Trailer question in general. camper, boat, what ever/ Any Wisconsin members??

[count me in]

Well we got to get out and camp last weekend. And we wound up renting a boat for part of a day during that campout.  Ovr the years I have owned a couple of boats, that outing has made me want another... I see several on CL that either 1) are in Wisconsin  or 2) are in IL but came from Wisconsin and have not yet been registered here.
I dunno about any other states but WI and IL, that WI does not license small trailers and that IL is anal retentive about snatching every dime they can from its residents, and that "registering it as homemade" is no longer an option.. I actually built an actual home made trailer from scratch a few years ago for my mowers.... it is a royal pain to register and get a title here.

I bring this up here because I have seen people list Apaches available via CL here on the site and that could make for a nightmare trying to register it in a state besides Wisconsin.
When buying a trailer in WI that is headed out to a buyer elsewhere is there some kind of form or something available to make the process easier when the trailer gets to its new home?

[Flyingscot64]

This is how it went when I bought my boat, The boat had a title since it was 16 ft, but the trailer did not . all I had to do was have an address from the seller ,and I was able to title the trailer. The best thing to do is ask the dmv before you buy something without a title. I know with boats ,it is almost next to impossible to even get one. 

[Redwood]

I say spare yourself the trouble, don't buy anything that doesn't have a title. It's to much a pain trying to get it titled.

[count me in]

I say spare yourself the trouble, don't buy anything that doesn't have a title. It's to much a pain trying to get it titled.

well then that pretty much means anything that happens to be in the state of Wisconsin is "off limits"  there has to be some way, people buy/sell, and move in and out of there daily....

[RHS]

Another option, with a willing seller's cooperation, is get a VIN, Serial, or whatever number is available, then see if the owner would be willing to contact the State's DMV and see who currently has the title.  Then the previous owner, if willing, can be supportive in helping the current owner apply for a lost title.  Most owners won't do it, and it is a hassle.
I did it in MO with a boat motor once and it went well.

Sometimes buyers purchase an item and don't want to title it to avoid taxes, etc.  Obviously this causes a problem down the line.

I agree with Greg, it isn't worth the hassle, unless you have a good deal going on a roamer or a camper you really want.

Randy

[count me in]

Another option, with a willing seller's cooperation, is get a VIN, Serial, or whatever number is available, then see if the owner would be willing to contact the State's DMV and see who currently has the title.  Then the previous owner, if willing, can be supportive in helping the current owner apply for a lost title.  Most owners won't do it, and it is a hassle.
I did it in MO with a boat motor once and it went well.

Sometimes buyers purchase an item and don't want to title it to avoid taxes, etc.  Obviously this causes a problem down the line.

I agree with Greg, it isn't worth the hassle, unless you have a good deal going on a roamer or a camper you really want.

Randy

with a BOAT MOTOR??  never heard of a title to be had on a motor. Boat? yeah. Trailer? That too. but never on a motor

[RHS]

Yep, in MO we pay personal property taxes on those types of items.

A lot of States vary, which is why one has to be on the look-out.  I would not touch a camper without the title, living in MO.

Good luck,

Randy

[count me in]

this subject rears its ugly head again.

I want to move up from my puny Mesa to a larger model, have had my eye out for something to pop up. 
I found a guy in WI (yeah up there again)  that posted on the "owners.com" site, that left a link to each of 2 '78 Apaches he has for sale; one is a Ranger, the other one I forget the model.
I Emailed him both thru that ".com" site and the CL ad, and here is his reply; "I have had both of these for around 15 years and they are too old to have been issued a title" 
Not hardly. My Mesa is even older and you can bet that I do have a title for it. 

I know that WI does not require license plates on any kind of trailer (boat, utility or camper) below a certain threshold so therefore most people toss or otherwise "lose" their trailers' titles up there,

I would very much like to take a road trip up there and check them out 

but with a response like that I can't see taking the time or spend the fuel knowing that I live in an anal retentive state when it comes to these sort of issues.

[Wild-Surfwood]

Hang in there.....something will come your way. Summer is coming and others are moving up in size on their trailers or are not using them as much as they use too. I had gotten pretty excited about two 78s that were about 6 hrs from me. It would have been a great deal. The owner said the lift systems were good, but would not open them up for me and shoot a few pics. I went back and forth with him asking questions and it seemed good. I just could not justify the drive and perhaps the disappointment. I would have to either make two trips or drag someone else with me and a second vehicle. One was a ranger, the other a royal. Glad I waited and another ranger came around. I used Seekyouritem.com. Sometimes things come up on that and not my nearby cities cl for some reason. Just keep checking daily and good luck.

Scott

[Desert Satanna]

Man, that's gotta be a mess there in WI. I mean, how do you prove that you didn't steal the trailer from your neighbor's yard or from the neighboring town?? There's got to be a record of ownership somewhere, right??? 

The only way I could see something like this ever working (without a title) is to see if there is a record with the DMV in WI for the trailer (based on that ever-illusive serial number). If so, perhaps you could have the current owner write a bill of sale with that info, register the vehicle yourself in WI (so you have something in your hand showing you own it, according to them), then bring that with you to IL.

It is extra time and money to do it that way, but there do not seem to be many alternatives....

[count me in]

bill of sale is useless in this state.   2 choices. If you wanna use it and not deal with a hassle on the road no way around a title and plates.  Choice #2? Yard ornament. 

I'll find one with a title sooner or later. 
Then, once I get it and it is campable, my Mesa will be for sale. but not until.
It just ticks me off that what is good in one state is nowhere close in another. 

A guy that I know, and lives by me, went to a family reunion in Georgia some years back, and brought back a beautiful rust free '78 Jeep pick up truck. It was to become his 3 season daily driver here.  He tried everything possible at the time to register that truck here, 
It sat in his driveway for around 5 years, while this was going on. In that town about 7 miles from me the cops are relentless about non working vehicles being towed and explaining the issue to them as to why it never had current plates and keeping it from ending up in impound as a result, added to the frustration.
After about 5 years he wound up towing that pickup back to Georgia, as I guess (at least at the time), title was not needed on anything over 10 years there.  On the car enthusiast sites that I frequent (all "Mopar" Dodge/Plymouth related)  I hear all kinds of differences among forum members state to state for car registration too. .

and sadly no, not actually knowing anyone that lives in Wisconsin, and not living there myself, I can't register something there while I live here.  Believe me, I've seen a few boats on trailers up there that looked appealing over the last couple years, but it seems nobody keeps their boat trailer titles either (so it isnt just campers)