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Old 11-07-2018, 03:48 PM   #1
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Bringing Escape to Colorado--licensing issues

Hello all,
We are picking up our Escape in Washington in May, then heading back to Canada for the Escape Rally. After that we plan to travel across Canada to Newfoundland and then back to Denver.

We have gotten different answers from the state dept of motor vehicles about temporary licensing, including "Why don't you just buy a trailer here?" Good grief.

This afternoon the person said that we have to have the trailer here in CO to have a VIN verification in order to get state registration and tab for our plate. This because we are importing a foreign made trailer. That means that we would have to add a couple of thousand miles and an extra week to our plans. We can do it if we have to but would prefer not.

I have 2 questions, first for Colorado, second for anyone who has dealt with buying an Escape and then going back into Canada.
1. Does anyone in CO who has recently purchased an Escape have advice or insight?
2. Will there be any issues going back into Canada the next day or so after purchase to attend the Escape Rally? We will have the bill of sale and the proof of insurance with us. What about reentering the US afterwards?

Thanks in advance for any guidance. I'm trying to be grateful that we would not have to drive to South Texas in the middle of a vacation.

Catherine
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Old 11-07-2018, 03:55 PM   #2
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Find our whether Colorado (as Washington state does) allows you to buy as many three-day (or whatever duration) temporary permits as you need to get the trailer from the border to a Colorado licensing operation.

With these on your trailer, you can re-enter Canada with no difficulty at all.
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Old 11-07-2018, 04:29 PM   #3
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We picked up out 2016 E19 from Bob's Burgers where Escape will meet you and turned around and returned to Best Western to check out of the hotel and transfer stuff to the trailer from the truck bed. We then headed south again thru customs (3rd time that day) and headed towards home. We plan to repeat the pickup in May 2019 for our new E21, we are scheduled for orientation on Tuesday in am, we plan to then go to Bob's Burgers, hook up and return to Best Western to check out and then head east to Osoyoos for the rally. Have you scheduled your orientation for that week yet? It fills up quick.
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Old 11-07-2018, 05:54 PM   #4
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Thanks cpaharley, that is pretty much what we plan to do. I am trying to get an orientation scheduled but have not heard back from the scheduler.

Egraham, thanks. Colorado gave us a list of documents we have to have to legally tow back to Denver. They are pretty much what Escape provides plus proof of insurance. They dont seem to be willing to give us a longer time to vacation before returning to get licensed. Oh well, plans are made to be changed.
Catherine
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Old 11-07-2018, 06:09 PM   #5
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Have you read this thread?


http://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f3...-co-13163.html


Here's another, older thread on the same topic:


http://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f3...kup-10172.html
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Old 11-07-2018, 07:02 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by outwiththedogs View Post
Thanks cpaharley, that is pretty much what we plan to do. I am trying to get an orientation scheduled but have not heard back from the scheduler.

Egraham, thanks. Colorado gave us a list of documents we have to have to legally tow back to Denver. They are pretty much what Escape provides plus proof of insurance. They dont seem to be willing to give us a longer time to vacation before returning to get licensed. Oh well, plans are made to be changed.
Catherine
I would not change my plans or time frame due to some bureaucratic rule. enjoy your vacation and take care of the tags when you return when you want to return. I'm not aware of any purchaser of an Escape here on the forum that had any issue towing without a tag after pick up. Some members took up to 3 months to make it home, again without any issue. Just make sure you have insurance in effect.
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Old 11-07-2018, 07:19 PM   #7
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We bought temp (paper) tags about a week before leaving AZ headed to Chilliwack. I wanted 30 day tags, but the state official suggested that the 90 day tags were the same price, Gary felt this was the better idea. Our rural area has level II and level III inspectors only available once a week, so we made an appt for an inspection a couple days after our scheduled return. The office staff license officials kept telling us the Escape is a grey market trailer, we showed them the north american certificate of manufacture. Nope, grey market they said, you need the level III inspection. The inspector looked at the certificate of manufacture, read the one number on the driver's side of the trailer and pronounced us good with a level II inspection. Then we got to pay sales tax, license fees (a luxury tax based on price of the vehicle), and we were done. It really was easy, as the trailer is built to US standards.
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Old 11-07-2018, 09:25 PM   #8
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Whew... This one seems to be all over the place. Here's what I'm doing...

Home: Boulder, CO
Pick up our 19'er on December 6th
We're at our winter residence in So Cal now from early Nov to late Mar

So... We're going to pick up our trailer in Chilliwack on December 6th. But it won't physically be in Colorado until late Mar or early Apr.

Talking with the DMV in Boulder before we departed for So Cal, the supervisor said we could and we did the following...

Since we had already paid ETI for the trailer, they kindly forwarded to us all the paperwork possible, along with the VIN of the trailer (which hadn't even been built yet) and a sales receipt in US$.

I took all paperwork supplied by ETI to the DMV and they gladly accepted the sales tax (not license fee) for the trailer and issued me a temporary Colorado license plate good for 60 days. Good thru late December.

The supervisor indicated that they only needed two additional documents: Some customs / import document which we won't have until until the trailer physically crosses the border. And a VIN inspection.

The supervisor indicated they would accept a California VIN inspection for the trailer.

While in the DMV we also filled out a Power of Attorney, specific for acquiring a license plate. With that, and all the paperwork ETI already sent plus the receipt showing the sales tax paid in Oct, & the customs/import document & the California VIN inspection I was told a friend can go to the DMV, pay the license fee and get a permanent plate. Then mail/FedEx it to me.

So that's what we're going to try.

From reading these various threads though, it sure appears that Colorado policy on this is all over the place. It'll be interesting how it all plays out with the Boulder DMV.
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Old 11-07-2018, 09:45 PM   #9
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Not all who wander are lost.
Some work for the DMV.
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Old 11-07-2018, 10:20 PM   #10
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I detailed our experience in one of the earlier threads posted by gbaglo above. Bottom line, you should be fine criss-crossing the border and enjoying your trip without any plate on the trailer, temporary or permanent, provided you have the purchase documents and insurance.

That said, you should be able to get a temporary 60-day plate from CO before your trip, and then just deal with the VIN inspection when you return. This is how Boulder County has handled it with a few of us now.
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Old 11-07-2018, 10:30 PM   #11
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And I should add that the key to getting the temp plate is to have all of the final paperwork fron Escape, proof of insurance, and pay the sales tax in your county, as EscapeBoulder has done.
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Old 11-11-2018, 09:23 PM   #12
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Hi Outwiththedogs,
We are from western Colorado in Delta county. We picked up our Escape 17B in August. We got it in Sumas at Bob's Burgers from Phil. I made a sign I taped in the back window saying "License applied for". We went through BC and AB back down into MT, WY and back into CO, traveling for a couple weeks. I brought all the paper work from Escape plus proof of insurance first to the Hotchkiss Marshall's office for a VIN inspection, then took that paperwork plus everything else to the county DMV offices in Hotchkiss. The woman didn't know what to do but called some one in Delta who did. After about 30 minutes, I wrote out a check and got my license plate for the trailer. Take everything you get from Escape plus a letter from your insurance company with your insurance info. That way if you get a person who has no idea how to deal with it, you can still get what you need from someone higher up in the food chain, so to speak.

Also, call them as soon as you can to give them a heads up.
Good luck.
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Old 11-12-2018, 06:38 AM   #13
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Always be sure the license people us $US dollars and not Canadian when determining your fees....
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Old 11-12-2018, 10:07 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cpaharley2008 View Post
Always be sure the license people us $US dollars and not Canadian when determining your fees....
I don't have too much to add...
We shopped around until we found a CDOT employee that knew the rules and was willing to issue a temporary tag. Did not have to pay taxes until we returned with the trailer and applied for a permanent plate. As mentioned earlier, be sure to have paperwork showing the US $ price before paying taxes. We did not and jumped through hoops with a bank to get an "official" conversion to US dollars.

--
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Old 11-12-2018, 10:38 AM   #15
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"...We shopped around until we found a CDOT employee that knew the rules ..."
.......Some do, some don't. When in doubt ask to see their supervisor (or call your friend who's been there done that.) Exactly my experience here in New Mexico.
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Old 11-12-2018, 05:22 PM   #16
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When I went to the Larimer County DMV before picking up our Escape 19, I was able to get permanent plates with just the documents I received from ETI. We had already paid for the trailer in full. I needed to pay taxes and registration when I got the plates. The fact that it was a new trailer seemed to be a factor in their decision making process. No inspection was required. The process seemed a lot simpler than what a lot of people have described here, but I wasn't going to question it.

-Brad in Colorado
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Old 11-12-2018, 05:24 PM   #17
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Colorado licensing

Thanks everyone for comments and advice. We were just about to give up our plan and return to CO prior to starting a long (6 week) vacation, but now we have a little more hope that could get a longer temp permit.

We will try again in Denver County and see what we can come up with.
It is an amazing tour de bureaucracy trying to obtain the information.

Thanks again
Catherine
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