportation.
(c) "Vintage vehicle" includes a:
(i) street rod; and
(ii) vintage travel trailer.

Amended by Chapter 299, 2012 General Session

My opinion (since I've now chimed in) of the "street legal" buggy deal, is that I don't have a problem with a street legal buggy esp. if it meets the same requirements as ATVs. I support a buggy being an "ATV" and have disdain for trails that are less than 50" wide (esp. those that are historically "Jeep Trails" on a map--now there's a can of worms) esp. with the proliferation of sidexside ATVs that are everywhere. As I understand it, some of those ATVs are wider than 50"?
 
Last edited:

STAG

Well-Known Member
Not sure why the guys apposed to this feel the way they do? My guess is they can drive to the trails in their rigs already. They should try to put a 30 foot goose neck plus truck in an already undersized and crowded parking lot!
This is one of the reasons we quit going to Moab. Go to montrose and the damn BLM guy is there welcoming you and giving you free area travel maps!

Not in my case. my Jeep is not street legal by the current standards, And I do pull a 30' 5th wheel trailer to Moab ha. I just have higher trust standards than most I guess. I learned it the hard way with my XJ, and I caught flack for it, and learned to do it the right way. I wouldn't want to see something like my old XJ out on the streets.
 
Last edited:

jeep-N-montero

Formerly black_ZJ
Location
Bountiful
Not in my case. my Jeep is not street legal by the current standards, but its also not my jeep that im worried about on the roads. and I do pull a 30' 5th wheel trailer to Moab ha. I just have higher trust standards than most I guess. I learned it the hard way with my XJ, and I caught flack for it, and learned to do it the right way. I wouldn't want to see something like my old XJ out on the streets.

I trailer mine down as well.
 

choptopbII

Well-Known Member
Location
Clearfield, UT
Not sure why the guys apposed to this feel the way they do? My guess is they can drive to the trails in their rigs already. They should try to put a 30 foot goose neck plus truck in an already undersized and crowded parking lot!
This is one of the reasons we quit going to Moab. Go to montrose and the damn BLM guy is there welcoming you and giving you free area travel maps!

Thats one of my big things, I stopped going to moab on the busy weekends just because of that trying to find places to park a 30+ foot goosneck and a fullsize dodge is a joke.
 

cruiseroutfit

Cruizah!
Moderator
Vendor
Location
Sandy, Ut
...Not sure how long this exemption will last if people use it as a way to get around a safety inspection...

The heat is seemingly already coming down. I've got a handful of vintage tagged vehicles so I've become well acquainted with the DMV while registering and re-plating them. The gent at the DMV this last go around reminded me that this cannot be used to skirt safety inspection guidelines and state laws, rather I just don't have to present them with a copy. He mentioned the UHP is ticketing vintage tagged vehicles for safety violations and there has been talk about sticking with the no emissions but going back to the safety inspection. Wouldn't be surprised if the safety/IM shop lobby has something to do with this. As recent as a couple of years ago state lawmakers were looking at ditching the inspection process completely, it was stifled by groups with money. I'm going to be really bummed if we lose our vintage tags or even have to go back to safety.
 
Last edited:

drtsqrl

I luv Pritchett
Location
Moab
Thanks everyone for your (mostly :D) support. Like anything else, there are pros and cons, and I certainly don't want to see a bunch of un-safe vehicles clogging up the roads. But with required inspections, insurance, and basic safety requirements, I believe this could be great for a lot of us. Right now, a large percentage of trail rigs are not "legal", but are still out on the roads. We bolt on mudflaps, big fender flares, and smaller tires and wheels to get through inspections, then go home and change everything back. Or we "know a guy" that looks the other way, and passes our rigs anyway. Either way, we can't expect that to last forever, and I think that most of us would prefer to be legal anyway. Or we just accept the fact that we can't drive on the roads, so we spend more money on a trailer and tow rig, and hope we can find a place to park at the trailhead, and forget about running trails that start and end in different places. By passing a law allowing limited street use, we could save money, decrease traffic and parking congestion, and still keep the inspection shops in business. It works for the ATV/UTV crowd, there is no reason it shouldn't work for the full-size guys.
 

drtsqrl

I luv Pritchett
Location
Moab
I edited my original post to include the email address that is linked to our PayPal account, just in case anyone would like to send a few bucks our way to help with this. Or, if a personal check is your preferred way, just shoot me a PM and I will give you a mailing address. The email address is buggyfund@gmail.com. Our cost to hire Mike Swenson is $12,500. We (Moab Friends-For-Wheelin') pretty much gutted our bank account (wasn't all that much!), and many of our club members have been very generous in helping out. We have also received other donations, but we still need to raise more money. If you can help out, great! Even $10 or $20 bucks would be awesome. At some point down the road, we'll be asking for help again to call our legislators to ask for their support. We don't have the actual bill written yet, but our sponsors will be Rep Mike Noel in the House and Dave Hinkins in the Senate.
 

THSDragoon

I have a new Trooper :D
Location
Orem Utah
personally, I think that this would be an awesome thing to see go through. for the past few months, I have been contemplating this kind of thing myself. except without the whole going through political BS and what not, rather I was thinking of building up a street legal crawler (eventually when I have money that is.......) and if this were to actually pass, and become legal to drive rigs to and from trails in certain parts of a city, I think it is something that needs to be pushed. also, on the other side, I do fully realize the fact that there are some rigs out there that would be better off condemned due to safety issues. so with that said, good luck, and I hope it goes through! I would donate to the cause, but school has literally sucked me dry of money. so I'll be looking for the success!
 

drtsqrl

I luv Pritchett
Location
Moab
I'd like to give a HUGE THANKS to the people who have donated so far. U4WDA for their very generous donation, Steve Nantz with Moab 4x4 Outpost for not only his donation but also for going with us to SLC for our meeting with the Dept of Public Safety, to Grandpa's Garage in Moab, and to the numerous MFFW members who donated. Hope I didn't forget anyone, and there is also one pending that I will mention after it happens.
 
R

rockdog

Guest
Not in my case. my Jeep is not street legal by the current standards, And I do pull a 30' 5th wheel trailer to Moab ha. I just have higher trust standards than most I guess. I learned it the hard way with my XJ, and I caught flack for it, and learned to do it the right way. I wouldn't want to see something like my old XJ out on the streets.

I don't know, maybe you are a better trucker than me.:) But the last time we tried to squeeze three thirty foot goose necks into the parking lot for the rim trail I was about fit to be tied. You say 5th wheel. Are you talking trailer house or flat bed? I don't have any trouble pulling my 5th wheel house trailer and putting it in tight camping spots. But that's a lot different than trying to squeeze into a parking lot full of high dollar tow rigs you don't want to damage.
 

Bart

Registered User
Location
Arm Utah
I think this would be one of the best new laws that could pass in Moab. There are buggies licensed in other states that drive the streets of Moab and I don't see why a safe buggy registered in Utah shouldn't have the same rights. For those building junk, please keep it off the road. For those of us that painstakingly maintain and care for our vehicles this would be a great thing. I would love to be able to do the Pritchett loop legally.
 

H-K

INFIDEL
Supporting Member
Location
SLC UT, USA
I'm wondering how progress is going on this. Is there somewhere on the web that I can follow the progress, etc? thanks
 
Top