Anyone have a spare serial # plate w/title??

[dragonnfly]

Hi we have a 1972 Overlander that is in pretty good shape. We got it from a junkyard, and i knew where it had been hauled from so I stopped by there to see if he had a title. He said it was in his mothers name and she died 15 years ago. He tried to get it in his name but they needed a document of some sort and he gave up and left it in the barn. He made it clear that he didn't have the original title and he was not interested in helping us get one.

I called the title bureau to see how to get a title for a abandoned vehicle and it involves court papers and the executor of the will of the mothers estate will have to get involved. Sounds hopeless.

THE QUESTION - If I find a serial plate and clear title from a 27 footer can I pop rivet it on the front of mine?? Does it have to be a 1972?? Thank You for all your help. Melanie

[Jim & Susan]

Dragonfly, are you saying that the plate that bolts to the right side of the door is missing from this trailer? The one that looks something like this one below? Question number two is, do you have possesion of this camper now? We have a '73 Overlander and I can only find the VIN number on this plate. On some trailers it is supposedly stamped into the steel of the tongue. I know this is true with the newer trailers, it is not true with mine (at least as far as I can tell).

I Georgia, any vehicle over 15 years old does not even need a title. The theory here is that if it's that old and stolen, the original owner probably wouldn't want it back anyway. Besides, the statute of limitations has run on the thief by then as well. We went ahead and got one just to be on the safe side.

I would think that taking a name plate with the VIN off of another trailer and placing it on yours would be fraud (as in criminal fraud, an illegal act). I'm not an attorney, by the way, just my guess. I would also guess that there is a way to somehow get a salvage title on the thing. There must be a way around it, it's just going to be a bit complicated.
Jim

[flynmike]

Dragon

I'm a cop and that's against the law in all 50 states.

Mike

[juel]

I purchased a 58 Overlander that had no title. I called the DMV here in Oklahoma and they told me how to download the forms I needed off the internet. I also had to have a Bill of Sale from the guy who sold it to me, which stated he got it from his father. I sent all the forms, the bill of sale and a picture of the trailer to the Oklahoma Tax Commission. In about ten days I got a notice from the local tag agent that I could indeed tag and title this 58, after a visual inspection of that "tiny" plate beside the door with the VIN # 26-7180 on it. The tag agent charged me $4.00 to come to my house and I showed him the number. About three days later I got a beautiful Oklahoma Title to the 58. Whole business took aqbout a month, but it worked. The Bill of Sale with a VIN number is what many states will take to register an old trailer. Keep looking for that VIN number. Mine was on a really tiny metal plate by the door. The one on my 78 Argosy is on the front street side. I can't even read the one on the 78, but I was lucky that it had a valid title when I bought it. Keep trying. You can probably get your trailer registered if you can just find a number on it somewhere. Also go back and get a notarized Bill of Sale from the guy you got the trailer from. Just have him state that he got it from his mother, give her name and city and state, don't bother mentioning whether she's dead or alive. The less said the better. Say when he got it and where he lives. Go from there.

[dragonnfly]

Yeah I kinda figured it was illegal. Its also illegal for junkyards to take vehicles without a title but that happens a lot too. The only plate on it is the one in the front right corner. Anyone out there in Kentucky know what it takes to get a title to a abandoned vehicle there? My sister lives there I could have her title it for me. Ohio is a huge headache. Without the cooperation of the previous owner Im not sure it will happen. Maybe I can move to Oklahoma??

[silver 67]

Dragonfly -

Estate records are public once the final disposition has been made. If you know the lady's name and what county she died in, you would be able to pull the file and see if the trailer is mentioned as an asset. Contact the attorney who filed the estate for help after that. It may take just a simple letter from him to satisfy the vehicle department. OR... if you have her name, and if she more than likely registered the trailer in Ohio at some time in the past, the state may be able to do a search for you. I would start at the local level and work your way up. The local courthouses are easier to do business with.

We have a small problem with our registration that will be corrected sometime this year. When the previous owners registered the trailer, they read the first digit as a "1" when it should have been "I". Our highway patrol will be able to correct the error if I take them a printout of how the AS trailers were numbered and they will do an inspection at the same time. Just need to get our baby up and running first.

Good luck .... where there's a will, there's a way.

[dragonnfly]

After a whole lot of phone calls describing various scenarios to every BMV in a 100 mile radius around my house I think I figured out the best way (as suggested by a anoymous state employee) Im going to the guys house tomorrow with a bill of sale wrote up and $100 bill, hopefully he will sign it for that. Then all I need is to have what is called a "out of state inspection". Which is just taking it to a car dealer and they write down the vin, make and model ( and charge me $8 to do it). Send both papers in to the state and they will send me a "letter of authorization" which will get me a title. It was a interesting day, calling all the different places with all the different opinions. Most of them involved court orders, which sounded very expensive and time consuming. Thank you very much for all your help. Melanie

[scottanlily]

my dmv here in sb ca had me take the trdwnd to the chp for inspection
the lady officer really liked the trailer .After the lic / light inpection etc.
back to the DMV and the vin check ,we had our new title right away.When purchased I had a biil of sale and a temporary transport lable for the rear window ,and no lic plate .the legal lable has the vin # and pertinent info on it.
No trouble getting it home if you don't add in the whole flat tire fiasco .

Scott

[scottanlily]

Sorry forgot to mention we purchased it in lincoln nebraska .

Scott

[zamboni]

If it came from a "junk yard" (ie. parts) and depending on how bad condition it is in and how much work you are going to have to do to it , couldn't it just be titled as home made?

[overlander63]

What you are titling is the frame, not the body, so changing the little plate by the door will get you nothing but headaches. The frame is stamped with the serial number, and if anything ever happens where the serial number needs to be verified (like you are in an accident, and insurance needs to be verified), you could get in trouble for VIN switching, and insurance fraud, abd a bunch of other stuff I don't even want to think about. Better to do it the right way (and there is a right way). Check your PM's.

[Jim & Susan]

Melanie, I missed something you said in your earlier post. You said that there was a data plate on the right front of your camper. On my '73, there is a data plate on the lower right front (if you are looking at the camper from the tongue) that has the VIN and the weight data there. It should have a string of numbers something on it something like "I27T2J1234" . This is you VIN. That should be what you need to get the ball rolling with DMV.

Good luck with it and let us know how it turns out.

JIm

[dragonnfly]

Well it worked.....the guy signed my bill of sale for $100. Its legel, but it sounds illegal. The trailer isin't in too bad of shape. A few of you have already helped me with several questions. It was in a barn and he wanted to get the barn cleaned out for his CAMELS!! Yes I am in Ohio and he has camels. He took them to Missouri to get fitted for saddles. I really am not kidding. A lady at a local BMV said if I got a bill of sale to call her back. I think I might try her before I go through the sending in to the state. I will let you know how it all goes. Im hoping to go on Monday. I will let you know how it goes. Melanie

[overlander63]

It's good you don't have to contemplate plan "B".
But, I have to ask...Are they Camel Filters?
And is he going to have 20, so he can have a full pack?... Okay, I'll stop with the jokes now.

[SilverToy]

In Illinois and in NM, if you have the BoS.... YOu are 90% homefree. There is likely a bit more paperwork and the like, but soon you will be on your way with a legal footing for the TT.

Stay at it!

Axel