Proof of insurance for Texas inspection

[Tex1961]

While trailers have always required inspection in Texas, many either don't know it or have ignored it. The law recently changed and now to be able to renew your registration/tags you must have your RV inspected. I called the Texas DMV this morning to find out if you needed to show proof of insurance like you would on your regular vehicle. They answer that I got was not on the camper itself, but you will need your proof of insurance on the tow vehicle.

The lady at the DMV did say that since the changes are so new that some of the inspection station personnel may not be aware, so if you do carry insurance on your camper you might want to call ahead to your inspection station to be sure they are aware. If anyone has heard or experienced anything different let us know.

Thanks

[Fairenatic]

I recall reading someone here went through this. Inspector checked the lights worked and $7 later, he was done.

[RVhiker]

I've always gotten a Texas safety inspection on my trailer since 2001. And the inspector always asked to see proof of liability insurance on the tow vehicle.

And I agree the inspection is largely useless - unless there is ever a need to prove that the trailer has had a state safety inspection.

[Camper_bob]

I had mine inspected last month (?) and the inspection station asked me to present liability insurance on the tow vehicle. I called ahead of time (which I highly recommend) and she told me the process. I had to schedule an appointment, which I would never have known if I hadn't called first.

Anyway, my technician was IMO very thorough in his inspection. Though I'm not sure how knowledgeable he was; I asked him about a toy hauler fifth wheel in the next bay, granted it was pretty big, but he said there was over 7K lbs on the pin. It wasn't THAT big...

Anyway, it is what it is, we have to have the inspection now in order to get the registration.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Originally Posted by Fairenatic

I recall reading someone here went through this. Inspector checked the lights worked and $7 later, he was done.

I see the TX safety inspection is still as big a racket as it was back in the late '60s and early '70s.

[pawpaw]

Originally Posted by Lady Fitzgerald

I see the TX safety inspection is still as big a racket as it was back in the late '60s and early '70s.

X2 - just another money grab!

[etex211]

The state inspection in Texas is really nothing more than just another tax. Things would be much simpler if they just abolished the state inspection and raised the price of the registration accordingly.

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by Lady Fitzgerald

I see the TX safety inspection is still as big a racket as it was back in the late '60s and early '70s.

Originally Posted by pawpaw

X2 - just another money grab!

Originally Posted by etex211

The state inspection in Texas is really nothing more than just another tax. Things would be much simpler if they just abolished the state inspection and raised the price of the registration accordingly.

+1 to getting rid of the inspection and just increase the registration. Too many shops just rubber stamp it, and send people on their way. If all the techs inspected the trailer like mine did (he actually conducted a somewhat thorough inspection ), I might feel differently.

As far as it being a racket or a money grab, I would hate to be involved in that as a dealer or repair shop. My tech spent 20 minutes with me. At a shop rate of $75 (on the low side) that's $25 in labor to get $7, most of which probably goes to the state. That tech could have spent that time working on a trailer earning the shop rate. So any shop that does inspections in addition to their regular work is losing money in a bad way unless the state subsidizes the shop for inspections.

Or in my case, the tech could have been conducting a very close inspection looking for something they could charge me to repair. I don't have a choice, right? Either they repair it and give me the papers so I can get registered, or they don't fix it, and don't pass me on inspection so I can't get registered. Then, later on down the road I get stopped for expired tags on my trailer and the officer finds all sorts of things to add to the citation and wastes a bunch of my time. Whaddayagonnado?

[lhpelton]

I am one of those that has basically ignored the inspection for the last couple of years.
My question is where do I get it done?
Do I have to go to an RV rep[air shop?

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by lhpelton

I am one of those that has basically ignored the inspection for the last couple of years.
My question is where do I get it done?
Do I have to go to an RV rep[air shop?

Start here:

https://www.dps.texas.gov/rsd/vi/VIa...r/default.aspx

When you find one that's close to your location that has the "TLMC" certificate, give them a call and ask about it. Tell them what you have and ask what their inspection process is.

It's not that difficult. The hardest time I had was that the guy in front of me in line was hanging out into the driveway of the place, so I blocked that driveway when I pulled in behind him. Well, that and I had my 14 MO son with me and he was getting fussy.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Originally Posted by Lady Fitzgerald

I see the TX safety inspection is still as big a racket as it was back in the late '60s and early '70s.

Originally Posted by pawpaw

X2 - just another money grab!

Originally Posted by etex211

The state inspection in Texas is really nothing more than just another tax. Things would be much simpler if they just abolished the state inspection and raised the price of the registration accordingly.

Originally Posted by Camper_bob

+1 to getting rid of the inspection and just increase the registration. Too many shops just rubber stamp it, and send people on their way. If all the techs inspected the trailer like mine did (he actually conducted a somewhat thorough inspection ), I might feel differently.

As far as it being a racket or a money grab, I would hate to be involved in that as a dealer or repair shop. My tech spent 20 minutes with me. At a shop rate of $75 (on the low side) that's $25 in labor to get $7, most of which probably goes to the state. That tech could have spent that time working on a trailer earning the shop rate. So any shop that does inspections in addition to their regular work is losing money in a bad way unless the state subsidizes the shop for inspections.

Or in my case, the tech could have been conducting a very close inspection looking for something they could charge me to repair. I don't have a choice, right? Either they repair it and give me the papers so I can get registered, or they don't fix it, and don't pass me on inspection so I can't get registered. Then, later on down the road I get stopped for expired tags on my trailer and the officer finds all sorts of things to add to the citation and wastes a bunch of my time. Whaddayagonnado?

Back when I lived in TX ('67-'71 in Abilene, the longest decade of my life), the racket was the repair shops where the "inspections" were done would always "fail" something, such wipers or headlight alignment, so you were forced to pay for that something in addition to the inspection fee to get a passed sticker. I would just take the fail report, then go to another inspection site. When they would "fail something else, I would show them the previous fail report and blackmail them into giving me a free pass sticker to keep me from reporting them. I would then go back to the first inspection site, show the passed sticker, and perform the same blackmail to get my inspection fee refunded. I did that for two years, then moved back to AZ.

[pawpaw]

Originally Posted by lhpelton

I am one of those that has basically ignored the inspection for the last couple of years.
My question is where do I get it done?
Do I have to go to an RV rep[air shop?

It's my understanding that any shop that does inspections on vehicles is permitted to do trailer inspections. Not meant as a plug, but I use a Jiffy Lube near my home.

[etex211]

Originally Posted by pawpaw

It's my understanding that any shop that does inspections on vehicles is permitted to do trailer inspections. Not meant as a plug, but I use a Jiffy Lube near my home.

I believe that is correct. I got the inspection certificate (there is no longer a sticker) for my trailer from the new car dealership where my wife is employed.

[norty1]

The state inspection system was discontinued many years ago in our state. As most bureaucratic attempts go, it had failed miserably in our state, It was ineffective and rife with problems, many have been mentioned in this thread.

We are better off without it here in SC, IMO.