John Palmer
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Hi, From a vintage trailer guy located in Santa Ana, CA. It's good to see lots of activity here.
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Post by John Palmer on Apr 20, 2015 20:26:41 GMT -8
Well I spent this afternoon at AAA transferring ownership, and registering my latest vintage trailer purchase. It's a 15' 1957 Dalton. It's in very poor condition, and will someday require a full frame up rebuild. Right now, my only goal is to get it in my name, and pay up the "past due" registration, so I can tow it to a distant storage area until I can get to it for the rebuild.
The plates were expired in March of 2014, making it one year, and twenty days past due. In California, the past due charges stay with the vehicle, and they can go back seven years with penalties before it drops off the DMV system. Here's a run down of what it cost me to register this $100.00 "Parrot Cage" crappy little trailer.
GENERATED DMV FEES
CURRENT RF $43.00 CURRENT CHP $24.00 CURRENT VLF $1.00 CURRENT SAFE $1.00 CURRENT FID $1.00 CURRENT AUTO/DUI $1.00 ALT FUEL RF $6.00 1PY RF $43.00 1PY CHP $23.00 1PY VLF $1.00 1PY SAFE $1.00 1PY FID $1.00 1PY AUTO/DUI $1.00 TRANSFER $15.00 USE TAX $8.00 CURRENT REG PEN $15.00 CHP PEN $65.00 CURRENT VLF PEN $1.00 1PY RF PEN $50.00 1PY VLF PEN $1.00
TOTAL FEES AND PENALTIES collected on a $100 trailer was, $302.00 to register it, and bring it current for the next 12 months!
The kicker is that this trailer was incorrectly originally registered by the DMV as a "coach" (CCH) which is only a 12 month registration, and not as a PTI (Permanent Trailer Identification) which is good for a five year period. But to change the classification it needs to be physically inspected by the DMV office (takes one day), and cannot be conveniently done at a AAA office.
The fact that California one of the largest concentrations of vintage trailers in the nation has to be a huge cash windfall for the state. Every time you drag a old trailer out of a farmers field the cash register at the DMV goes KA CHING, KA CHING!
The road sign at the state border, says it all.......WELCOME TO CALIFORNIA |
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azshastanut
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1957 Kenskill 16T
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Post by azshastanut on Apr 21, 2015 7:06:20 GMT -8
California is a beautiful State, but there are other beautiful states also. My wife and I left 28 years ago and only go back for family visits. You can always pack up and leave. Just a thought. Lots of problems in California and this is only one John. The Franchise Tax Board and the DMV will take every dime they can extort from you. Hope you enjoy paying for the new high speed rail, LOL!
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John Palmer
Senior Member
Hi, From a vintage trailer guy located in Santa Ana, CA. It's good to see lots of activity here.
Posts: 1,625
Likes: 575
Currently Offline
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Post by John Palmer on Apr 21, 2015 7:31:49 GMT -8
California is a beautiful State, but there are other beautiful states also. My wife and I left 28 years ago and only go back for family visits. You can always pack up and leave. Just a thought. Lots of problems in California and this is only one John. The Franchise Tax Board and the DMV will take every dime they can extort from you. Hope you enjoy paying for the new high speed rail, LOL! I spent the first half of my life in the Phoenix area, and have left Arizona twice!
All the states are bad, they just get to you in subtle ways.
I would never consider moving back to Arizona while "Sherriff Joe" is still above ground. LOL
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Post by danrhodes on Apr 21, 2015 12:35:29 GMT -8
The kicker is that this trailer was incorrectly originally registered by the DMV as a "coach" (CCH) which is only a 12 month registration, and not as a PTI (Permanent Trailer Identification) which is good for a five year period. But to change the classification it needs to be physically inspected by the DMV office (takes one day), and cannot be conveniently done at a AAA office.
Hi John, Can you expand on CCH vs PTI? Mine is apparently registered as TRLR and CCH, so I have to renew each year. It's not towable right now, so I can't get it down there to inspect. |
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nccamper
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1962 Forester- 1956 Shasta
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Post by nccamper on Apr 21, 2015 15:52:09 GMT -8
NC has its problems, but nothing like you're going through. It sounds like a shakedown racket. Like the mob charging a shop owner for each crack in the sidewalk.
But where else can the Terminator become the Governator?
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John Palmer
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Hi, From a vintage trailer guy located in Santa Ana, CA. It's good to see lots of activity here.
Posts: 1,625
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Currently Offline
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Post by John Palmer on Apr 21, 2015 20:41:15 GMT -8
The kicker is that this trailer was incorrectly originally registered by the DMV as a "coach" (CCH) which is only a 12 month registration, and not as a PTI (Permanent Trailer Identification) which is good for a five year period. But to change the classification it needs to be physically inspected by the DMV office (takes one day), and cannot be conveniently done at a AAA office.
Hi John, Can you expand on CCH vs PTI? Mine is apparently registered as TRLR and CCH, so I have to renew each year. It's not towable right now, so I can't get it down there to inspect. Dan, You can access the different classifications on line at CA.GOV.DMV or something very close to that. It's best to research the rules before you go, because they are seldom consistent in there application at each office.
CCH is their term for coach, and is for trailers over something like 17' (?) in length. Another thing they ask about, is if the trailer has a toilet installed, because that is a different classification, etc., etc.
PTI (Permanent Trailer Identification) is a very convoluted special trailer DMV program. It was put into law many years ago to appease the Tomato growers. They have thousands of flat bed semi trailers with fiberglass boxes on them in the Central Valley. During harvest time, Highway 99 is literally red with smashed tomato's falling out of these trailers as they travel from the fields to the canneries. The DMV PTI program offers a very low cost, and long term (like 10 or 15 years?) program to register these trailers that sit 99% of the time. However, they now pay a huge increase in the cost to register a semi tractor to pull these trailers. The sand and gravel industry has tandem trailers, and are done on the PTI program also. Many of these companies own "only trailer's", and they let contractor's tow them and pay the higher cost of registration to the state.
PTI for our little travel trailers is (I think?) at 16' maximum, "in actual measured" length. The cost for a small trailer PTI (like my single axle car trailer) is $20 or $25, for a five year period. So..........It's in your interest to researce their rules, and know before you show up what the correct DMV classification is to make sure they do not put you in the wrong class. A Coach Trailer is like $80 "per year"!
I currently have two 15' 1957 Canned Hams (Dalton, and Deville) sitting in my driveway. One has a PTI plate that is valid until 2019 for $20 to $25 total cost. And the other is exactly the same trailer, but classified as Coach, and is about a $100 bill to register "every year". I will eventually take this trailer to my local private "authorized" DMV person, pay her $35 fee, to have the trailer verified, and reclassified with the DMV into the PTI program.
In California, many DMV transactions can be handled through the AAA offices. But the more involved transactions like "out of state" vehicle VIN# verifications, and Y.O.M. (Year Of Manufacturer) plates cannot be done at AAA. Fortunately, DMV has allowed individuals to become licensed privet contractors (for a fee). They are a good solution so you don't have to drag your trailer to the local DMV office for a inspection, stand in line, and not be able to park your trailer! My local lady charges $25 to $35 for walk up transactions at her office. Other "verifiers" will come to your house or business to do the verifications for about $75. to cover their time and travel costs.
If it was easy, everyone would be doing it! LOL
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John Palmer
Senior Member
Hi, From a vintage trailer guy located in Santa Ana, CA. It's good to see lots of activity here.
Posts: 1,625
Likes: 575
Currently Offline
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Post by John Palmer on Apr 21, 2015 20:52:13 GMT -8
NC has its problems, but nothing like you're going through. It sounds like a shakedown racket. Like the mob charging a shop owner for each crack in the sidewalk. But where else can the Terminator become the Governator? The "best one" is that in California they require shops that have an air compressor, to pay for a yearly permit. It's about $100 per year, and a little MR. Peeper's guy, would visit our shop to check for the air compressor permit. The number is "hand stamped" into the side of the air storage tank, and NEVER changes, but he comes around every year, and asks the same question, and collects his money, then goes away.
You have to have a sense of humor in dealing with government, or you would go crazy. LOL
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Post by danrhodes on Apr 22, 2015 8:26:26 GMT -8
NC has its problems, but nothing like you're going through. It sounds like a shakedown racket. Like the mob charging a shop owner for each crack in the sidewalk. But where else can the Terminator become the Governator? The "best one" is that in California they require shops that have an air compressor, to pay for a yearly permit. It's about $100 per year, and a little MR. Peeper's guy, would visit our shop to check for the air compressor permit. The number is "hand stamped" into the side of the air storage tank, and NEVER changes, but he comes around every year, and asks the same question, and collects his money, then goes away.
You have to have a sense of humor in dealing with government, or you would go crazy. LOL
You need a permit for canned air?  |
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txoil
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1960 Shasta Deluxe 19
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Post by txoil on Apr 22, 2015 9:50:55 GMT -8
Just another reason to avoid the Glorious People's Free Republik of Kaliforniastan.
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ladywendolyn
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1964 Golden Falcon
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Post by ladywendolyn on Apr 22, 2015 17:19:48 GMT -8
Come on up to Canada! Free Healthcare, clean water, and low insurance fees.. Even our car insurance is not private, and your trailer can be insured up to replacement cost. Just be ready to freeze your "........." off every winter!
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