jmgratz
Original Owners Club Member
I believe you have 90 days to get it inspected upon return to Texas. The Escapees pushed to get that approved.
Safety Inspections Required for Texas Trailers
- Thread starter TxCowboy
- Start date
I believe you have 90 days to get it inspected upon return to Texas. The Escapees pushed to get that approved.
Just getting my travel trailer ready for the road takes about an hour. Another 15 minutes to hitch up. Another 1/2 hour to get to the inspection (Big Tex Trailers). Unknown waiting time for inspection. Another 1/2 hour to get home. Etc. Etc.
And in the end, I haven't gone anywhere. I figure it will take 1/2 day of wasted time just for a "useless" inspection.
Maybe one more year with my current TT. Then it is time for me to downsize to less than 4,500 pounds.
jmgratz
Original Owners Club Member
Do you realize there are many TT and RVs on the road with defective brakes and defective lights. I for one are totally in favor of the inspections. BTW this is nothing new. You should have been doing it under the law all along. I have always had mine inspected as the law required. It is no big deal and only takes about 10 minutes.
TravelTiger
Founding Texas-West Chapter Leaders-Retired
I noted in my storage facility at one time, most trailers did not have a current inspection sticker. I can understand if it's inconvenient. Just plan to do it before your next trip with the trailer. Most recently, we actually had ours inspected as we were headed out of town.
No, I don't know there are many TT are on the road with defective brakes and defective lights. How many?
Having bought my TT in Iowa, I didn't know about the Texas inspection requirement for trailers over 4,500 pounds. It is good that you knew about it and always had your trailer inspected.
If you can hitch up your trailer safely, get it out of storage, and ready to hit the road, and drive it to the inspection, get it back to storage, unhitch, and park your tow vehicle,
and all within 10 minutes, I guess it is not big deal for you. Good for you.
Makes me wonder if you have a quickie "one-line" check list before you take your travel trailer on the road.
Or maybe you have the state inspection done at your storage location.
Maybe it is no big deal for you, but it is a big deal for me. I can't even top off the air in the tires in the 10 minutes you get your entire inspection "deal" done.
And there are 20 or more other items on my check list, like disconnect power cord, store TV, retract stabilizer jacks, remove and store wheel chocks, retract slide out, etc.
For me the best solution is to down-size to less than 4,500 pounds "uninspected" and save the "wasted" inspection trip every year.
I've been towing uninspected trailers (under 4,500 pounds) for over 40 years. No problem.
And I've towed my 6,000 pound Heartland uninspected for 2 years. So arrest me!
I will get my TT inspected now that Texas DPS has explained the trailer inspection law. Lucky for me I didn't get caught over the last 3,000 miles.
jmgratz
Original Owners Club Member
Sorry I didn't mean to come off like I was criticizing you. I was merely trying to point out the reasons for the inspection. We are lucky and don't have to store our unit. I was trying to point out the inspection process is quick. I realize you have a more difficult time but please realize the inspection of trailers in Texas is not a new requirement. The state just now makes you prove you have a valid inspection prior to issuing license plates.
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So here's a couple interesting facts about our recent Texas registration renewal(s):
We got a renewal notice for our truck in the mail. It mentioned going online to renew, so I did. Early in the process it mentioned that on a later screen you can self-certify that you are out of state and will get an inspection when you next return. I got all the way through the process without seeing this point raised at all. Paid for the registration. The next day I got an email that noted the registration was approved (again, no mention of inspection). Yesterday, looking through my scanned mail on the Escapees website (a cool new feature, by the way), I see that my registration has already arrived in my mailbox. Only thing I can figure is that the system still sees our unexpired inspection as still valid.
Last year when we registered everything for the first time in Texas, we had our trailer inspected (didn't know it was optional). It had (we sold the rig since) an inspection sticker on the side and everything. Instead of a tag renewal letter for the trailer, we got a letter telling us that the state had no record of us having inspected the trailer. Since we no longer have the trailer, no big deal.
We are heading down there in a couple of weeks on the way (if you consider Nashville to Texas to Indiana "on the way") to the national rally to get everything taken care of. We bought our current rig in Arizona and still have a paper plate that expires around the same date as the end of the rally.
Yes, it's a pain to have to drive to Texas once a year to get stuff done, but we consider it part of the consideration of going full-time and selling our fixed property.
We got a renewal notice for our truck in the mail. It mentioned going online to renew, so I did. Early in the process it mentioned that on a later screen you can self-certify that you are out of state and will get an inspection when you next return. I got all the way through the process without seeing this point raised at all. Paid for the registration. The next day I got an email that noted the registration was approved (again, no mention of inspection). Yesterday, looking through my scanned mail on the Escapees website (a cool new feature, by the way), I see that my registration has already arrived in my mailbox. Only thing I can figure is that the system still sees our unexpired inspection as still valid.
Last year when we registered everything for the first time in Texas, we had our trailer inspected (didn't know it was optional). It had (we sold the rig since) an inspection sticker on the side and everything. Instead of a tag renewal letter for the trailer, we got a letter telling us that the state had no record of us having inspected the trailer. Since we no longer have the trailer, no big deal.
We are heading down there in a couple of weeks on the way (if you consider Nashville to Texas to Indiana "on the way") to the national rally to get everything taken care of. We bought our current rig in Arizona and still have a paper plate that expires around the same date as the end of the rally.
Yes, it's a pain to have to drive to Texas once a year to get stuff done, but we consider it part of the consideration of going full-time and selling our fixed property.
I got my 2014 Heartland Wilderness 2175RB inspected yesterday. It took me 2 1/2 hours from start to finish.
As others have posted, the inspection only takes 15 minutes.
Most of the time was spent getting the trailer ready for the road, driving to the inspection station, driving home, and putting the trailer back in storage.
I park my trailer in the side yard which is usually not an issue, but with this year's floods, the side yard is like a swamp.
I was able to pull the trailer up to the road base driveway I am in the process of building. If I had stopped while the trailer was on the grass, the wheels would have gone down in the mud.
All the tires were at 45 psi from winter storage. I pumped them up to 50 psi.
Did my external check list for the road.
Did my inside check list for the road.
And the rest is history.
All that wasted time and effort for a $7.00 trailer inspection.
And the only thing the inspection checks is trailer lights, trailer brakes and tires. And of course those are OK since I always check them before taking the trailer on the road.
Of course, nothing is ever easy. My next travel trailer trip is June 26. I could have waited until then to get it inspected and make it part of the trip.
Problem is, my registration would have expired by the time I got home. And I can't pre-register because the trailer isn't inspected!
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As others have posted, the inspection only takes 15 minutes.
Most of the time was spent getting the trailer ready for the road, driving to the inspection station, driving home, and putting the trailer back in storage.
I park my trailer in the side yard which is usually not an issue, but with this year's floods, the side yard is like a swamp.
I was able to pull the trailer up to the road base driveway I am in the process of building. If I had stopped while the trailer was on the grass, the wheels would have gone down in the mud.
All the tires were at 45 psi from winter storage. I pumped them up to 50 psi.
Did my external check list for the road.
Did my inside check list for the road.
And the rest is history.
All that wasted time and effort for a $7.00 trailer inspection.
And the only thing the inspection checks is trailer lights, trailer brakes and tires. And of course those are OK since I always check them before taking the trailer on the road.
Of course, nothing is ever easy. My next travel trailer trip is June 26. I could have waited until then to get it inspected and make it part of the trip.
Problem is, my registration would have expired by the time I got home. And I can't pre-register because the trailer isn't inspected!
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Last edited by a moderator:
pegmikef
Well-known member
It has never been optional, but a lot of folks did not know about the requirement or just plain ignored it. The requirement to inspect all trailers over 4500 pounds is fairly new, but I know it is at least five years old as my dealer had inspected my Edge that I bought in 2010 . . . but when any trailer regardless of weight comes from out of state and is being registered in Texas, it has always been a requirement that it be inspected. I had to have my tent trailer weighed before they would register it when I first got stationed in Texas in 1969.
jmgratz
Original Owners Club Member
The requirement has been in place for as long as I can remember. We had our first 5er in 2002 and it was inspected when we got it. Many dealers just ignored the requirement. It really has not been enforced by most LEOs. Now the state has made it a requirement for getting the vehicle registration. That has really forced everyone to comply with the law. It was always one of my 'pet peeves' as I was doing what was right and so many were not. But that is another story.
Perhaps if the travel trailer has been previously registered out of state, it required vehicle inspection. I bought my travel trailer from a dealer in Iowa in July, 2013 (saved $3,000). It was a brand new trailer, never registered. When I registered it in Texas, I had to pay tax, title and license on a new travel trailer, but there was no vehicle inspection requirement. The dealer may have included an Iowa travel trailer inspection in the documents package which I submitted at the Texas tax office. But I don't recall.
I didn't do an in-depth study of Texas state vehicle inspection requirements. I have single axle trailers that don't require inspection, and I assumed trailer inspection was not required until commercial trailer classification. It turns out I was wrong. I was also fortunate that I was never stopped and checked for trailer inspection. The trailer was registered, but not inspected.
I'm sure that won't happen again.
dlw930
Well-known member
Just found out that a member of a local RV club here in TX took his TT to get inspected. The employee took his driver license and insurance card inside, entered some stuff in the computer, asked for $7, said "That's all.", and sent him on his way. Never touched the TT. What a joke.
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jimtoo
Moderator
I started doing Texas State Inspections in 1967 and trailer inspections were required then,, but it was rare that we did any, just a few of the RV travel trailers and 18 wheelers. Trailers registered for farm use did not require inspections, but commercial cattle, horse haulers were required and all the 18 wheeler type. Not sure about the farm use trailers now since I have not been doing any for 14+ years.
Jim M
Jim M
Lou_and_Bette
Well-known member
I have always had my rigs inspected since we became Texas residents. The problem now is we bought the new Big Horn and made a special trip to get it registered and inspected. This was in September. We are usually in Texas from February to May, so having a September renewal date is extremely difficult. Does anybody know a way I can get a registration date earlier...like April?
VMooreSR
Well-known member
Lou, About the only thing you can do is register your rig online and click that your out of state and just get it inspected when you return to Texas.
jmgratz
Original Owners Club Member
You can get your inspection any time but if you get it done before your year is up you just wasted some money. But if you want it inspected in April just get it inspected in April even if you current on is still valid. Keep in mind they do have a do have a grace period for travelers who are out of state when the inspection expires.
Lou_and_Bette
Well-known member
I have read and been told the inspection must be within 90 days...I'm wondering, they allow you to register 90 days prior to expiration (Sept or 9th month) which would be in June (6th month) and got my inspection in April (4th month) this might fall in all parameters
TravelTiger
Founding Texas-West Chapter Leaders-Retired
Wait, what? I just had my inspection done on my car, because my sticker said it was time. The place I was having my oil changed asked me if I wanted it done since it was time. My registration isn't due until November. Are you saying it won't be valid?
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