Buying a Used Trailer: Carfax?

[marant]

Looking at buying a used trailer. There is apparently no Carfax report available on travel trailers. Is there any way to learn title history and accident history?

[Brian B-P]

Title/registration history comes from state and provincial agencies; accident history is really loss claim history, and comes from insurance companies. Carfax claims many other sources, but those sources are inconsistent and ineffective. If Carfax doesn't collect this information for travel trailers, I don't know who would.

The local title/registration information for any vehicle could presumably be searched with the local registry (or "motor vehicles department"), but that would presumably require permission from the owner.

It is possible that Escape Trailer Industries could provide information on any repairs that they might have done for previous owners on an Escape; however, they would need to be careful regarding privacy of customer information... and of course any repair could have been done by anyone else.

I would settle for confirmation of a valid current title/registration, and an inspection for damage. What happened before, and what has been repaired so well that the effects can't be seen, might not matter.

[EdColorado]

Originally Posted by marant

Looking at buying a used trailer. There is apparently no Carfax report available on travel trailers. Is there any way to learn title history and accident history?

Title law does vary from state to state, and perhaps from province to province.
With that said.

If you look at the title you will see the date when the current owner acquired the trailer.

If I was buying used, I would have the seller photograph both sides of the title and e-mail to me. That will show any liens that encumber the trailer.

The acquisition date on the title should be consistent with what the seller told you. Hopefully. If not it’s time to move onto another seller.

If the acquisition date is very recent, I would ask why.

Enjoy the search.

Ed