Now to the motor vehicle office

[farm1810]

Well so much for my happy little project. I live in Delaware and we have state operated inspection lanes we drive through. So I went there this afternoon. The bike is due for inspection in August, but I decided to forfeit some time in order to get the trailer inspected and titled and the MC inspection too. Both go through the inspection lane, no problem at all. But then, I gather up my MC info. I have the registration, but the insurance card in the saddle bag is expired. CRAP! I should have checked before I left the house. Oh well, my mistake. So I go inside the office area figuring I will still get my trailer title and registration squared away. They give me number 447. They were serving number 393. Okay, so I take a seat. Things were moving along pretty well and after 35 minutes or so, I get called to a window. I have the certificate of origin, a bill of sale from the internet, and the inspection document. WRONG! The internet bill of sale has an invoice number and that invoice number is referenced on the certificate of origin but Delaware does not recognize that as a valid bill of sale. I must go to the Harbor Freight store and get a bill of sale with the store address, price, VIN number, Year, Make, and so forth. So I leave DMV with a larger stack of papers headed to HFS. They are only about 15 minutes away to I go straight there. A store manager comes forward, takes one look, and says just a minute, I will take care of this. She comes back in about 5 minutes with a bill of sale, she has signed the certificate of orgin (as requested by DMV) and I am good to go. So I quickly run back to DMV and get in line again. Number 586. Now serving number 544. Great. I get a diet Dr. Pepper and sit it out. About 45 minutes later I am called to a window. The DMV representative looks through the paper work and types something into her computer. She looks at the screen, then at the paperwork, then at the screen, then asks, Which HFS did you go to? I say, University Plaza. She says, sorry, this Veronica person is not an authorized signer for that store. GREAT! She tells me that I need to go back. Have an authorized signer, there are three in their database for that store, sign the certificate of origin on the line where Veronica signed. Then the authorized person needs to write a letter of correction that lists the make, year, VIN, and the words NO FRAUD INTENDED, then date and sign it. So I leave, go back to HFS, a different manager comes up front, apologizes, signs, hand writes a correction letter. By this time, DMV is closed. I'll keep you updated on how I resolve this with my next trip.

[uncledj]

Wow!!!

I think I'd have to move to another state.

Here in Ohio BMV isn't too bad. I usually try to go in mid week and am in and out quickly.

Hope it works out for ya.

[Mike G in SC]

In SC I can stick a cardboard tag that says "TAG ON OTHER CAR". LOL

 

(no tag needed on trailer)

[Guest tx2sturgis]

Wow!

 

Well, it appears that 'del', is not, 'aware'.

 

In Texas, we do have to put a plate on a trailer, if you can put cargo in or on that trailer. Construction equipment, and of course, farm trailers are mostly exempt.

 

It would seem that the HF store should supply a Manufacturers Statement of Origin (MSO) or Manufacturer Certificate of Origin (MCO) with every new trailer they sell in Delaware...I would be calling the main company and griping a bit.

 

Maybe even hint that you need to be compensated for your troubles...maybe a $25 gift card or something.

 

Sheesh.

 

 

 

 

 

[Big Lou]

in alabama they told me to make up my own number for a VIN ,

 

i used my lottery number

 

22.50$ for a tag

[djh3]

When I lived in Ok if the trailer was under a certian height and weight it didnt even need a tag. I pulled a trailer for a few years on my bike out there. I traced out a pic of OK from the atlas and transfered to piec of scrap alum and cut out. that was my tag. LOL I'm sure its different now, being all those tax dollars they were missing.

[MikeWa]

So does that mean that a 'Bill of Sale' for anything from anyone not registered with the DOL is not valid in Delaware or do they just have a thing for Harbor Freight?

 

Mike

[cecdoo]

Had a place in Delaware for 15yrs they dont call it Slower Lower for nothing:bang head: everytime you tried to do anything it was a nightmare.

 

Craig

[Snaggletooth]

Those folks have huge amounts of data available at their fingertips.

 

If they would only learn how to use it.

[farm1810]

Well, I have my title and tags, but...

I took the new bill of sale and correction document back to the motor vehicle office. This second manager was not on the authorized list either. Just by coincidence, I happened to talk with the same DMV clerk that I had with my second attempt. She was very friendly, saying "hey, third time is a charm" - but then her expression changed. I said, "Don't tell me." She says, "This guy isn't authorized either."

I am not going to post on the internet what happened next, but lets say she recognized what was going on and that I was not attempting to pull a fast one and that I really had purchased this trailer. So I leave and when I get back to my workplace I call the Harbor Freight store and let them know that I still don't have an authorized signature. The manager I am speaking with tells me that it isn't HFS issue, this is an issue between me and DMV. I say, but DMV didn't just make up names. They must have received them from your company. With that she said, this is not our problem. Good bye. And she hung up. If I was to do this over again I would drill out the rivets holding the data plate on the frame, go to DMV and claim I had just made the trailer, they would have stamped a number on it and I would have been good to go. Oh well. I must say, the people working at the motor vehicle department really were helpful in the end. I would not have resolved this without their help. But a happy ending eventually.

[XV1100SE]

Glad you are finally done with it.

Good example of customer service from HF... when they have Mgmt that treats customers like that it just filters down to the rest of the staff.

[dacheedah]

My bill of sale in Illinois was the vin was on one receipt. I had to argue about tax, I bought it where their was more sales tax than my county ( and in Illinois no matter where you buy you pay tax based on where you live) but the state refused to refund the difference.

[Snaggletooth]

Yeah, the HF Tag-a-long I bought had me chasing my tail to. Nebraska requires that the trailer be registered and plated.

 

I bought the trailer, brand new and already assembled by the original buyer. Never pulled and never registered anywhere. He had put it together so badly that he couldn't hook it to the ball hitch and couldn't figure out the lights so he traded it with his bike to a local car dealer for a pickup. Both the bike and trailer were brought to the dealer on a flatbed trailer.

 

When I saw the dealers ad for the trailer I went and looked at it. Still had plastic on the body and even the VIN tag on the tongue had plastic film over it. Clearly brand new and the dealer told me the PO had never registered the trailer because he had so many porblems with it. I asked if he had provided the MSO with it and he had not. They called him and he said he never got one. I understood that HF mailed those out after the purchase was made.

 

So I figured the dealer sales invoice would cover the registration needs. I weasled for a while on price because of the "problems" on the trailer and they sold it to me for $250.00. Fair enough. When I took the bike down to pick it up I remove the coupler bolts and slipped in a couple of washers to spread the coupler and dropped it on the ball. Jumped a couple of the 7 wires added on by the PO and patched them into my running light harness and I was good enough to roll. I think the saleman felt like I burned them on the price. Hey! Know what you're selling guy. LOL!

 

I stopped by the local HF store just to find out if I could get them to send me a new MSO on the trailer and showed them the Bill of Sale and told them the story on the deal. The manger made a call and was told no, not to anyone other than the original buyer. That is understandable.

 

I went home and straightened out the wiring harness and hooked the lights up right.

 

Next stop was the State Inspection station. Got there and waited for an hour and got in. The inspector walked around the bike and trailer and asked me what I needed. Explained the story and I needed to get a title so I could register. Told me to go in and show them my Bill of Sale. Don't need an inspection.

 

Head inside and show them what I have. They ask for the title. They sent me back to the inspection lane to get a form filled out. The guy here just shook his head and said meet me inside. He talked to clerk inside and they had me go to the window again. Took my BOS and started working up the registration. The VIN number on the BOS sale was hard to read so they sent me back to the inspection lane. The guy there just laughed and wrote the number again on the BOS.

 

Back inside they asked me if it was a home build. err.... no,,,, it's a Harbor Freight kit that was put together by the original buyer. Had them look at my BOS again. They poked at the computer for a while and told me they were not aware of the maker. Sent back to the inspection lane. The guy there rolled his eyes and said follow me. Back in we go.

 

After a powow with the clerk, himself and a supervisor we were back at the window.

 

I ended up with a registration for a HF Tag-a-long and a plate. I asked about the title and was told "we don't issue titles for that kind of trailer." Go figure.

 

After all that I could have simply walked in with the BOS and paid the fee without the trailer being looked at or ever seen at all. I could have given them any number I wanted and been done with it. The whole process seems kind of pointless to me.

 

The State got their money so that was the important part right?

 

But I got a good price on the trailer so what the heck.

Edited June 20, 2013 by Snaggletooth

[bryan52577]

Iowa must not be suck a pain I guess. I built my trailer and went in told them what I did and it is made to be pulled by the motorcycle. She asked me the weight and I told her I could guess. She said that would be fine and just put it as a "home made trailer". Cost me $5 a year till two years ago when they upped the fee to $10 a year.

Told my insurance what I did and they said it would be insured for $5000 as is unless I want more coverage "which would cost more" I said that is good for me. Not to bad since I have a total of $95 in it.

 

Bryan

[Trader]

When I bought my HF Trailer in Chicago (off ebay along with my bike)I was worried about bringing it across the border. I read that you can't bring a "kit" trailer across.

 

So I left it in the US, came home and got a plate from one of my other trailers and just drove it across.

 

When I got home.....it became a home made trailer and I registered it as such.

 

No problem.

Turns out because the registration tag says "complies with all regulations" or something like that, it would be OK to import.

 

Anyway....as it turns out when I brought it across I had not tightened the plate very well and it is sitting somewhere between Rochester and Buffalo!

 

It came across with NO plate and it was not even mentioned.

[Guest tx2sturgis]

Step one: Remove license plate from legal trailer sitting in garage or back yard.

 

Step two: Install plate on brand-new trailer.

 

Step three: Ride!

[jdross440]

My son had a 16 ft utility trailer in Nevada. When he moved back to Arkansas he had lost the Nevada title. Instead of applying and waiting a month to get a duplicate, I just went to the Arkansas DMV told them it was home made and they issued a VIN number and a tag. I just stamped the number in the frame. The original VIN tag had worn so bad the numbers were gone (it was aluminum and place where you would step every time you stepped onto the tongue). And the tag is permanent so don't have to re-register every 2 years.

 

I just bought a home made trailer (that had never been registered as it was in Oklahoma) to pull behind my Venture Royale. I will see if it is as simple now as it was 5 years ago.

[uncledj]

Got a title transferred to my name today. Took about 15 minutes from the time I hit the door on the way in, 'till I hit the door on the way out.

I picked up a Honda CT110,...cool little trail bike.

[speakerfritz]

a little late to the party...but let me add..ever wonder why so many trailers on the road are registered in Maine? Maine accpets out of state registrants and your state has to accept the maine plates. 35 bucks for 5 yrs. everything can be done via email and mail. no inspections needed.

[JohnT]

Step one: Remove license plate from legal trailer sitting in garage or back yard.

 

Step two: Install plate on brand-new trailer.

 

Step three: Ride!

I'm glad someone else said that. I have a friend who has 3 trailers. He has one trailer plate.

Not one of his trailers has ever been to a NYS inspection station. I have, I mean he has ever had a problem.