M101 stolen? opinions, please

[joethefordguy]

I need some help here... i found a "5 year old" M101 for 650 dollars, with no title.
the owner says it's 5 years old based on his interpretation of the data plate.
he says i can register it as home made. the picture i have seen shows it to be in excellent condition. it's about an hour away from me.

I'm skeptical because i'm surprised the army would "surplus" a 5 year old trailer, and if he got it legally, why would it have to be registered as homemade?

what do you guys think?

joeg

 

[Hill Bill E.]

If he got it at as surplus, he may never have bothered to get a title. Many times all you get is a bill of sale from the Military, since they don't title anything.


Only 5 years old? Could be, I know they were still using them for the H1's when I was in. But I thought they were all older or refurbished.


My dad bought a M416 that had no title, the DMV registered it as 'homemade'.

If you want, you could get the serial #, and have the local Sherrif run it for ya, and see if it's stolen.


If it still has the serial plate, I'd bet it's not stolen.

 

[Mr. Leary]

If he got it at as surplus, he may never have bothered to get a title. Many times all you get is a bill of sale from the Military, since they don't title anything.


Only 5 years old? Could be, I know they were still using them for the H1's when I was in. But I thought they were all older or refurbished.


My dad bought a M416 that had no title, the DMV registered it as 'homemade'.

If you want, you could get the serial #, and have the local Sherrif run it for ya, and see if it's stolen.


If it still has the serial plate, I'd bet it's not stolen.

Yep. In Texas, it doesn't matter much. Half the trailers running around here have no title.

 

[bobDog]

Totally agree w/ Hill Bill E. If it has the plate its fine. In Oregon you don't have to register those unless you want to cause you don't need license plate on smaller trailers. If you want to register it w/o a title they list you as homemade.
Inspection consist of looking out the window and asking "is that it?":victory:

 

[r_unda]

I registered my WWII (bantam maybe?) as homemade. I got it from another member of this forum. You have to do three things, at least down here in Corpus Christi.

Take it for inspection. When I took mine they asked if I made it myself and from what, so I told them I made it from an old military trailer. The cops said cool and they signed the papers. I think that it helped that my trailer doesn’t have the original tongue and has a custom tailgate.

After inspection, you need to get a serial number for it, and then register it in order to get the license plate. All this is done in three different locations through out the city (I think this is ridiculous). I took me about a full morning to do this. Not too bad.

If you can get a bill of sell I didn’t but I wish I did. I think with it since yours has the serial number already you can just skip the first two steps and go get your license plate right away.

 

[Mr. Leary]

I registered my WWII (bantam maybe?) as homemade. I got it from another member of this forum. You have to do three things, at least down here in Corpus Christi.

Take it for inspection. When I took mine they asked if I made it myself and from what, so I told them I made it from an old military trailer. The cops said cool and they signed the papers. I think that it helped that my trailer doesn’t have the original tongue and has a custom tailgate.

After inspection, you need to get a serial number for it, and then register it in order to get the license plate. All this is done in three different locations through out the city (I think this is ridiculous). I took me about a full morning to do this. Not too bad.

If you can get a bill of sell I didn’t but I wish I did. I think with it since yours has the serial number already you can just skip the first two steps and go get your license plate right away.

Interesting that y'all have to get it inspected down there. I have had three "homemade" trailers over the past few years, all with the same plate, that I kept when I sold the first two... on the third now. Most folks do things that way, and once its registered, they don't really seem to care if you keep current with your registration sticker.

 

[Curtis in Texas]

Same here but I live in the same neck of the woods as Mr. Leary.
I have one trailer plate and 4 trailers. They don't really care as long as the trailer I'm pulling with my truck is registered to me.
Been doing it this way for 30 years or so.

I just picked up another today and will be going after it once I get out in the field and retrieve my plate off the flatbed trailer it's on now.

Once I get my farm tags on my pickup I won't have to have trailer plates on any of them.


I wouldn't worry too much about it. And if you really want to know if it's stolen take it to the DMV and have them run the serial # 's on it. Just be prepared for them to take it if it is.

 

[bobDog]

I wouldn't worry too much about it. And if you really want to know if it's stolen take it to the DMV and have them run the serial # 's on it. Just be prepared for them to take it if it is.

Like my dear dad always told me...."Never volunteer information that no one asked you about when it comes to government red tape":coffeedrink: