VW Camper plate for California & Westfalia
Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2020 6:47 pm
On the Facebook group, one poster complained about how he was turned away at a campground because his Westfalia camper wasn't considered an RV by the manager. It's a little-known fact that some Westies sold in California were certified as "mobile homes" (AKA recreational vehicles) and displayed that status on a plaque just above the Westfalia plaque under the closed passenger-side door. I've actually pointed to this plaque when I was questioned at a campground about my bus's status, and obtained approval to camp there. What was interesting was that the manager said that she'd never seen such a plaque before, although she admitted that she never looked for one and the owners never pointed it out to her.
FWIW, here's the test of the plaque, with the numbers that the State of California used to check their little boxes for RVs:
This insignia remains property of the
State of California
Dept of Housing & Community Development
Division of Building and Housing Standards
M 309 S 0209858 4963
PLG X HTG 0 EL x
Approved having in compliance with rules and regulations for plumbing, heat producing, and electrical equipment in a motor home as stamped hereon
CAL ADMI Code
Heat producing or electrical equipment and insulation altered or converted unless approval is first obtained from Department of Health and Safety Code
DA 312584 R (blank)
Seller certifies to compliance
Isn't that interesting? I'm posting it here because my plaque, now almost fifty year old, is almost unreadable. So print this out, save it in the glove box, and remember to show it to anybody who thinks your bus isn't a recreational vehicle.
I might add that when a friend of mine tried to register her converted van (a 2000 GMC Savannah) as an RV, she was told that she couldn't do it because it had no toilet facilities. This was around the year 2000. I suspect that the standards were changed between 1971 and 2000, but my bus was "grandfathered in" because in 1971, that wasn't a requirement.
FWIW, here's the test of the plaque, with the numbers that the State of California used to check their little boxes for RVs:
This insignia remains property of the
State of California
Dept of Housing & Community Development
Division of Building and Housing Standards
M 309 S 0209858 4963
PLG X HTG 0 EL x
Approved having in compliance with rules and regulations for plumbing, heat producing, and electrical equipment in a motor home as stamped hereon
CAL ADMI Code
Heat producing or electrical equipment and insulation altered or converted unless approval is first obtained from Department of Health and Safety Code
DA 312584 R (blank)
Seller certifies to compliance
Isn't that interesting? I'm posting it here because my plaque, now almost fifty year old, is almost unreadable. So print this out, save it in the glove box, and remember to show it to anybody who thinks your bus isn't a recreational vehicle.
I might add that when a friend of mine tried to register her converted van (a 2000 GMC Savannah) as an RV, she was told that she couldn't do it because it had no toilet facilities. This was around the year 2000. I suspect that the standards were changed between 1971 and 2000, but my bus was "grandfathered in" because in 1971, that wasn't a requirement.
It seems he's off of Instagram lately. He must be hunkered way down somewhere....
). I bet it wouldn't get denied a spot in an RV park 
