I was the OP in that old thread about the 1981 Burro. Thought you might like the REST of the story.
I never found a VIN on that trailer, probably because the welding and/or extensive rust on the frame had obliterated it. Indiana BMV said make an appt with the stolen vehicle inspector , tow it downtown to have home inspect it (only available once a month and inspection about $200 if I remember), then pay certified agency to make a metal VIN plate that I could pay them to attach. After that, come back to BMV and go thru
registration. I tried to call stolen vehicles to set up appt and he acted like he had never heard of process and would have to get back to me.
In frustration, I got the harbor freight stamp set, stamped the number on the frame, and took it to a different BMV office. I was fully prepared to explain what I had done and why. But the girl and the counter looked at my paperwork and issued me a new
title and
license with no questions! There was no inspection required at AZ BMV when I moved there and transferred plates, nor when I
sold it there and transferred title.
But, once bitten twice shy. I asked the owner of the Compact that I just bought to verify the VIN plate before I went to AZ to view it. She took a picture, but then compared with the title and found one numeral to be different! She quickly had the matter rectified at the local BMV office, otherwise I would have been in the same situation as CA DMV inspected the VIN plate and would have held up the
registration.
As it was, it took me an extra half hour of patient but firm persistence to make them give me a permanent trailer
license as one woman insisted if it had a toilet it didn't qualify! Finally the supervisor was called and corrected the error. It made the initial
registration $75 cheaper and saved me hundreds in future renewal fees!