Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Are there any Illinois tear droppers out there who have built their own. If so, I need help. I went to register my camper last week and ran into all kinds of bureauacracy. they can't seem to figure how to register it! they wanted all kinds of info, size, weight, pictures of all angles, a detailed drawing of the frame, etc. they told me it may take up to several months for them to get this right. Huh? anyone else ran into this mess? thanks

If you start with a Harbor Freight frame, you'll get the title information with it from Harbor Freight. Register the trailer first . . . . then build your teardrop on it

Don

I just registered mine in Illinois a month ago. I was floored that they did not even want to see it. He asked me if it was home made. I brought a picture because I was not sure he would know what a Teardrop was. He didn't care. Just said give me $79.00 if I remember right and away I went. It was surprising that anything homemade was not under close watch. But I will say that I did this in Galena Illinois where I built my Tear. It's a small DMV office with people that are still nice, working there.

I been towing mine around the county for a few days. Going to go in and register it Wednesday. I last built a trailer in 1991 and didn't have any problem. Just told them it was under 2000 pounds, pay the money and sign on the line. I hope the legislature has been keeping busy in other areas.

Last month, the District of Columbia insisted that mine, which was manufactured in September, had to be inspected. So I drove 90 miles out to Sperryville, Virginia, where the teardrop is stored and drove it into the city, to the inspection station.

We were in the que for half an hour, in the industrial inspection line (higher clearance, so critical for inspecting a teardrop) between a truck and a big bus. I handed the keys over to my Element so the inspector could take 'er in.

He determined that my teardrop, manufactured in September (did I mention it was manufactured in September?), had no rust and the turn signals and brake lights did indeed function.

So I passed.

Then all the inspectors came over to see just what this peculiar little trailer was. I handed out Little Guy brochures and was off my merry way -- 90 miles back out to Sperryville and 90 miles back to DC.


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Registering my "Homemade RV" in Minnesota was relatively painless.

I went into our local DMV office in advance and got the "special form" for a new title so I could fill it out at home.
I did have to bring in a picture of each side. and the Gross Vehicle Weight, (I guessed and just said 1200 pounds) I had to give a declared value and pay 6.5% Minnesota Sales tax on all the parts I bought and put into the TTT. I could have brought in a copy of all my reciepts and not had to pay again, but I was lazy and sort of in a hurry.

The Minnesota license plate has an "A" rating which is the lightest class of camper you can have in Minnesota.
They gave me a Plate and an ID Registration Sticker to put on the frame.

The whole experiance was no Big-Deal.

Gadget Man

Gadget Man, I just bought a trailer at the Northern Tools in Burnsville to start building my Benroy and they told me that I needed to get it registered within 2 weeks. Do I really need to register it as a utility trailer and then change it to a camper or can I just wait? I WILL be keeping all of my receipts. Thanks for the info on that.

I used to live in Pennsylvania. While car inspections were not quite that bad, I can relate!!!

Mike...

hiker chick wrote:Last month, the District of Columbia insisted that mine, which was manufactured in September, had to be inspected. So I drove 90 miles out to Sperryville, Virginia, where the teardrop is stored and drove it into the city, to the inspection station.

We were in the que for half an hour, in the industrial inspection line (higher clearance, so critical for inspecting a teardrop) between a truck and a big bus. I handed the keys over to my Element so the inspector could take 'er in.

He determined that my teardrop, manufactured in September (did I mention it was manufactured in September?), had no rust and the turn signals and brake lights did indeed function.

So I passed.

Then all the inspectors came over to see just what this peculiar little trailer was. I handed out Little Guy brochures and was off my merry way -- 90 miles back out to Sperryville and 90 miles back to DC.


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TPMcGinty

Don't worry about registering the Northern trailer, don't even mention that you bought it at a store, tell them you built it. (but it won't even come up)
Wait till you are all finshed, fill out the special form, and take in your pictures, pay your taxes and you are all set.
They will keep your pictures and mail them back to you with the title and ID sticker.

Funny thing, I just paid my 2008 license tabs today,
$5.00 for the license, $4.50 in filing fees. it came out to $9.50 total.

Good Luck on your Build, keep in touch,
I know of only 2 or 3 more TTT builders on the fourm from Minnesota we have to support the Land of 10,000 Lakes.


Gadget Man

I took mine to the DMV and all they wanted to see was the vin number beings it was not a homebuilt. Here don't even have to have a licence for it.

Has anyone in TN registered theirs? i know popup you do not have to. the state website is vague and dmv employees the same

sseaman wrote:Has anyone in TN registered theirs? i know popup you do not have to. the state website is vague and dmv employees the same

LINKY to a topic discussing TN registration.

I Just went in to the county court house. Told them I just built a trailer, Under 2000 lbs, single axle, brown. Gave them $34.50 and the license is good for 10 years.

I was told by the County Clerks office in my Tenn County that the law states a license is needed but no one in Tenn enforces it. However, when you go out of state, the authorities there will go by the laws on the books and if you don't have a license, they will ticket you.

So .... I always put a license on my trailer whenever I go out of state.

Also, my son has taken possesion of my pop-up and he had to buy a license for it and was told that because it is a camper, it has to be renewed every year. (Other trailer licenses are permanent)

Obviously, there is lots of confusion in TN about what is necessary and what is not. I wonder where we could get the real facts on what is on the books?

Dave

dave i know if its a popup you dont have to have it registered, it states that clearly, everything else is somewhat vague