I have found a nice 1999 34' unit in Orange County at a dealer.
They want $ 1,479 for sales tax in Calif. I live in Colorado where the tax would be $ 340. Then they want $ 899 for PDI to inspect it and replace stuff. And they want $250 for the license, $45 for the doc fee and $ 10 for Arnold who get it for tires... (?).
But they are towing it 600 miles and not charging extra for that.
I want to park it for one year at a RV park while in school then tow it home to Colorado.
I have found a nice 1999 34' unit in Orange County at a dealer.
They want $ 1,479 for sales tax in Calif. I live in Colorado where the tax would be $ 340. Then they want $ 899 for PDI to inspect it and replace stuff. And they want $250 for the license, $45 for the doc fee and $ 10 for Arnold who get it for tires... (?).
But they are towing it 600 miles and not charging extra for that.
I want to park it for one year at a RV park while in school then tow it home to Colorado.
I don't know about all these fees.
Here it is 1999 Airstream Excella 31ft
Does this sound right?
Thanks.
i think:
you only pay sales tax to the state where it gets registered.
you can get a temporary tag or register it in CO before they tow it to you.
__________________
Ricky give life. kidney & pancreas transplant 9/9/06
Ingrid - my unofficial '"World's Oldest Airstreamer"
January 1909 - October 2008 R.I.P.
I have to say though having bought my last two RV's from dealers that I would have much preferred a private deal! I didn't feel I could trust the dealers at all - and found some evidence of that after the fact!
The PDI seems very high to me, and certainly for that fee you should be sure that they check the brakes and repack the wheel bearings.
It is generally suggested that on an RV, wheel bearings be repacked yearly. Personally I think that is a bit over the top, but maybe every two years is right.
With the first trailer I bought thru a dealer (not an AS) I paid to have the bearngs done. After a year I pulled the wheels to check the bearings and found they were all breaking up and the grease was caked and hard. I am certain he had not even looked at them.
Chalk it up to a lesson learned - as they say, if you want a job well done, do it yoursef. That is what I do now!
Hopefully your dealer is more honest but who knows!
That's a good price for a 1999 34 ft. Too bad it's at a dealer. I don't buy used trailers from dealers anymore because of the taxes and other "fees" which are totally bogus.
__________________ 1972 Sovereign Intl (RB) 2003 Ford Excursion (6.0L PSD) Prodigy/Equal-i-zer/Link 1000 Monitor/Xantrex Freedom 10 Inverter-Charger Airstream Life Contributor WBCCI 4CU #5661/AIR #5661
i know this won't help you much being in California, but some dealers are better - i purchased a used unit from Woodland Travel Centre in Grand Rapids, Michigan who were selling it on consignment - no fees and they even delivered it to me in Indiana so I did not have to pay MIchigan sales tax (no sales tax in Indiana for out of country/?state residents). Also they got the relevant paperwork from Airstream so that I could import to Canada. they were great.
p.s. oh wait - i did purchase a temporary licence from them but I can't recall the cost.
Last edited by redstart; 07-15-2009 at 06:25 AM.
Reason: p.s.
post p.s. i just noticed the price - that is excellent. I paid 23K for a 1998 34' 3 years ago (in above average condition). So maybe the fees are o.k. considering the price and the condition of the trailer.
Yes and there are 3 now on the Forum for $30k or more. They might be Special Ed, but still. One is $ 36k, 20k more than this one I'm looking at. I guess I don't understand. But maybe it's just a blessing for me. I think I should get her and hope to get the temp tag and register her in Colorado when I get home.
We also bought our trailer at Woodland RV in Michigan, and we were provided with a Michigan trip permit, and I don’t even recall them charging extra for it. We were not charged for any taxes or fees. If you are registering the trailer in another state, you should be exempt from the California sales taxes, and fees. This sounds like theft by dealer, or state.
Call anther dealer and ask a what if question, “If I were to buy a RV from you would I be subject to taxes and fees?” This should put this to rest.
Maybe they make the money on inspection and other stuff and lower the price a bit. Something smells bad about this, but maybe I'm too cynical. Perhaps you should ask a Forum inspector to look at it, check with Colorado DMV how to get plates for it, and California DMV (if they are open anymore) about their requirements. If you have it shipped on a flatbed to school, maybe it needs no license anywhere, but it will need a title.
This is why we bought our used unit from a private party. No sales tax, fees, inflated price to cover overhead and profit, etc. We literally saved thousands. There's a good selection of used trailers right here in the classifieds. If that special unit isn't here now, eventually it will be.
This is why we bought our used unit from a private party. No sales tax, fees, inflated price to cover overhead and profit, etc.
Here, you don't get around that so easily: you have to present a bill of sale to get your plate, and the sales tax is based on that. No plate, no travel, right?
And of course you can fake the BoS, but it has to be the same one that you use for the insurance company, so save on one, get screwed on the other.
__________________ . It's a combination of Alzheimers and Deja Vu - I keep thinking I forgot this before. . .
I think in Colorado, a license plate may not be necessary in certain situations when the vehicle is towed. The law may have changed and certainly is different in different states. If a "vehicle" simply has to be moved and is not going to be normally used on the roads, that may be your loophole. After all, when you move a house across the street on logs, it doesn't need a license plate (not a great analogy I admit). Moving it on a flatbed may solve some problems although eventually you have to get a plate when you start towing.
When an item is delivered often the tax paid is that of the place it is delivered to. Some jurisdictions levy a tax on items bought inside the jurisdiction even if it is delivered. Some places levy a sales tax when an item is bought in that place, but not a "use tax" on items brought into that place. A use tax is just like a sales tax, except it applies to items bought outside of where you live on which a sales tax has not been levied elsewhere. There are so many different ways taxes and fees are levied you have to check with each place.
As for buying from a private party vs. a dealer—either can screw you. You have to check out everything no matter who you buy it from.
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