Tow In a Jeep, Pay More Fees?

Filed in archive Off-Road on January 7, 2007

Tow or Trailer Your Jeep in, Get Charged Double

Some people tow or trailer their jeeps to the trail, dunes or where ever they're going. Most of these are registered for street use as well. If you're going someplace like the ISDRA where there are fees for "primary vehicles", but none for the off-road vehicles (aside from the vehicle's registration tag fees), and your off-road vehicle is street-legal, like a jeep, you could find yourself paying two fees if you're not careful.

Consider the bridge over Interstate 8 which links Buttercup and Gordon's Well in the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area in California. You can buy a pass and use it anywhere in the ISDRA for your primary rig, and your off-road rigs don't need a pass. The problem lies when you travel on public highways (the bridge crossing the freeway) in your off-road rig and that rig is a street legal vehicle. It can now be defined as a "primary vehicle",

By definition, your street legal vehicle that you towed or trailered in is exempt from requiring a pass until you utilize it for travel on any of the non OHV authorized areas. Once you drive it in an area that's not authorized for OHV use, you may be required to pay permit fees for it.

Primary vehicle is a registered street legal motorized vehicle that is driven into the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreational Area: i.e. motor homes, trucks, SUVs, passenger cars. A street legal vehicle that is towed or trailered to the dunes is exempt. This vehicle must remain off all roadways and utilize OHV authorized areas and routes only. If this vehicle is then utilized for travel on any of the non OHV authorized areas and routes; it will be considered as a primary vehicle and will require a permit.

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