Ok, so I bought this old camp trailer about five,maybe 7ish years ago. It had been broken into and vandalized. I figured I could tear it apart for pieces and at the time I had no interest in registering it. I paid $50 for it and snuck it home the few miles without a travel permit. The seller had no title, I was stupid and didn't ask for a bill of sale. Nothing but a heres some cash it's yours.
I realize now that i could have bought a stolen trailer and no reason to get TOO deep into what I SHOULD have done. But now, after sitting that long, I slowly demoed it so there is nothing but a frame left. I salvaged the stove and some windows and a few odds and ends. And I feel like I have maybe gotten my money out if it.
But now, I have this nice trailer frame,with brakes and minimal rust. It is calling to me to build a teardrop, or at least a little utility trailer. You know, something.
I tried going down to the dmv, and was told I couldn't register it. It has an "non-conforming" old vin, meaning it is 13 digits long and hard for their system to work with. And apparently their records are "purged" after six years of non-registration. So I took it to the wash state patrol, where he kindly agreed to tell me that the trailer was not stolen, and to go ahead and register it with a "title in doubt". But he didn't know what to do about no bill of sale. Went back to dmv and was told to find the original owner and get blah blah paperwork signed and filled out. I don't think this option is possible, although for the last two months I have been trying to backtrack this stupid trailer. I have found the last two unregistered owners and may have hit a wall, as the original owner "was some old guy, blah blah, bad health, blah blah, probably dead". Not promising by any stretch.
So I still want to own this trailer but I don't know how to do it. I have thought it f turning it into a homemade and getting re-inspected. The state trooper seemed to think that would be a BAD THING, making it very clear not to do that whilst still being quite vague on the consequences and how they would know I had done it.
I could cut it down and recycle it, but that seems a waste. And I don't have the fabrication skills to rebuild pieces into a new trailer
I don't have any money to throw into the project currently (read poor full time college student living on loans and family help.
So. Any thoughts people?
For what it's worth, I am in Washington state, Benton County, Richland. If that helps anyone.