Registering a new Scamp in California.

[ROBERT ONEILL]

Insurance is not needed because it is not a motor vehicle. It is not powered by a motor, it is only a towable trailer/vehicle. Also any sales tax you paid at time of purchase in another state is deducted from and sales tax you have to pay in California, if you have the receipt showing that you paid some sales tax.

If the California sales tax is $1200 and you paid sales tax of $550 in the state of purchase you will owe $650. Defiantly get a title to make it easier to sell either in state or if you sell it out of state.

Sorry that our state has to tax us excessively to the benefit of untaxed others. Just a word of warning, it is coming to your state too.

[zack sc]

Thanks a lot everyone. I have not gotten around to going to the DMV yet. I will report back when I do. I’ve just been having too much fun and sort of outback areas and haven’t gotten around to it. I’m hoping I won’t be fined. We’ll see.

[Cori A.]

What does pti mean in regards to registering a trailer? I live in TX, and purchased a Scamp 13 from a private party. Will validate my title in a week when my appt comes due at the county office. Do I have to do anything else?

[Terry in Fowler]

Permanent Trailer Registration. I don't know if other states have it. Very low cost and once every 5 year.

[lisantica]

Originally Posted by zack sc

Thanks a lot everyone. I have not gotten around to going to the DMV yet.

Don't wait too long or else it will look negligent to the DMV worker who might not be sympathetic to you that day.

[zack sc]

I got it registered last week. In the end, there was no real problem at the DMV, and they did not even come out to look at the vin or to look at the trailer or anything. So maybe I didn’t really need to bring it, but I guess I was supposed to, I saw, so I did. Just paid the sales tax and got the plates, well one plate anyway, and the permanent trailer identification paperwork.

[zack sc]

So the delay, in the end, didn’t really seem to matter. I guess technically, maybe I had some expired temporary Minnesota plates for a while,. Sometimes it’s hard to remember the exact date when the trailer entered California.

[Terry in Fowler]

While attached to your vehicle it is covered by your vehicle insurance in most cases, but at a fraction of its value. If it breaks loose the coverage is gone and you have a lot liability. It's best to get coverage at market value which isn't that easy or cheap.
Just so you understand I need it, haven't gotten it. If you start a new thread you will likely get several suggestions as to companies. After this I guess I need to do it to.

[Frederick L. Simson]

Originally Posted by Terry in Fowler

While attached to your vehicle it is covered by your vehicle insurance in most cases, but at a fraction of its value. If it breaks loose the coverage is gone and you have a lot liability. It's best to get coverage at market value which isn't that easy or cheap.

While attached to your TOW vehicle, the trailer is covered for LIABILITY ONLY, but not for COMPREHENSIVE/COLLISION. It will loose the liability coverage if it becomes separated before it causes damage to someone else. I carry separate Liability Coverage only on my trailers, and "self insure" (meaning I eat the loss) for Comprehensive/Collision.

[Bluemorpho]

I realize Zack’s post is old, but there is so much good info from responders and mine is directly related. I got my new Scamp this month, yeah! and need to register it. Thanks to all who posted the helpful info on PTI certification.
Aptos AAA says they are not allowed by DMV to register out of state trailers, which seems to be contrary to the experience of folks in other parts of Ca, like Carlsbad. Nonetheless, seems to not be an option. When I try to schedule an appointment with DMV online, none of the selections for the purpose of the appointment are relevant. And there is no way to call and ask live person (chat bot is completely useless).
Title transfer is the closest, but that clearly is for vehicle and also is all online, and I know They need to see Scamp. None of the others choices apply.
So it looks like I have to use the “get in line” function—facilitates non-appointment in-person service. That would mean I have to lug my Scamp over to DMV and wait half a day…really?
Any input appreciated!

[ROBERT ONEILL]

Originally Posted by Terry in Fowler

While attached to your vehicle it is covered by your vehicle insurance in most cases, but at a fraction of its value. If it breaks loose the coverage is gone and you have a lot liability. It's best to get coverage at market value which isn't that easy or cheap.
Just so you understand I need it, haven't gotten it. If you start a new thread you will likely get several suggestions as to companies. After this I guess I need to do it to.

Just FYI, My 1980 trillium is insured with Mercury here in Kalifornia and this is the policy and coverages and cost for current date. I plan to increase liability coverages as that is not enough here in people of Kalifornia Communist Republic. SEE THHE ATTACHED POLICY COVERAGE BELOW

Insurance is not that expensive for a travel trailer. I have had three vehicles totaled by other drivers. People running stop signs and hitting me and I wasn't at fault. Mercury got me the fair market value on each one of them. I just sent them Listings of similar vehicle for sale and the got the highest amount. One was 25 years old and the other was 17 years old and the third was 7 years old. I also listed any upgrades and the costs when sending the information to Mercury.

Ask you auto insurance company for a quote and tell them the value so they can get you a price. If it is an older vehicle and rare they usually will insure them, just ask. They don't do what are called real classics though.

[ROBERT ONEILL]

Originally Posted by zack sc

I got it registered last week. In the end, there was no real problem at the DMV, and they did not even come out to look at the vin or to look at the trailer or anything. So maybe I didn’t really need to bring it, but I guess I was supposed to, I saw, so I did. Just paid the sales tax and got the plates, well one plate anyway, and the permanent trailer identification paperwork.

I hope you paid extra to get a Kalifornia title not just the PTI registration paperwork because when you get ready to sell it having a title is what most buyers want to be able to transfer it without any problems. You know, "the check is in the mail sort of thing." A title in hand can complete the sale and know what you have got. Would you buy a vehicle with just a bill of sale and pti registration, what if the person has all ready sold it to someone else that can't take it home that day and will pick it up in a week or two. The person could sell it to you a second time with the PTI but the other buyer has the title signed but the seller. Who owns the vehicle now??? You can go back to the DMV and pay to get a title, don't wait until you are read to sell it.

[zack sc]

Originally Posted by Bluemorpho

I realize Zack’s post is old, but there is so much good info from responders and mine is directly related. I got my new Scamp this month, yeah! and need to register it. Thanks to all who posted the helpful info on PTI certification.
Aptos AAA says they are not allowed by DMV to register out of state trailers, which seems to be contrary to the experience of folks in other parts of Ca, like Carlsbad. Nonetheless, seems to not be an option. When I try to schedule an appointment with DMV online, none of the selections for the purpose of the appointment are relevant. And there is no way to call and ask live person (chat bot is completely useless).
Title transfer is the closest, but that clearly is for vehicle and also is all online, and I know They need to see Scamp. None of the others choices apply.
So it looks like I have to use the “get in line” function—facilitates non-appointment in-person service. That would mean I have to lug my Scamp over to DMV and wait half a day…really?
Any input appreciated!

I had exactly the same experience with AAA. So I think, yeah, that’s just the way it is. I did lug my trailer over to the DMV and basically just stand in line, but here’s the funny thing: they never came out to look at it, so I didn’t really need it there.
So it was actually not that difficult, I just brought in all the paperwork, which I can’t remember the details of what it was, but it’s in the comments above imagine. And then I showed them the paperwork and they gave me license plates and, as best I remember, they sent the permanent title in the mail. So it was all pretty straightforward and relatively easy and I actually didn’t need the Scamp there, although if you were to do that I wouldn’t tell them that it isn’t there.