I was just browsing when I came across a trailer that needs work, but its cheap enough to fix. BUT it has no title. I would have to have it registered to of course take it anywhere, so in Texas, has anyone ever did that? Could I say its home made since I would have to redo it from the ground up?
Check out the DMV website for your state. I am betting they have pretty good instructions there.
I bought a trailer from out of state (I am in NY) that did not come with a title. I had to follow the steps outlined by the DMV (have it inspected by them, weighed, paper work to prove I bought it legally, etc) and they issued it a title and that title did call it home built.
Edit to add - My trailer was not home built, but because it did not have a VIN and there was no manufacturer plate it became home built in the eyes of the DMV. I had copies of the bill of sale from when the first owner bought it from the manufacturer until I bought it, which I needed to prove it was obtained lawfully, but it still was given home built.
These are usually state rules. In NH you do not need a title for any vehicle more than 10 years old. You will need a bill of sale with a good description of the vehicle.
Some states don’t require titles for horse trailers. I bought a trailer from an owner in NJ where there are no titles. When I licensed it in Virginia, the state issued me title.
Does the trailer have a VIN number? If you can tell who manufactured the trailer call them and ask where to look for the VIN number.
Once you have the VIN you should be able to trace the ownership history.
I bought a trailer from OK and had a title issued in PA. Trailer has been built in WI and sold to OK where trailers don’t get titled. It was a bit of a pain (needed a verifiable weight, certificate of origination) but doable.
We bought a trailer awhile back and there was no title. We live in VA and while we did get a title eventually, it was a pain in the a***
