Judge May Rule for DMV in Fight Over Super-Sized RV

An Orange County judge said Friday that he is leaning toward supporting the DMV’s conclusion that an Orange man should pay the higher commercial fees for his 57-foot motor home.

Superior Court Judge David A. Thompson said he will announce his ruling in the next few days on Angelo “Chuck” Emanuele’s $180,000 Atlantic Star recreational vehicle.

Two years ago, Emanuele bought a Kenworth cab with attached living quarters and added a 40-foot recreational trailer.

He switched the brakes from a commercial to a recreational type and modified the wheels so they couldn’t haul as much weight.

Deputy Atty. Gen. Thomas M. Scheerer and the judge said adding a trailer and making cosmetic changes did not alter the vehicle enough for it to be considered an RV.

“It’s still a big, heavy truck that represents a threat to other vehicles on the highway,” he said. “All of those rules required of commercial vehicles are designed with an eye toward public safety.”

Emanuele’s attorney, Peter F. Musielski, countered that the state Department of Motor Vehicles classifies a vehicle based on its current purpose, not its original one.

“This vehicle was designed to haul freight,” Musielski said. “But it has been permanently altered for human habitation.”