NC - Titling/Registering Custom Build trailer

[JOSX2]

Anyone in NC have any info about titling/registering a custom built trailer? what's involved? Fees? etc?

I'm looking at possibly picking up a trailer frame made from the back end of a ford 1/2 ton pickup in Va from someone on Craigslist. I'd then wanna build it up into a RTT camping trailer over the next year.

TIA

 

[Bretthn]

It's a bit of a pain in the butt but doable. I have a homebuilt utility trailer and after finding out the process 6 years ago decided to just keep it unregistered....

Like I said this was the process 6 years ago so the fee may be different. You go to the license plate agency and pay $80 for a homebuilt trailer serial number. The serial number then needs to be stamped on the frame and axle. Note, I was told it had to be stamped deep so it could not be easily removed or covered up. I also asked if I could have an aluminum placard with the serial number etched or stamped on it, then rivet or screw that to the fame and axle. I was told no, stamped only.

Once it is stamped to the frame and axle, you have to find a police officer and ask him to crawl underneath the trailer to varify the serial number meets the requirements then sign off on the papers that were given to you when you purchased the serial number. Then you take that paper back to the license plate agency and you can pay to register and get a plate for your trailer.

Good luck.

 

[/dev/m416]

It's a bit of a pain in the butt but doable. I have a homebuilt utility trailer and after finding out the process 6 years ago decided to just keep it unregistered....

Like I said this was the process 6 years ago so the fee may be different. You go to the license plate agency and pay $80 for a homebuilt trailer serial number. The serial number then needs to be stamped on the frame and axle. Note, I was told it had to be stamped deep so it could not be easily removed or covered up. I also asked if I could have an aluminum placard with the serial number etched or stamped on it, then rivet or screw that to the fame and axle. I was told no, stamped only.

Once it is stamped to the frame and axle, you have to find a police officer and ask him to crawl underneath the trailer to varify the serial number meets the requirements then sign off on the papers that were given to you when you purchased the serial number. Then you take that paper back to the license plate agency and you can pay to register and get a plate for your trailer.

Good luck.

It doesn't have to a be a LEO - they can do the inspect at the DMV too. By comparison, pretty easy compared to some states... ;-)

 

[JOSX2]

dang....gotta stamp in serial numbers on both frame & axle??! How's that done? Can I just buy stamping blocks (or whatever they're called) from a store, pound them with a hammer onto the frame/axle, & that'd be good enough?

i called DMV also shortly after I posted this & they gave me the phone number to the local license & theft inspector. Apparently I gotta fill out a form, contact them & see what they say needs to be done. I called that office & the lady said the inspectors are only available via phone 8-10 and that she couldnt tell me anything else about what's involved/needed. ugh.

so...still relatively clueless.

co-worker overheard me & said for his boat trailers, he's always just brought the receipts of all the parts he bought to build it to the DMV office & got it registered. no questions asked or anything else.

@/dev/m416...what's LEO? but that inspection for the stamped serial numbers is a real deal?

 

[/dev/m416]

Law Enforcement Officer. Good acronym to know ;-)

Buy the stamping tool at Harbor Freight, etc.

Not 100% positive but a boat trailer may be different. You're "home built". It's really no biggie.


Sent from my HP-41C during a flashback to 1978.

 

[Bretthn]

Good old NC contracting out the damn DMV jobs to people that are overpaid and treat you like crap.

 

[JOSX2]

Law Enforcement Officer. Good acronym to know ;-)

Buy the stamping tool at Harbor Freight, etc.

Not 100% positive but a boat trailer may be different. You're "home built". It's really no biggie.

LEO..check! good to know

boat trailer could very well be different for all I know. who knows, it's all confusing cr*p.

Good old NC contracting out the damn DMV jobs to people that are overpaid and treat you like crap.

yeah, you're telling me! coming from NY where DMV was run by the state (& although was slow, did their job) to NC where I gotta go to a mall/strip mall (talk about a shock)! to find out that they don't accept checks (double whammy :-\) & treat ya like ********. ugh.

 

[/dev/m416]

Hey guys, sometimes the contractors are actually nicer that the employees. They have to perform. Not always the case other way round. But in all cases your dealing with the Govmt so...

This isn't a big deal. Fill out the form, pay the fee, do a simple task, and you're done.


Sent from my HP-41C during a flashback to 1978.

 

[JOSX2]

oh yeah, doesnt sound liek a big to-do. I wasn't sure of what was involved w/ the stamping if that's still required. But if it's as simple as getting stamp dies from HF, that's no biggie. or whatever else may be involved.

think there'd be any issues w/ me getting the trailer frame from Va that's the rear end of a Ford? It's towable, so I'll just slap my trailer plate on it & haul it back home. as long as the guy I buy it from signs a bill of sale, I'd think there wouldn't be any problems.

 

[/dev/m416]

Whole diff topic - others will have to chime in.


Sent from my HP-41C during a flashback to 1978.

 

[JOSX2]

what's that? the trailer frame?

 

[/dev/m416]

Yea. Towing is a whole diff topic. Plate, registration, that it's not a trailer at that stage, etc. no idea. All mine have been built in the driveway.


Sent from my HP-41C during a flashback to 1978.

 

[JOSX2]

ok...so now ya got me confused. why is towing a whole different topic? Trailers get towed behind trucks. I've got an enclosed 5x8 trailer i tow behind my truck.

I'm potentially looking at getting the trailer frame up in Va, bring it down here to NC, & then build it up to a RTT camping trailer.

 

[Bretthn]

As long as your not acting a fool, I would think the consequence of being stopped with a newly purchased home built trailer that hasn't been registered yet is less than the consequence of putting the tag from another trailer on it. I've towed my trailer all over NC and VA without tags and never once was bothered.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[PCO6]

The serial number then needs to be stamped on the frame and axle.

This won't help most of you but registering a home made trailer in Ontario is ridiculously easy. Basically show up, tell them what colour it is, pay a one time fee of $25 and you're done. It doesn't have to be finished ... or even started. You could have a dream about building a trailer one night and pick up a licence the next day.

Surprisingly you don't have to stamp the registration number on the trailer. I did though. I put one in an obvious spot that a "crook" would see. He would probably remove it and think he had rendered the trailer "anonymous ". As back up I put the same number on the frame in a spot that no one would likely see.