1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to traffic regulations; allowing additional 
  1.3             recreational vehicle combinations to be operated with 
  1.4             a permit; making technical, conforming changes; 
  1.5             amending Minnesota Statutes 1998, sections 169.01, 
  1.6             subdivisions 10 and 78; and 169.81, subdivision 3c, 
  1.7             and by adding a subdivision. 
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 169.01, 
  1.10  subdivision 10, is amended to read: 
  1.11     Subd. 10.  [TRAILER.] "Trailer" means any vehicle designed 
  1.12  for carrying property or passengers on its own structure and for 
  1.13  being drawn by a motor vehicle but does not include a mobile 
  1.14  home or a trailer drawn by a truck-tractor semitrailer 
  1.15  combination or an auxiliary axle on a motor vehicle which 
  1.16  carries a portion of the weight of the motor vehicle to which it 
  1.17  is attached. 
  1.18     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 169.01, 
  1.19  subdivision 78, is amended to read: 
  1.20     Subd. 78.  [RECREATIONAL VEHICLE COMBINATION.] (a) For a 
  1.21  combination allowed to be operated without a 
  1.22  permit, "recreational vehicle combination" means a combination 
  1.23  of vehicles consisting of a pickup truck as defined in section 
  1.24  168.011, subdivision 29, attached by means of a fifth-wheel 
  1.25  coupling to a camper-semitrailer which has hitched to it a 
  1.26  trailer carrying a watercraft as defined in section 86B.005, 
  2.1   subdivision 18;, off-highway motorcycle as defined in section 
  2.2   84.787, subdivision 7;, motorcycle;, motorized bicycle;, 
  2.3   snowmobile as defined in section 84.81, subdivision 3;, or 
  2.4   all-terrain vehicle as defined in section 84.92, subdivision 8.  
  2.5      (b) For a combination allowed to be operated only by 
  2.6   permit, "recreational vehicle combination" means a combination 
  2.7   of three vehicles consisting of (1) the towing vehicle, which 
  2.8   must be a registered, self-propelled motor vehicle that is not 
  2.9   operated on rails and is not an off-road recreational vehicle, 
  2.10  (2) another vehicle, which must be a mobile home, fifth-wheel 
  2.11  mobile home, camper-semitrailer, or camping trailer, and (3) a 
  2.12  registered trailer, which must be empty or carrying a 
  2.13  watercraft, off-highway motorcycle, motorcycle, motorized 
  2.14  bicycle, snowmobile, or all-terrain vehicle. 
  2.15     (c) For purposes of this subdivision and section 169.81, 
  2.16  subdivisions 3b and 3c, the following terms have the meanings 
  2.17  given them: 
  2.18     (a) A "fifth-wheel coupling" is a coupling between a 
  2.19  camper-semitrailer and a towing pickup truck in which a portion 
  2.20  of the weight of the camper-semitrailer is carried over or 
  2.21  forward of the rear axle of the towing pickup. 
  2.22     (b) (1) "All-terrain vehicle" has the meaning given it in 
  2.23  section 84.92, subdivision 8. 
  2.24     (2) A "camper-semitrailer" is a trailer, other than a 
  2.25  manufactured home as defined in section 327B.01, subdivision 13, 
  2.26  designed for human habitation and used for vacation or 
  2.27  recreational purposes for limited periods. 
  2.28     (3) "Camping trailer" means a vehicle with a collapsible or 
  2.29  folding structure designed for human habitation and towed upon a 
  2.30  highway.  
  2.31     (4) A "fifth-wheel coupling" is a coupling between a 
  2.32  camper-semitrailer and a towing pickup truck in which a portion 
  2.33  of the weight of the camper-semitrailer is carried over or 
  2.34  forward of the rear axle of the towing pickup. 
  2.35     (5) "Fifth-wheel mobile home" means a mobile home that is 
  2.36  towed by a vehicle with a flatbed frame so the trailer hitch of 
  3.1   the mobile home is bolted to the flatbed frame of the towing 
  3.2   vehicle. 
  3.3      (6) "Mobile home" means a touring or recreational vehicle 
  3.4   that is designed to be towed as a single unit upon a highway, is 
  3.5   equipped and used primarily for human habitation, has walls of 
  3.6   rigid uncollapsible construction, and does not exceed 45 feet in 
  3.7   length as measured from the rear of the mobile home to the rear 
  3.8   of the motor vehicle towing it.  
  3.9      (7) "Off-highway motorcycle" has the meaning given it in 
  3.10  section 84.787, subdivision 7. 
  3.11     (8) "Pickup truck" has the meaning given it in section 
  3.12  168.011, subdivision 29. 
  3.13     (9) "Snowmobile" has the meaning given it in section 84.81, 
  3.14  subdivision 3. 
  3.15     (10) "Watercraft" has the meaning given it in section 
  3.16  86B.005, subdivision 18. 
  3.17     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 169.81, is 
  3.18  amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  3.19     Subd. 3b.  [RECREATIONAL VEHICLE COMBINATION; PERMIT 
  3.20  REQUIRED.] (a) A recreational vehicle combination described in 
  3.21  section 169.01, subdivision 78, paragraph (b), may be operated 
  3.22  only after obtaining a permit from the department of public 
  3.23  safety.  A permit authorized under this subdivision is valid for 
  3.24  up to 90 days.  The permit is effective upon compliance with 
  3.25  this subdivision and rules of the commissioner and the mailing 
  3.26  of a complete application and the required fee to the department.
  3.27     (b) An operator of a recreational vehicle combination 
  3.28  granted a permit authorized by this subdivision shall comply 
  3.29  with the following conditions: 
  3.30     (1) The permit is valid for only the motor vehicle for 
  3.31  which it is issued and the towed vehicles described in section 
  3.32  169.01, subdivision 78. 
  3.33     (2) The permit must be carried in the towing motor vehicle. 
  3.34     (3) The permit is valid for the period shown on the 
  3.35  permit.  The permit may be transferred to another vehicle owned 
  3.36  or leased by the permittee upon written request to the 
  4.1   department.  No charge may be imposed for a requested transfer.  
  4.2      (4) The permit is valid on all highways, every day of the 
  4.3   year, and at all hours. 
  4.4      (5) The operator must indicate proof of possessing a plan 
  4.5   of reparation security that satisfies the requirements of 
  4.6   sections 65B.41 to 65B.71.  
  4.7      (6) If one of the vehicles is a camping trailer with a 
  4.8   gross vehicle weight of 3,000 pounds or more, it must be 
  4.9   registered and equipped with brakes according to section 169.67. 
  4.10     (7) The order of vehicles in the combination must be by 
  4.11  weight with the lighter of the towed vehicles as the last 
  4.12  vehicle in the three-vehicle combination unless not structurally 
  4.13  possible, and consists of (i) the towing vehicle and then (ii) a 
  4.14  mobile home, fifth-wheel mobile home, camping trailer, or 
  4.15  camper-semitrailer, and then (iii) the trailer. 
  4.16     (8) The towed vehicles may only be for the use of the 
  4.17  operator of the towing vehicle. 
  4.18     (9) No vehicle may exceed legal size and weight.  A single 
  4.19  vehicle may not exceed 40 feet in length, 8-1/2 feet in width, 
  4.20  and 13-1/2 feet in height. 
  4.21     (10) The operator shall comply with subdivision 3c, clauses 
  4.22  (2), (4), and (5). 
  4.23     (c) The commissioner shall adopt rules to implement and 
  4.24  administer this subdivision and set the permit fee at an amount 
  4.25  calculated to cover the costs of administering the rules and 
  4.26  this subdivision. 
  4.27     Sec. 4.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 169.81, 
  4.28  subdivision 3c, is amended to read: 
  4.29     Subd. 3c.  [RECREATIONAL VEHICLE COMBINATION; NO PERMIT 
  4.30  NEEDED.] 
  4.31     Notwithstanding subdivision 3, a recreational vehicle 
  4.32  combination may be operated without a permit only if: 
  4.33     (1) the combination does not consist of more than three 
  4.34  vehicles, and the towing rating of the pickup truck is equal to 
  4.35  or greater than the total weight of all vehicles being towed; 
  4.36     (2) the combination does not exceed 60 feet in length; 
  5.1      (3) the camper-semitrailer in the combination does not 
  5.2   exceed 28 feet in length; 
  5.3      (4) the operator of the combination is at least 18 years of 
  5.4   age; 
  5.5      (5) the trailer carrying a watercraft, motorcycle, 
  5.6   motorized bicycle, off-highway motorcycle, snowmobile, or 
  5.7   all-terrain vehicle meets all requirements of law; 
  5.8      (6) the trailers in the combination are connected to the 
  5.9   pickup truck and each other in conformity with section 169.82; 
  5.10  and 
  5.11     (7) the combination is not operated within the seven-county 
  5.12  metropolitan area, as defined in section 473.121, subdivision 2, 
  5.13  during the hours of 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 
  5.14  p.m. on Mondays through Fridays. 
  5.15     Sec. 5.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  5.16     Section 3, paragraph (c), is effective the day following 
  5.17  final enactment.  The remaining provisions of this act are 
  5.18  effective April 1, 2000.