abandon trailer registration(CA) question.

[MeadyOchre]

hello all,

I am a newb builder. I have an awesome trailer that was abaondoned on my property several years ago. its a 6.5'w x 11'L trailer with a 2,500lb axle with leaf/ coil shock suspension. it was formerly a 2 wide seadoo trailer. I want to start buy building a platform with stake bed sides and get it registered as a utility trailer so i can get the five year permanente trailer plates, then build the camper on it afterwards. Or built a "cargo" box on it and get the permante plates for a cargo trailer.

My question and issue is this.

the trailer has a faded out federal vehicle sticker on it. you can barely make out the manufacturer, gvw, gawr, axle weight, trailer type code. But cannot make out the VIN because it was at the very bottom of the sticker and slightly wrapped the bottom of the frame tube. this caused the sticker edge to lift up and chip off parts of the vin and the rest is all but invisable due to fading. I dont know if I should leave it in tact and go through the long and arduous proves of making a dmv apt, it failing due to vin damage, having to take it to hwy patrol for inspection, then vin re assignment, then back to dmv for reg. Or just removing the sticker and having it done as a home built trailer. the benifit i see with the first option is it already has federal weight ratings for what it weighs and can carry, which is perfect ratings for my expexted build weight and I wouldnt have to worry about them assigning a lower weight rating as a home build. the problem with that is getting the apointments and moving permits, and the trailer code likely shows as a boat trailer not a utility or cargo carrier. The second option is to remove the sticker and have it inspected as a home build. I beleive then it would be a moving permit for weighing it, and one appointment at dmv for inspection, vin assignment and reg same day. the problem their could be that they lower the ratings because they have no manfacturers spects on anything..

I want to make this process as painless, streamelined and inexpensive as possible. any suggestions on what I should do?

[tony.latham]

Well, I don't know.

I get mine inspected (in Idaho) as required and get a brand new VIN on the newly welded trailer chassis. I'm sure I could weld it up, get it registered as a home-built utility trailer, and then mount the cabin on it. Save a fair amount of moolah.

But I ensure mine and have to provide the new VIN at that time --I don't think it would work insuring a utility trailer as a camper.

Now, having said that, it is a fairly simple (but spendy) process in Idaho. It may not be so simple in your state.

The second option is to remove the sticker and have it inspected as a home build.

Would they really believe it was a homebuilt? If that was an easy thing to do, I assume that's how stolen trailers would get laundered.

In a previous life, I wore a duty belt and carried a badge. Six bits says that removing a VIN for that purpose may be exposing yourself to legal liability in your state.

But remember, I don't know.

Tony

[saltydawg]

I would look around on the frame, and axle and every I could. You maybe able to find a stamped in vin, some makers did that as well as the sticker. You might be able to use that info and pics of the whats left of the sticker to contact the manufacture for a new sticker. Carry on trailers will do this if you have a registration. Does not hurt to look and or ask.

[MeadyOchre]

I would look around on the frame, and axle and every I could. You maybe able to find a stamped in vin, some makers did that as well as the sticker. You might be able to use that info and pics of the whats left of the sticker to contact the manufacture for a new sticker. Carry on trailers will do this if you have a registration. Does not hurt to look and or ask.

I looked everywhere for a stamped vin hoping to get lucky and couldnt find anything. I was able to still read the manufacturers name and looked them up hoping I could ask them about locating a vin or re assigning one, but apparenty the company went under, no current contact info and the address that came up for it under a business search shows on google maps as a burnt down commercial building in midle of the city. further digging dug up two bills of lading from china to them in the two years prior to my trailers build date in 2009. nothing earlier nothing afterward so it seems the trailers were manufactured in china and shipped here and due to fire or some other reason the company went under pretty shortly after being created.

[saltydawg]

Well then scavenge what you can and go from there, or take it to the police/dmv and see what they say

[MeadyOchre]

Well, I don't know.
Would they really believe it was a homebuilt? If that was an easy thing to do, I assume that's how stolen trailers would get laundered.

In a previous life, I wore a duty belt and carried a badge. Six bits says that removing a VIN for that purpose may be exposing yourself to legal liability in your state.

I am not sure if they could really tell between home built and manufactured.. maybe by the long bends leading to the tongue because they would require some major equipment, but apart from that, whos to say I cant be a good fabricator or welder? I see plenty of awesome home built trailers in the groups i am in on facebook and I sure couldnt tell if I was just looking at it finished and not in process in someones garage. that said.
I am not looking to incurr any liability to be sure, and I guess it would be a way for trailers to get laundered. which is why I think its odd they only put the vin on the sticker, it would be a lot more secure to have it stamped on the toungue where it wouldnt weather and would be easy to tell if it had been ground out or cut out. would certainly make my life easier having it stamped anywhere so I could just file for abandoned title and re register without all the hother hoops.

I ask jokingly- is it really removing a vin if it is fadded out and flaking off where it is functionally non existant already .. As I said I am joking, obviously that wouldnt be a valid legal defence even though true.

i just wish it were less of a nightmare. to get a new vin I have to get a 1 day moving permit, get it looked at to verify it cant be read and have that doc signed off on, apply for another 1 day permit to have it inspected for saftey and lighting certification, another one day permit after getting that signed off to be weighed, once that is signed off another 1 day to go back to dmv to get a new vin assigned and registered, then I believe I could take the new vin back to hwy patrol to register the new vin with them... Its just an insane amount of back and forth, permits and fees. one would think they could have a scale and a dual agency employee (Hwy patrol/dmv officer) at a dmv office who could take care of the whole shebang in one go.. it would work for the vin issues like mine and for new trailers that dont have a vin or are home built. and the rest of the time the employee could still be doing various other vehicle inspections and what not..

uggh... I was hoping this wouldnt have to be a nightmare..

[tony.latham]

i just wish it were less of a nightmare.

I get your frustration.

I live where there are no lines at the DMV.





Tony

[Modstock]

Screw getting all those 1-day permits. Im sure cops have other things to do than pick on a lil trailer.

Sent from my H1611 using Tapatalk

[rjgimp]

.

uggh... I was hoping this wouldn't have to be a nightmare..

Efficient, functional government? Surely you jest!


It would be far easier and probably cheaper to make cold fusion happen. Good luck.

[TwilaR]

That's why I gave up looking for a used trailer and just ordered an Ironton 5x8. I would have preferred bigger axle/wheels, but everything I was looking at locally was being sold no title.
In checking out what I needed to do in my state (Virginia), I just didn't want to go through all that hassle.