Country Coach Owners Forum

Yahoo Message Number: 11028 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/11028)

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Just got back on the Internet and was reading about buying a CA RV and taking possession in Arizona. We Bought our Intrigue (04) in February and took possession on March 6, 2004. We had nothing but problems from the start, major problems, finally after many calls to country coach they got us into Beaudry's in Tucson. After talking with the CC rep there we were told they would need the coach for a while to fix the problems (major smoking of cat engine, one of the wood columns on the left slider cracked all of the way up (due to CC forgetting to put a stop in the slider according to their rep), jake brake not functioning, hydraulics leaking (we had repaired once while traveling), water pump malfunctioning and the list went on).
On May 4th we were told the problems had been fixed (some of them Tucson didn't want to fix as the cost would be too much and wanted us to take the coach to the factory to have the other problems fixed.

We were unable to take possession of the coach until June 26th due to family and business situations. We sat at Beaudry's in Tucson until August 1 (problems keep coming up and we decided they needed to be addressed there versus trying to travel with the problems to ORegon - i. e. problems like tile floor popping up, door locking mechanism breaking, walls pulling apart, trim falling off, shower leaking, couch tearing apart, refrigerator not working). But we were in our coach and able to stay in it all of that time. We traveled from Tucson to Casa Granda - there our tag axle wouldn't go up and our water pump stopped working!! So we decided we would head to Cottonwood and call go to a RV service center there for the water pump and call CC about the tag. We didn't make it there - our engine started overheating and the panel stated to turn the engine off. So we pulled over on 17 and waited for the engine to cool and managed to get to the next off ramp (about 2 miles) before it stated to turn engine off. We called CC they wanted us to crawl under back of coah and unble the engine fan -- way to hot to even try but we are definitely mechanical and were uncertain as to what to do. In the meantime CC could figure out what went wrong with the pump or tag axle. So there we sat. After reading some of the CC material I noticed the coach net emergency roadside assistance info - called CC and asked for the telephone number. Called them, they put a CAT expert on with us. We went through several things, had us put some water in and they wanted us to continue driving to Flagstaff to take to Rush Truck to get fixed. We started out again about 10 miles we had the message to turn engine off. Called the coach roadside service, spoke to the CAT specialist and he said to let it cool and then start out again to Rush. I called Rush and he said come on in, take our car off and try to make it. We did all of that but about 3 miles we got "turn off engine" message. Called coach roadside service and they finally came and towed us into Flagstaff - 3 hours later. This was Tuesday August 3, we just got the RV last night, August 10 - it is now at a RV service center for the water pump! (REason we were hear so long is CC was unable to get the part needed to us as they had their rally going and didn't have the man power to assist Rush Truck center with what was needed!!)

Yes, we researched various coaches and decided CC was the way to go mainly because of their chassis. CC isn't the most beautiful on the inside, other coaches - less expensive coaches - are darn right gorgeous, but CC has an elegance of quality. We have had many many problems and some have been resolved and some have not. We are working on an agreement with CC to have everything fixed (pratically replace all of inside of coach) or replace it with a new one.

Sorry for the list of problems, but I don't think there is a coach out there that won't have some problems. There are lemons in everything and every brand. I'd still buy another CC (of course this all depends on what they decide to do with our situation).

Now my question on buying a coach in CA and taking possession in Arizona. We drove the coach from the 6th to 26th of March (20 days). We have a letter from CC saying the coach was not drivable between the 27th of March and the 4th of May (38 days), we came to pick the coach up on 6-26 and have been in the coach since (46 days through today). Does anyone know if the 34 days the RV was in the shop (with the letter from CC stating we could not drive during that time) can be counted in the 90 days? Also, can we count the 35 days we sat at Beaudrys in Tucson as days in use?? I'd hate to find out later that California won't allow the 34 days the coach was under repair because it was unsafe to drive. We are not counting the month we couldn't get there because of family and business.

I realize California says 90 days of USE outside of CA, but what about time our coach spent at Beaudry's as it was unsafe to drive??

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated as we would like to go home tomorrow, but only if the time the coach was in repair can be counted in the 90 days. We don't want to be hit with a surprise later from the State saying we owe taxes. We can keep going for another 30 days if we need to.

Yahoo Message Number: 11032 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/11032)

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In answer to your question concerning your repair time, I think it will count towards your 90 day out of state. The rules state that the coach must be used and not stored. Being in the repair shop is not stowage. Sitting at Beaudry during repair is using the coach. For the most correct answer, I suggest a call to a BOE office. Believe it or not they will help you. Do not try to get info from DMV as they are just a collection agency for BOE. Download BOE PUB52 foe furthere info also.

We have friends that took out of state and before their 90 days were up, he had to return home for surgery and they stored the coach out of state. They went to BOE and ask how to handle the situation. BOE added up the time they actually used the coach before the stowage and told them how many more days they needed to complete the needed time.

Don

'02 Intrigue #11427

Yahoo Message Number: 11035 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/11035)

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Thank you for the advice - I called the State Board of Equalization and spoke to a tax specialist (his name is Jimmy Schwegerl for anyone else that may have questions on the time outside of CA --800-400-7115) He said anytime that your RV is spent in REPAIR does count towards the 90 days out. As long as you have proof of the REPAIR work to submit. Thanks again for the good advice. I greatly appreciate it.

Rita

Yahoo Message Number: 11037 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/11037)

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Yahoo Message Number: 11038 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/11038)

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I herd the new limit on out of state use is now one YEAR be sure to check it out

Yahoo Message Number: 11049 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/11049)

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Really sorry to hear about your problems.

The following is a more general response intended for you AND other people.

With regards to the CA BOE (Board of Equalization) rules. There are two methods to meet their requirements to be exempt from tax (until October 1st, 2004, when the durations and possibly some conditions change):
a) Take delivery out of state, and USE it out of state for 90 days before bringing it into California. The USE does not have to be consecutive days. USE it for 30 days, STORE it for 45 days, USE it for 60 days, then bring it into California. BOE, according to you, seems to be treating the repair as non-use. Personally, I believe USE can be sleeping and eating in it, even though it is not being moved. Did you explain that you were sleeping in it? With this method, food receipts, cell phone bills, etc are useful (expected?) to show that you were with the coach (even when travelling around the country). Of course, if you went home and left the coach there, those days would not count (with this method) toward the 90 days. IMHO, the BOE is concerned with the proof of the 90 days you claim, not the days you report as non use. From your numbers, I think you may have approx 24-26 nights left to USE the coach, unless you slept in the coach between March 27th and June 26th.

b) The second method is often overlooked, but is the way I
qualified and also the approach many of my friends subsequently used. Unfortunately, for you, the clock has not started yet with this approach, because it have to take it into California first!! But this approach gives you lots of flexibility, and can still be used by you, depending upon your needs. Take delivery out of California, USE it (and document its use) for one or more days (I acutally count nights, and BOE was very happy with that) out of state. Then bring it into California and well document the day (night) of entry (receipt from RV Park, and I like photos). The clock has then started. You must them keep the coach out of state for more than half (one document says half, another says more than half) of the next six months. While it is out of state (in this method only) it can be in USE AND/OR STORAGE! The six months, depending on the months, can be 184 days, which means it must be out of state 93 days (again I counted nights) for good measure. This approach allows for return to home for loading and showing it off, as well as transportation through the state (AZ to OR). With this method, no food receipts or cell phone bills, etc are needed.

In my case, I had it out of state for 8 nights, in state for 29 nights, out of state for 28 nights, in state 26 nights, out state 33 nights, in state 3 nights, out state 18 nights, in state 12 nights, out state 16 nights. This totals 95 nights (after first entry) from out of state, and 70 nights in state. I then went to the BOE and obtained the certificate. The "IN" time included two weeks in repair shops. I was not with the coach for all of out of state time. It was our winter/spring home on many weekends near Reno NV.

I have heard of people taking delivery out of state, buying gas out of state, and driving it into California, or conversely, popping into CA the first time to buy gas and then heading out. Personally, I believe nights are easier and safer to count. How do you count days that you drive from out of state into the state? Are they in'ies or out'ies? I suppose you could say that "home" is where the bed is.

Even if you plan to use the first method, use the second method if you take delivery close to CA. It gives you a lot more flexibility, such as an emergency trip home. Qualification can be done in almost the same number of days (nights).

Where the BOE has disovered that a person has failed to qualify for the first method (they stored it and counted the days), they have suggested, if remaining time permits, that a person start the second method (which can be done if you find out that you failed to qualify before 1/2 of the six months since your first entry into CA has passed).

The two methods and times apply to purchases prior of 10/1/2004.
Although the bill has passed, there is three months of grandfathering.

Another note: I made copies of all pertainate receipts, numbered the pages, referenced the page numbers in a spreadsheet which tallied the nights in/out of the state. Spiral bound it, and presented a copy to the local BOE. After his review, he comment that "I have seen good documentation and bad documentation (pile of receipts), but this is OUTSTANDING". Spreadsheet available upon request by direct email to me -- herbyahoo@... (herbyahoo@...).

The only problem I had was that the local BOEs don't always talk to the central BOE. So 3 months later I get a letter stating that I had purchased a coach for out of state delivery 9 months earlier, and that I needed to pay the tax or produce the documentation!!! A quick letter to the central BOE office, referencing my review at the branch office, solved the problem and gave me a "all clear" letter.

Understand and follow the rules, and provide quality documentation (I included photos) -- qualification is easy. I also kept backup documentation in my car when I visited the BOE, just in case I had problems. It was my first time. Thank goodness I did that. I had forgotten to include the coach registration document in the BOE package. Fortunately, I had a copy in my backup material so that I did not have to make a 50 mile round trip.

Good luck.
Herb

2002 Allure #30690
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