Titling in Idaho –my experience

[robfisher]

Most of my teardrops are registered in Idaho as utility trailers with no titles. I specifically wanted a title on one of them and to even get to qualify as a camp trailer it had to contain at least 2 elements of a "camp" trailer. The mattress counted as one element. I had to include a camp stove to get the other element and got the title I needed. It was for future plans I wanted a title.

[MarcInBoise]

Today I jumped through the hoops of titling my teardrop in Idaho and thought I'd share my journey. After all, during my building faze, I used this forum like a guy milking a Herford that had six kids to feed. I don't! But it's time to give a little back.

Halfway through my build I stopped in at the county motor vehicle office and asked them about the process. When I mentioned "homemade camp trailer" the gal's eyes got wide, she brought her hand up to her mouth and said, "Oh," while slowly shaking her head, "we don't do that here, your going to have to get ahold of her." The word her was spoken with emphasis –as if her was somekind of lengendary entity of some sort. The clerk dug into her drawer and handed me a business card. I looked at it and saw below the person's name was the title: "Idaho Motor Vehicle Investigator" in big bold print with an address three hours away in Idaho Falls. I was also informed that the investigator would have to inspect the finished build and she rarely "came up to Salmon." I sent the MVI an email and was told that she would have to look at my receipts and that "each SPCV titling process is different." That last phrase left me with a chill. Different?

I mentioned this to a long-time deputy friend of mine. His eyes squinted down, his smile faded and said, "Yeah, I've heard of her too..." Jeez, I thought.

In reading up on Idaho's home built camp trailer laws and a bit of Googling, I've come to conclude that the titling of a "Specially Constructed Vehicle" in Idaho (which includes camp trailers) is for two purposes. The first is to make sure one is not running a teardrop chop shop or trying to launder a stolen tear. The second reason is to squeeze sales tax for any out'a state purchases.

Last week I emailed her, the MVI, and sent her several build pictures and a 13 page PDF of most of my major receipts. I'd kept the majority of my receipts along with a spreadsheet of dang near every thing I'd purchased. After a short talk on the phone we agreed to an inspection date.

Prior to the three hour drive (towing Flash), I split the spreadsheet into two documents: The first was for those items that I'd paid the Idaho (6%) sales tax on and the second was for those items I had not –Montana, Amazon, and eBay mostly.

I was curious about what she would look like. Who was I really dealing with? Was she going to measure my trailer width and make sure I had the over-eighty lighting stuff? Was she going to check the tensile strength of my safety chains with her massive forearms?

When I arrived at the MVI's office, she did a quick teardrop walk around. She said she'd printed out the photos I'd sent and they would go in my file –I think those photos helped. She wanted to look at my Idaho driver's license (forget it if you' don't live here). We then sat down and I showed her the two spreadsheets. She looked them over, filled out a couple of forms, I signed an affidavit swearing the trailer was highway legal, wrote her out a check for the sales tax and some administrative costs. She attached a VIN on the teardrop, gave me copies and I was done.

It was easy. I think it was because of my documentation: Build photographs, receipts, and those damn spread sheets!

My next adventure will be with Hartford Insurance. I'll post that too.

Tony

On the Title Highway:


p.s. I don't know what the big deal over her is all about. She was polite and proffessional throughtout the process. No black uniform or SS tats on her neck.

This is great info Tony, and thanks for the link!
I've been saving all my receipts and taking pictures all along the way, so I'll drop them in a spreadsheet and put the pictures on a CD.
I've already contacted my local Inspector(s). I thought I needed to have the trailer inspected prior to building the cabin, but they said they'd do everything in one visit... and they'd be happy to come to me, if I wanted.
Based on that conversation, and your advice here, I'm not really expecting any issues.

One thing I am confused about right now, are the lighting regulations. My trailer is wider than the 80" limit, so I know I need clearance markers. I notice you mounted your lights on your fenders - which is what I was considering doing as well., but didn't know if it was legal. Did "she" say anything about the lights?
I'm going to be towing mine with a jeep most of the time, so I used jeep wheels obtained on Craigslist and am now searching junk yards for jeep tail lights to match our Wrangler.

[tony.latham]

One thing I am confused about right now, are the lighting regulations. My trailer is wider than the 80" limit, so I know I need clearance markers

That question keeps popping up on this forum. I don't think I've seen an over-80" DIY teardrop that is in full compliance with the federal rules. Not by the way I interpret the descriptions. When I went through the titling, my inspector said, "We don't do light compliance, that's a law enforcement thing." I was quite happy to hear that since I knew my over-80 was not in compliance. Since that initial inspection, I added a third brake light that comes close to compliance.



(my lights were off, the birght stuff is from camera flash – those five "lights" on the bottom are reflectors)

You can see how Lil' Guy does their over-80" trailers here:


Idaho Code 49-906 says this: TAIL LAMPS. (1) Every motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, and pole trailer, and any other vehicle which is being drawn at the end of a train of vehicles, shall be equipped with at least one (1) tail lamp mounted on the rear, which when lighted as required, shall emit a red light.... -yeah, one.

Idaho Code 49-909 talks about aditional lighting for trailers over 3,000 pounds (and trucks over 80"). It still only requires one red brake light. (Sheeeeesh)

Now, I'm quite sure that somewhere within Idaho Code it says that one has to be in compliance with federal highway rules. It's probably tied with the federal highway monies. I also suspect the guys that work the Idaho weigh stations can cite that code backwards. When your drop is done, pull into one of those facilities and ask them. (Let me know if you need bail money.)

I'm not concerned about travelling out of state with my teardrop. There may be a trooper somewhere in this country that makes it a hobby out of trailer-light-compliance stops but I don't think I'll find him. (He probably lives in New Jersey.)

Does that help or add to the confusion?

Have two spreadsheets. One with everything and one with items you didn't pay sales tax on. Have your checkbook ready (for the unpaid sales tax). They don't take credit cards or cash. It'll be easy.

Tony

[Wolffarmer]

Question. What the hell is a saved receipt?

Randy

[tony.latham]

Question. What the hell is a saved receipt?

Randy

Randy:

In reference to what? I don't see the phrase in this thread. Help me out.

T

[Wolffarmer]

Last week I emailed her, the MVI, and sent her several build pictures and a 13 page PDF of most of my major receipts. I'd kept the majority of my receipts along with a spreadsheet of dang near every thing I'd purchased. After a short talk on the phone we agreed to an inspection date.

Ok, I called them something else. I for one seldom save anything like that.

When I licensed mine I went to the county. Said I wanted to license my home built trailer. They asked how much does it weigh and what color. And I was out in about 5 minutes. They did not care if it was a camper, flat bed, sprinkler pipe hauler, snowmobile trailer, horse trailer. Why the hell does Idaho feel different about something a person might sleep in? None of the State's damn business.

Randy

[tony.latham]

Last week I emailed her, the MVI, and sent her several build pictures and a 13 page PDF of most of my major receipts. I'd kept the majority of my receipts along with a spreadsheet of dang near every thing I'd purchased. After a short talk on the phone we agreed to an inspection date.

Ok, I called them something else. I for one seldom save anything like that.

When I licensed mine I went to the county. Said I wanted to license my home built trailer. They asked how much does it weigh and what color. And I was out in about 5 minutes. They did not care if it was a camper, flat bed, sprinkler pipe hauler, snowmobile trailer, horse trailer. Why the hell does Idaho feel different about something a person might sleep in? None of the State's damn business.

Randy

Randy:

Why the hell does Idaho feel different about something a person might sleep in? None of the State's damn business.

It's about money, silly. (I think you knew or suspected this.) Now, I'd hope these funds are paying for Idaho's faltering state parks system or something that a camper might use... but I'm not that naive.

Keep in mind, this thread is about titling and not getting a license plate. As you know, it's two different dogs.

I know I could have walked in and got a licene plate under the guise that it's a utility trailer, but I wanted a title. I went that way because I wanted to insure it. God forbid that it was stolen or totaled or whatever and that an insurance adjuster looking into the claim would figure out I was claiming it was a camper when the paperwork showed that it was utility trailer. Anywho, when I called my insurance company up, they wanted to know what it was titled as and what the VIN was. Can't get that by looking down at my feet and saying,"ah, it's a homebuilt trailer thingy." But it would be cheaper.

My plate renewal on my 'drop is $21 and my RV sticker is $12 or something like that. Not as cheap as my ten-year tags on my utility trailer, that's for sure.

Tony

[ctstaas]

Hi There All,
My registration in CA was super easy. The DMV guy asked how much did it cost to build and I said $1000. He said, "Sounds about right" and $20? later I had a permanent trailer plate. Max (DMV) advised me to stamp the vin # in two places. One by the tag and another underneath in case it gets lost and the number on the tongue disappears. Pretty smart.
Enjoy, Chris