Getting registered in your state

[MyronL]

In one short week we will pick up our brand new Escape 19. Had received all pertinent documents from Kim/Tammy. Quickly learned that does not mean every one else involved knows what’s up. My early attempt to get registered, titled, and plated ahead of time here in the Land of Enchantment did not start well. Is every state really so different?

Had brought to my local NM MoDivV here the factory Certificate of Origin, Bill of Sale, and the Customs form 7501. The clerk looked it all over and rejected my application. Said I first had to clear Customs. I asked her to please check with her supervisor. There was no supervisor. All the Jimmy Stewart charm I could muster suddenly kicked in. She made a couple phone calls but that produced no joy either. Said, case closed, I first had to clear Customs. I pointed to the Customs form 7501 I brought. Still no joy. It wasn’t properly filled out. A nice woman, you understand, probably a grandma, maybe a tad grumpy from dealing all day long with a public who don’t like being there either. I was giving her a recipe she never tried. Clearly a linear thinker. Defeated, I left.

Later that afternoon, upon advice of counsel (Dave from Corrales, who done it all successfully a few weeks earlier,) decided at dawn the next day I would drive the 50 miles to the MDV office where he had gone.

Get there early while they’re still fresh and alert. Got there at 8AM. Nice place. Bigger room, flat screen TV. I was number 16 in line. At 8:32 AM put down my paperback Longmire novel to listen to the PA announce the computers were all now down so no vehicle processing could take place, but we were welcome to wait. A handful immediately left. At 9AM the wall TV listed number 17 was next at window 4. What? I jumped up, a clerk behind window 4 mumbled something -- decided best move was to shut up, sit back down.

Finally my number was called. Computers were still all down but I asked grandma number two if we could review together what I needed to get done so when they came back up we could get right to it. She agreed. What do you know? Immediately pointed everything wrong out to me and firmly declared I must first go through Customs. She also said never saw such a strange Certificate of Origin.

Holding my ground, I paused, asked her to check. Watched through the glass window as she waved my documents at the supervisor. Came back to me and said with some hope in her voice well, you need a Customs form, 7501.

The lesson here is simple: never assume anything. You know what happens. Grandma clerk number two had also never seen an international application like mine, and never understood or looked carefully at my paperwork. People just don’t read like they used to, I guess. She rushed back to the supervisor, he nodded, gave her an educational upgrade. To her credit grandma admitted it was all new stuff to her. The computers were now working again. Still she had to ask, can you live in it? What color? It doesn’t have a motor?

6-7 minutes after writing out a big check, finally got my plates and title in hand. Hoo-Hah. One final lesson: never holler, always be polite.

[Jim Bennett]

Isn't dealing with bureaucratic BS a lot of fun?

Glad you got it done. Also glad it is way simpler here.

[Dave Walter]

I hear these stories all the time on this forum and others about how hard it can be to register a travel trailer in different locations. These are only travel trailers for gosh sakes! Why does it have to be so difficult? It seems sometimes that bureaucracy has taken over and common sense has all but disappeared. I too am glad that I live in a place where it is still a relatively simple process to register a trailer.

[FMLNM]

Congrats Myron! Glad you got it done...at least the trip to Corrales was not a waste of time and gas! And yes, yelling rarely improves the outcome....
Travel safe!
Fran & Dave

[Vermilye]

While, as I mentioned in a previous post, I didn't have a problem getting NY to register the trailer with Tammy's paperwork, I neglected to describe my first attempt.

Well ahead of time I went to the local NY DMV office an asked what the procedure should be for registering the trailer. With a straight face they told me to drive the trailer across the border, mail the paperwork to the Oswego, NY office, they would then determine what the fee would be, and mail the bill back to me, have me mail a check back to them & they would mail a plate to me. Probably would have taken a month or two!

I'm glad that after I got the paperwork from Tammy I played dumb & went to the office, handed them the pile of papers, including an unstamped 7501 form and registered it. The only minor hassle was converting the weight from kg to lbs since the registration fee in NY is based on weight. They even used the Canadian price to calculate sales tax even though at the time they would have made more money if they had converted to what I actually paid in US dollars.

I guess my point is it might pay to attempt to register it after you get the paperwork. All they can tell you is no, and it might just work! Even if someone says no, try a different office or even a different clerk.

[float5]

You would have been a few thousand miles short on your trip. Or maybe you would still be on it!

[Viajante]

Based on my experience I wouldn't worry about registering a trailer in advance of getting it home. I picked up an application before I left and at the border I simply taped the applicants copy to the back window. No problem through five states or while using it for the two months it took DMV to process the application. Deal with them by mail at their pace, and go camping in the meantime.

[Jim Bennett]

Wow, I really do feel bad for what many of you have to do through.

To register a trailer here, a one time thing, you need a bill of sale, and if new the New Vehicle Information Certificate from Escape (or whoever), something like $120 for the fee, and 15 minutes at the counter. You are then good for as long as you own the trailer.

A friend imported a trailer, and had to fill out some kid of import form, and prove there were no recalls on the trailer (a new Airstream). Other than this, I believe it was just the steps I described above. Not sure if this is all, but I know it was a breeze for him.

Now....don't talk to me about all the bureaucratic BS I have to jump through in order to obtain permitting to do some major renos around here. There is a good reason I have no hair.