Eagle Trailer - No Title PA

[jr88fan]

I have been going around and around with my boat trailer for two years now. I purchased the boat and trailer from a car dealership that took it in on trade. The VIN plate on the Eagle trailer has faded so bad that it cannot be read at all. I asked about registering as home made and was told that is a no go in PA. I have had the trailer at the local police department to sign a statement that the VIN plate was missing and submitted that and it was still rejected.

Now they want me to get a letter from OH (where I bought the boat and trailer) stating that they could not issue a VIN plate for the trailer but OH says they do not title trailers so that was a no go also.

I have been looking for another trailer on Craigslist and it the boat shopper but I have not had any luck.

Basically I store my boat across the street from the launch I take it to so it really isn't on the road much but at teh same time I do not want to get a ticket if I decide to take the boat someplace else.

Has anyone dealt with a situation like this before and if so what is the best "legal" way to get this resolved?

 

[tomdinwv]

Re: Eagle Trailer - No Title PA

Any chance of going through the dealer to find the previous owner? OH issues registrations for trailers with the VIN. If you can get the previous owner's registration, you should be able to get all this cleared up I think. And shame on that dealer for selling you a trailer you can't register.

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: Eagle Trailer - No Title PA

or register it in Maine then swap it over later.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Eagle Trailer - No Title PA

There is no legal way to resolve this issue. Look around and buy a junk trailer for 50 bucks --or even a really cheap boat/trailer combo-- WITH PAPERS and title it in your name. Transfer the vin plate to your good trailer. Even if you are stopped (I have been) for a moving violation, no officer is going to check the trailer vin and see if it matches the trailer itself, thus, you can put the plates for a 1000 pound trailer on a 3000 pound trailer and "get away" with it.

Not exactly my style, and not really a good recommendation but the state forces you to do it

 

[gm280]

Re: Eagle Trailer - No Title PA

I read you stated that in Pennsylvania you can't resister it as a home built. So how do folks that do make home built trailers get theirs registered then? There has to be some method for building your own trailer and getting it registered.

 

[Thalasso]

Re: Eagle Trailer - No Title PA

I would be asking the dealership where you bought it. In Pa all boats and trailers need a title. How did he sell it to you without a vin # unless you bought it in Ohio.

How could you do this? You need a vin # to get plates

Basically I store my boat across the street from the launch I take it to so it really isn't on the road much but at teh same time I do not want to get a ticket if I decide to take the boat someplace else.

Eagle Trailers. Maybe they can help you out.
(515) 332-1802.
www.eagletrailer.com

 

[N3UP]

Re: Eagle Trailer - No Title PA

I read you stated that in Pennsylvania you can't resister it as a home built. So how do folks that do make home built trailers get theirs registered then? There has to be some method for building your own trailer and getting it registered.

PA has really cracked down on home built registrations because too many people were going that route to register trailers with no documentation.
You need reciepts for all the materials used to construct a true home built trailer, and they WILL check the receipts against the trailer construction.
It also has to get inspected by the state police.

My nephew bought one of those Harbor Freight kit trailers and it cost him more in fees to get it registered than the kit cost!

Time is running out for the Maine thing too. Delaware is already going after Maine registered trailers because of EZ Pass violations. They cant collect outstanding tolls from Maine registered vehicles....
If you are towing a Maine registered trailer in Delaware, expect to get hassled unless your tow vehicle is Maine tagged too.

 

[Starcraft5834]

Re: Eagle Trailer - No Title PA

Do you have a registration for the trailer in hand? just no VIN to match it with to register? There is a Penn Dot form for that a "trailer inspector" signs off on.. that is how you fix this issue...........