57 Trotwood
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Post by 57 Trotwood on Feb 22, 2018 9:24:12 GMT -8
I have been reading every post here that I possible can, I should have read them all before I bought my 57 Trotwood.
I purchased my 57 two years ago when my wife went on a weekend trip with a girlfreind. I decided I needed to spend some money too.
I purchased the camper about a mile from me. The seller had a used car for sale and a camper in the back yard. I wasn't interested in the car but I wanted the camper. I pretended to look at the car while I spied the camper. I asked him about the camper, NOT for Sale, But I have a twin of that one at my shop. He buys and sells lots of vehicles.
I went over to look at it and bought it. He is well known for not dealing with ya, but I got him to drop $500 off the price.
He gave me a title for the camper from Pennsylvania where he bought it. He had signed the title and he gave me a receipt. A couple of weeks later after I convinced the wife how much fun we would have restoring and camping I finally went to register it. Before that I had gone to a swap meet and found a 1957 camper license plate from New York that I wanted to use on the camper. I filled out all the necessary paper work at the DMV and presented the vintage plate and paid the sales tax. They said to send the whole package of paperwork to Albany, the main DMV office and they would approve it there.
Next I received a notice stating that they rejected the plate.
While I was making lists of what I needed and purchasing a few parts I decided I needed a place to work on it. I told my wife I would buy a steel carport and put it in front of the pole barn (doors to short to roll it in). She said no to that so she said just add on to the existing pole barn, "Are you sure Hon"?
So I waited a year to year (two weeks ago) to go back to the DMV and register it. I wanted to make sure I had a plate for it before starting the garage addition.
I went to the DMV with the PA title, sales receipt and form. They said you can't register this trailer because the guy you bought it from actually still owns it. He would have to register it in New York and sign over the registration to me then I can register it. So I had to track down the guy, offer him more money to go to the DMV and register it then resell it to me. He said sure , He went to two different DMV's and tried to register it. They said "No", they needed the actual weight of it. So I had to buy a Harbor Freight trailer light kit and drag it to the local scrap yard and have it weighed. He then went back to the DMV to register, SUCCESS.
I then went back to the DMV to register the camper in my name, They gave me more grief, because they found the VIN number was already in use New York, omg, I spoke with the head lady who I dealt with before for my CDL, she was great and told the lady to just ignore that and fill in the rest of the boxes, SUCCESS.
I now own a 1957 Trotwood 16' camper registered in New York State.
I almost gave up. I just received my building permit to add on for the camper bay and will start building next month, after I finish the guest bath remodel so says the boss.
I will post pictures as I go and ask for advice too.
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mobiltec
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Post by mobiltec on Feb 22, 2018 10:02:07 GMT -8
You're very lucky. It was only because you talked to someone who had some authority and was able to ignore the previously owned vin number that you got your title and registration. You are also very smart and didn't shell out a lot of money before getting the thing titled. Congratulations on your success. Hopefully your experience will help others who find themselves in the same situation but the best way to stay out of that situation is to not get into it in the first place.
The moral of the story is.... No title? No sale....
If the seller is too lazy to go to the DMV and get a title on what he is selling then you should just walk. Let someone else less knowledgeable pick up the headaches.
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57 Trotwood
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Post by 57 Trotwood on Feb 22, 2018 10:31:46 GMT -8
I love your quote when you said, "Don't even buy a camper from me without a title". I know I can build this camper with your help and this forums help. God I love this place. It will take a year or so. We should be camping next summer. I will be insulting the new addition and adding a furnace.
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57 Trotwood
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Post by 57 Trotwood on Feb 22, 2018 10:33:06 GMT -8
I meant "insulating" the addition, that is the second time today I typed insulting when I meant something else, what the heck.
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Post by bigbill on Feb 22, 2018 11:33:46 GMT -8
I meant "insulating" the addition, that is the second time today I typed insulting when I meant something else, what the heck. OMG you are the first person ta eber have typing mistook.  |
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Ten
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Post by Ten on Feb 22, 2018 14:30:00 GMT -8
I hate mice, and I hate autocorrect...and my opinion of google ain't so great either...
The trick in New York is to find a DMV that has some times that are not too busy, and some people who know what is going on. I have had several problems solved by going in the office and spending some time talking to a clerk and asking about what is next? When they are not pressed by 50 people in line trying to do the impossible, or 6 minutes before the end of their work day, they are lots more likely to clear things up for you ahead of time. NY isn't the easiest state, but the laws are really not so bad, they sure don't seem to be the worst.
I'm not quite clear if you had the trailer registered with your flea-market plate or not? I have been told that trailers could not be registered with old plates like older cars can, as they qualify for a "Historical" classification. Custom vanity plates could be used, but not old original plates.
One other point specific to NY is the fact that the title program was not started in the state until 1973. Anything on the road that is older than 1972 doesn't have and never did have a "title", the registration was the transferable documentation for ownership proof. For vehicles from other states they require what is legal from that state.
They used to be lots more lax about the "home made" registrations, and it was easy to add or change a VIN on a trailer frame in order to register. Since the explosion of the vintage trailer/glamper fad, the laws have changed so it is tougher, protecting owners from having stolen trailers transferred fraudulently.
I guess I am way off in the weeds here, but congratulations on the registration. It is always best to own the trailer and have proof before moving forward with restoration work.
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mobiltec
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Post by mobiltec on Feb 22, 2018 15:18:45 GMT -8
In California where crime is legal now, LOL.... you can keep an old plate for nostalgic and financial value reasons as long as you write up a statement of facts. Then you have to send that old plate into Sacramento where they will keep it for about 4 months while they make sure it's not a stolen plate. Why that would take four months and why it has to be sent to Sacramento for that in this day of computers I have no idea. But it can be done and I have done it a bunch.
Something I have to do almost every time I go to the DMV and I have also told people whom I've sold trailers to and it worked, is to ask for the manager the moment the clerk get's that LOST look on her face. They only get two weeks training before they are turned loose on the general public so they don't know squat until they've been there for quite a long time. It as worked every time I've done it and every time I've told a buyer to do it when they call me from the DMV line on their cell phone. I just tell them GET THE MANAGER and all your problems will go away.
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lila
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Post by lila on Feb 22, 2018 15:31:44 GMT -8
Larry or anyone else here have any information on how difficult it is to register a trailer bought from Canada?
We are only required to have a bill of sale here with the vin number on it. How hard is it for an American to register it in the states then with a Canadian bill of sale?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 22, 2018 15:44:32 GMT -8
Would be no problem in the great state of Minnesota...bill of sale from anywhere will work fine here. Maybe I missed it, what state are you from?
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lila
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Post by lila on Feb 22, 2018 15:48:20 GMT -8
We are in Alberta Canada. But buyer is in Montana.
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mobiltec
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Post by mobiltec on Feb 22, 2018 17:13:33 GMT -8
I have had no experience with out of country sales. I have some friends who have shipped trailers out of the country before but I have no idea what is involved.
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Post by vikx on Feb 22, 2018 20:50:48 GMT -8
I bought one out of Canada, BC. Had to have all the paperwork at the border and they inspected the trailer. Paper work was the bill of sale, signed registration and address where the trailer was going. BC only issues registrations, which is readily accepted in the destined state. I think all states honor the place of origin registrations or titles and rules.
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57 Trotwood
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Post by 57 Trotwood on Feb 23, 2018 4:27:08 GMT -8
I was told that I couldn't use the vintage plate on a camper unless it was on a camper you drive, like a camper van or a class-c etc.
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mobiltec
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Post by mobiltec on Feb 23, 2018 6:10:12 GMT -8
I was told that I couldn't use the vintage plate on a camper unless it was on a camper you drive, like a camper van or a class-c etc. Well as I said above... Just ask for the manager. And you can look up all the rules and regs yourself on line. Then print the rule out that you need and take it with you to the DMV. I've done that also. The girl swore she never heard of that rule. LOL... |
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Jolene
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Post by Jolene on Feb 23, 2018 7:09:47 GMT -8
Here's from the NY DMV website on historical plates:
"Vintage plates are the actual plates issued to the vehicle owner, or other original plates (not reproductions) issued by New York State, in the year the vehicle was manufactured.
Any motor vehicle manufactured more than 25 years before the current calendar year that is used only as a collector's item or exhibition piece, and not for daily transportation , may be registered with vintage plates from the model year of the vehicle [and this is a trailer for exhibition rallies, right? RIGHT!].
Vintage plates are optional, and their registrations are valid for one year......
To register your vehicle with vintage plates, you must have actual plates that were valid in New York State in the year the vehicle was manufactured. If it was a metal tab year, you must have the metal tab.
The plates must be original.
If New York State issued only one plate in the year of manufacture, that plate must be mounted on the rear of the vehicle. If New York State originally issued two plates in that year, you must use both matching plates.
A motorcycle plate must be used on a motorcycle. Otherwise, any plates issued in the year the vehicle was manufactured may be used on any type of vehicle.
You can buy vintage plates from a local source like an automobile collector, an antique dealer, or a flea market. Make sure that the vintage plates are original.
Before you purchase a vintage plate, contact the Custom Plates Unit at 1-518-402-4838 to verify that the number on the plate is available for your vintage plate registration."
Give 'em a buzz and see what they can do for you. Several folks here have had great pieces of advice - managers, knowing that people "in the trenches" at the DMV are only trained for 2 weeks, etc. I got lucky with AAA, as they didn't even look up my VIN (nor did they check anything on the trailer which saved time for all of us). It looks like it *can* get hairy to register these old trailers mostly because of the lack of laws and organization of DMV way back when...I think they have to make it up as they go along a little because of that. Good luck!
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